Hello everyone! We hope you are all doing well :)
Today's post will discuss Taylor Swift's song "Marjorie" and its official lyric video! Disclaimer: the video is about her late grandmother and could be upsetting to some listeners/viewers.
"Marjorie" comes from Taylor Swift's album Evermore, which was released in December of 2020. The album explores genres such as folk-pop, indie folk, chamber rock, and alternative rock, which, like her album Folklore, is very different from her usual aesthetic! "Marjorie" is a tribute song to Swift's late grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, who passed away in 2003. Finlay was an opera singer and Swift has stated that her passion for music came from her. The lyric video contains actual home video footage and photographs of Finlay throughout her life, including scenes of Swift as a baby playing the piano with Finlay (so adorable!). The video and song are very emotional and honestly, we cry each time we watch it. The song is such a lovely and loving tribute to her grandmother that it stands out as a beautiful work that many can relate to. It deals with themes of loss, grief, guilt, but also love and companionship.
While these themes are evident in the photographs and home video footage, they are also clear in the lyrics. For example, in the opening of the song Swift sings:
"Never be so kind, you forget to be clever/Never be so clever, you forget to be kind."
Swift comes back to this theme later in the middle of the song with:
"Never be so polite, you forget your power/Never wield such power, you forget to be polite."
Here, Swift is singing about some of the life lessons she has learned from her grandmother, which include being respectful and compassionate, but also strong and assertive.
In the bridge of the song, Swift sings about her guilt and grief with lyrics such as:
"Long limbs and frozen swims
You'd always go past where our feet could touch
And I complained the whole way there
The car ride back and up the stairs
I should've asked you questions
I should've asked you how to be
Asked you to write it down for me
Should've kept every grocery store receipt
'Cause every scrap of you would be taken from me."
These lyrics detail the guilt that Swift feels for times when she felt she took her grandmother for granted, which is something that many can relate to.
However, the chorus repeats with:
"What died didn't stay dead
What died didn't stay dead
You're alive, you're alive in my head
What died didn't stay dead
What died didn't stay dead
You're alive, so alive
And if I didn't know better
I'd think you were singing to me now
If I didn't know better
I'd think you were still around."
These lyrics and the fact that they reoccur in the chorus sections reaffirm that Marjorie Finlay's memory is not dead to Swift. She will always remember and love her grandmother.
Musically, the song features a drone, which is the sustaining of a particular note, buzzing synths, strings, keyboard, and cello. Most significant though is the end of the song which samples Finlay's soprano voice as backing vocals! It is absolutely beautiful, as if Swift is actually singing with her grandmother, which in a sense she is.
We don't have the words to express how beautiful this song is and so we recommend (should you feel comfortable doing so) watching the official lyric video below and letting us know what you think/feel in the comments section! We hope you all have a lovely and heartwarming week, and remember to stay safe, musical, and bubbly, friends!
-The Music Bubble Team.
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