Taylor Swift song ‘Marjorie’ is a tribute to her late grandmother

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Kelly Rissman

US News Reporter

Taylor Swift pays tribute to her grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, in a song on her surprise new album, Evermore.  

The musician released her second studio record of 2020 at midnight ET on Friday 11 December, following the release of the critically acclaimed Folklore in August.  

Evermore sees Swift reunite with her Folklore collaborators, including Jack Antonoff, Bon Iver, and The National’s Aaron Dessner.  

On “Marjorie”, one of the closing tracks on the record, Swift appears to share some of the life lessons her grandmother taught her: “Never be so kind, you forget to be kind/ Never be so clever, you forget to be kind.”

She had earlier referred to the song in notes shared upon the album’s release, writing: “One starring my grandmother, Marjorie, who still visits me sometimes… if only in my dreams.”

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Marjorie Finlay’s career as an opera singer inspired Swift to pursue music herself.  

Marjorie, Swift’s maternal grandmother, died on 1 June 2003 in Swift’s hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania.  

Swift shared a photo of her grandmother on Instagram in 2011, commenting: “Found this picture of my grandmother. So lovely.”  

Evermore is described as the “sister record” to Folklore, with Swift saying she found “escapism” in its themes of marriage, infidelity and Hollywood dreams.