A meaningful track. Taylor Swift first released the song “Ronan” in September 2012. Ahead of its initial release, Taylor had heard about a young boy named Ronan Thompson, who died in 2011 following a battle with neuroblastoma. Upon hearing his story, she invited the late boy’s mother backstage during the Speak Now tour in 2011, and revealed that she had written a song for Ronan.
The songstress re-released the track as part of her Red (Taylor’s Version) re-recorded album in November 2021.
Keep reading for everything to know about “Ronan,” including the song lyrics and more.
What Is Taylor Swift’s ‘Ronan’ About?
Taylor came up with the idea for the song after reading his mom, Maya Thompson‘s, blogs, which were written as letters to Ronan.
“‘I wrote a song for Ronan,’ [Taylor] said. The tears started pouring down my cheeks as soon as I heard her say those words. But her words didn’t stop there. Not only did she write a song for you, but she wanted to know if it would be alright to perform it on the nationally televised Stand Up 2 Cancer show which is on every major network and is seen in over 100 countries,” Maya recalled in a 2012 blog post. “She wanted to know if she could use a picture of you in the background while she sang the song. She wanted to make me co-author of the song with her. She talked about how reading this blog and following our story has inspired her, and how amazing she thinks I am and all I am doing to bring awareness to childhood cancer.”
What Are the Lyrics to Taylor Swift’s ‘Ronan’?
The song honors the late boy, remembering his “bare feet, down the hallway” and “little laugh.” Taylor also made reference to the saying, “I love you to the moon and back,” several times throughout the song.
“Come on, baby, with me / We’re going to fly away from here / You were my best four years,” the first chorus reads. The second verse chronicles the feelings after Ronan’s passing, “Flowers pile up in the worst way, no one knows what to say / About a beautiful boy who died.”
Has Taylor Swift Ever Performed ‘Ronan’ Live?
Throughout her career, she only performed the song a few times on stage. The first was during the 2012 Stand Up 2 Cancer benefit. Taylor performed the song a second time in 2015, when Maya attended the 1989 Tour in 2015.
“I wouldn’t know half as much as I know about childhood cancer and childhood cancer research if she hadn’t shared her story about her son Ronan. I would read it every night,” Taylor shared at the time, making reference to her mom. “And in it was this account of what it’s like to watch cancer take over your life. And since then, I’ve had cancer hit really close to me in my family.”
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