"Marjorie" is a song by the American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). She wrote the song with its producer, Aaron Dessner. The song honors Swift's maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, an opera singer. It includes advice that Finlay gave to Swift and expresses Swift's feelings of regret for not knowing Finlay better. "Marjorie" is an emotional song that uses electronic keyboard sounds, pizzicato strings, and samples of Finlay's soprano singing.
Music critics praised "Marjorie" for its musical quality and personal tone, calling it a standout track from Evermore and one of the most highly regarded songs in Swift's career. The song reached number 66 on the Billboard Global 200 chart and appeared on national charts in Australia, Canada, and the United States. It was certified platinum in Australia, gold in New Zealand and Brazil, and silver in the United Kingdom. Swift performed the song during the Eras Tour (2023–2024).
Background
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Taylor Swift created her eighth studio album, Folklore, with Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff. Released without warning on July 24, 2020, the album received praise from critics and sold many copies. It included new musical styles, such as indie folk and indie rock, which were different from the pop sound of her earlier albums. In September 2020, Swift, Antonoff, and Dessner gathered at Long Pond Studio in Hudson Valley to film Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, a documentary showing Swift performing all the songs from Folklore and talking about how the album was made. After filming, the three celebrated the album’s success and unexpectedly kept writing songs while staying at Long Pond. This led to the creation of Swift’s ninth studio album, Evermore, which she called a "sister record" to Folklore. Before releasing Evermore, Swift mentioned that one of its songs would be about her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, who was an opera singer and inspired her to become a musician.
Production and composition
"Marjorie" came before "Peace," the fifteenth track on Folklore. The background sound in "Peace" is a sample from the bridge of "Marjorie." The rhythm in "Marjorie" was created using an "Allovers Hi-Hat Generator," a tool made by producer Ryan Olson. This software breaks down any sound into separate pieces and rearranges them into random musical patterns. Dessner chose his favorite patterns, repeated them, and turned them into an instrumental track. Taylor Swift wrote "Marjorie" with Dessner and gave him old opera recordings by Finlay to use.
Dessner recorded "Marjorie" at Long Pond with Jonathan Low, who also recorded Swift's vocals and mixed the track. Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone mastered the song at Sterling Sound Studios in Edgewater, New Jersey. Dessner added drum machine programming and played drone, synth bass, piano, and electric guitar. His brother, Bryce, oversaw the violin (played by Yuki Numata Resnick), chord stick (played by Jason Treuting), cello (played by Clarice Jensen), and vermona pulse (played by Justin McAlister). Treuting and Bryan Devendorf played percussion, with Devendorf also contributing drum machine programming. Justin Vernon sang background vocals, played Prophet-X, and recorded his parts at April Base Studios in Fall Creek, Wisconsin.
"Marjorie" is 4 minutes and 17 seconds long. It is a sentimental ballad that uses synthesizers, plucked strings, violin, and a pulsing electronic keyboard. Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield compared its composition to the music of Steve Reich and Terry Riley. Finlay's soprano vocals appear in the outro and after the lyric "And if I didn't know better / I'd think you were singing to me now." The lyrics of "Marjorie" are structured like chants, sharing life lessons Swift learned from Finlay: "Never be so kind, you forget to be clever / Never be so clever, you forget to be kind." Swift says she still feels Finlay's presence even after her death ("What died didn't stay dead / You're alive, you're alive in my head") and expresses the grief and guilt she felt after her death ("I should've asked you questions / I should've asked you how to be").
Release and live performances
"Marjorie" is the thirteenth song on the album Evermore, which was released unexpectedly on December 11, 2020. A lyric video was also released with the song, showing photos and video clips of Finlay. In the video, Finlay is seen at a colonial-style house in Singapore, where her family lived in the 1960s. She is shown entering a Ford Galaxie car with a license plate that has a number unique to Singapore. Finlay is also seen playing piano with Taylor Swift, exploring ancient ruins, and wearing a dress inspired by Jackie O’s style while boarding a plane.
Swift included "Marjorie" in the set list for her sixth headlining concert tour, the Eras Tour (2023–2024). Critics Chris Willman of Variety and P. Claire Dodson of Teen Vogue both highlighted the performance as one of the tour’s standout moments. Dodson noted that the song’s inclusion was unexpected because it is deeply personal and intimate. At a concert in Atlanta on April 29, 2023, Swift’s fans used their phone flashlights during the performance to honor Finlay. This tradition continued at later shows. David Wysong of The Cincinnati Enquirer described the fan tradition as one of the tour’s most memorable highlights.
Critical reception
Music critics praised "Marjorie" for its sound and moving lyrics. Sheffield and Dodson called it one of Taylor Swift's best songs. Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club said the song has powerful and emotional lyrics and a deeply moving sound, naming it one of her favorite songs. Hannah Mylrea of NME believed the song shows the complicated feelings of guilt that come with sadness. Madeline Crone of American Songwriter said the lyrics and the vivid pictures they create are strong, and she called the ending part of the song "dreamy," helped by Finlay's soft and delicate singing. Maura Johnston of Entertainment Weekly said the busy musical arrangement and Finlay's soft soprano voice added energy to Swift's emotional singing. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said "Marjorie" is the most powerful song on the album Evermore.
Some critics called "Marjorie" the best song on Evermore and one of Swift's best songs. Ellen Johnson of Paste said it is one of the best songs in Swift's collection and helped create the calm, close feeling of the album. Patrick Ryan of USA Today chose it as one of the album's most important songs. Claire Shaffer of Rolling Stone called it the most important song on Evermore, calling it a "brilliant and heartbreaking song, a classic in Swift's work," and praised Swift's ability to write a song that feels like a farewell. "Marjorie" was ranked highly in lists of Swift's songs by Sheffield (9 out of 286), Exclaim!'s Alex Hudson and Megan LaPierre (15 out of 25), Willman (41 out of 75), and Vulture's Nate Jones (79 out of 245).
Commercial performance
"Marjorie" first appeared at number 66 on the Billboard Global 200 chart on December 26, 2020. In the United States, the song reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, number 56 on the Rolling Stone Top 100 chart, and number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It peaked at number 48 in Canada and number 57 in Australia. In the United Kingdom, the song reached number 94 on the Audio Streaming chart. "Marjorie" was certified platinum in Australia, gold in New Zealand and Brazil, and silver in the United Kingdom.