Taylor Swift has officially left the UK after her stunning final Eras Tour gig at Wembley Arena, closing out the European leg of the show.
It was beyond my wildest dreams to go to the Eras Tour even once, let alone four times — yes, four times.
Every show is different, so going more than once allows you to really take in the atmosphere. And at that final show, I noticed something I hadn’t before.
There is one song that completely divides the crowd.
It’s not a pop-heavy dance number, nor is it a disappointing surprise song. And it’s not even the fact that Speak Now only has Enchanted on the setlist.
It’s Marjorie.
Having spent the past three shows bawling my eyes out to the emotional song, I tore my eyes away from Taylor at the final gig and was shocked to discover that not everyone was having the same visceral reaction — not even close.
It turns out the Evermore track is incredibly divisive and places fans in two distinct camps; bawling your eyes out, or bored and politely dancing.
Marjorie is dedicated to Taylor’s grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, who was an opera singer and part of the superstar’s journey into music.
She died in 2003 so never saw the dizzying heights her granddaughter would reach, but her voice is featured on the recording of the song.
Taylor sings: ‘And if I didn’t know better/ I’d think you were talking to me now/ If I didn’t know better/ I’d think you were still around.’
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Another gut-punching lyric reads: ‘You’re alive, you’re alive in my head’
For those who have lost someone, these words cut deep, and I can confirm it does not get easier the more you hear it live.
The song is a beautiful dedication not only to Taylor’s grandmother but to every fan who has lost a grandparent, family member, or friend.
It felt even more poignant hearing it after the Southport attack, where three young girls – Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Dasilva Aguiar – lost their lives.
Standing with my arm wrapped around my best friend, we sobbed as we sang along in dedication to a friend who is no longer with us. It’s a moment I will never forget.
But on Tuesday’s final gig, I was shaken out of my emotional state when I spotted a man positively beaming as he sang along.
He danced and shimmied to the beat, apparently oblivious to the crying eyes around him — and he wasn’t the only one.
Everywhere I looked, there were people grinning and singing away, blissfully unaware of the emotional wrecks around them.
Some even used the track as a chance to grab a drink or a quick sit down ahead of Willow (a fan favourite).
Not everyone needs to have an emotional response to a song, and I am honestly pleased for anyone who is not reduced to a snotty, crying mess over the track.
But it felt deeply jarring to see an almost equal split of people in the pits of despair and dancing away like Taylor was performing Shake It Off.
There will never be a time when Marjorie does not make me bawl, and I will never know the joy that man felt as he bopped along. But that’s ok.
He isn’t wrong for having a less-than-devastated reaction to the track.
After four shows, you realise that grief is a gift, allowing that person you’ve lost back into your life for the short time Taylor belts the track.
That rollercoaster of emotions is the real beauty of the Eras Tour and the magic of Taylor Swift.
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