| "Ronan" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byTaylor Swift | ||||
| Released | September 8, 2012 (2012-09-08) | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 4:25 | |||
| Label | Big Machine | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Taylor Swift | |||
| Taylor Swift singles chronology | ||||
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"Ronan" is acharity single by the American singer-songwriterTaylor Swift. It was registered as a single withRIAA on September 7,[1] then released as aniTunes-exclusive download on September 8, 2012, byBig Machine Records. The lyrics are based on ablog by Maya Thompson about her three-year-old son Ronan, who died fromneuroblastoma in 2011. Swift wrote and produced the song by putting together quotes from the blog, crediting Thompson as co-writer. All proceeds from sales of "Ronan" were donated for charity causes to raise awareness of and fight against cancer.
Musically, "Ronan" is asoft rockballad instrumented by a solefinger-picked guitar with occasional piano tunes and minimal drumbrushes. Music critics have lauded the song artistically, deeming it a prime example of Swift's abilities as a singer-songwriter to evoke vivid emotional sentiments through her songwriting.[2][3][4][5] The single peaked at number 16 on the USBillboard Hot 100 and was certified gold by theRecording Industry Association of America. Are-recorded version, "Ronan (Taylor's Version)", was included in Swift's 2021re-recorded albumRed (Taylor's Version).
Taylor Swift wrote the song after reading Maya Thompson's blog. Thompson is the mother of three-year-old Ronan Thompson, who died in 2011 of neuroblastoma.[6] He had been treated atBarrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Maya began writing in August 2010 when Ronan was diagnosed and she continued penning her entries in the blogRockstar Ronan during the nine months that Ronan suffered from the illness before dying in May 2011, just three days before his fourth birthday. Maya worked through her grief by continuing the blog, writing letters to her late son whilst raising money and awareness for childhood cancer causes.[7]
The pair met in October 2011, when Swift invited Maya to her concert at theDesert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. She wrote about her reaction when Taylor told her that she'd penned the song inspired by her blog entries; addressing her late son, Thompson said that her calmness "...soon turned to complete and utter frozen shock when these words came out of her mouth: 'I wrote a song for Ronan.' 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 televisedStand Up to Cancer show..."[8] Swift credits Thompson as the co-writer of the song. It was released to the USiTunes Store shortly after the Stand Up to Cancertelethon ended, and all proceeds of the single go towards cancer charities.[9]
Mark Hogan ofSpin magazine describes "Ronan" as asoft rockballad.[10] Swift wrote and produced the song based on the blog entries by co-writer Maya Thompson.[8]
"Ronan" received universal acclaim from critics.Rolling Stone called the song "heartbreaking".[11] Bill Dukes ofTaste of Country wrote: "It was clear [Swift] was just the voice for Maya Thompson..."[12] Ed Masley ofThe Arizona Republic said that "'Ronan' may very well be [Swift's] finest hour as an artist."[13] Thompson herself, in a 2012 interview withMTV, recalled her experience listening to Swift's live rendition at Stand Up to Cancer: "Listening to it was very emotional and I was blown away by how she got it. She got it in a way that most people don't. She took the time to take the intimate parts of things I'd written and put them into the song."[14] Thompson's portion of the proceeds from her co-writing credit went to her Ronan Thompson Foundation.[14]
"Ronan" was downloaded 220,000 times in its first week, debuting at number 2 on theDigital Song Sales chart. The song was blocked by Swift's own song "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" from the top spot. On theBillboard Hot 100, the song peaked at number 16.[15] It also peaked at number 34 on theHot Country Songs chart.
Swift first performed the song live for Stand Up to Cancer in September 2012,[16] and has only performed it publicly one other time, when Maya Thompson attended theGlendale, Arizona stop ofThe 1989 World Tour on August 17, 2015.[17]
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USBillboard Hot 100[18] | 16 |
| USHot Country Songs (Billboard)[19] | 34 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[1] | Gold | 500,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| "Ronan (Taylor's Version)" | |
|---|---|
| Song byTaylor Swift | |
| from the albumRed (Taylor's Version) | |
| Released | November 12, 2021 (2021-11-12) |
| Length | 4:24 |
| Label | Republic |
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Lyric video | |
| "Ronan (Taylor's Version)" onYouTube | |
Swift re-recorded "Ronan", subtitled "(Taylor's Version)", for her second re-recorded album,Red (Taylor's Version), released on November 12, 2021, throughRepublic Records.[20] Prior to the re-recording, Thompson confirmed she had granted Swift permission.[21] A lyric video for the track was confirmed through Thompson viaTwitter on November 11, 2021, the day before the album was released.[22] The video contains images and home video footage of Ronan with Thompson, provided to Swift by Thompson herself.[23][24]
I've recently completed the re-recording of my 4th album,Red. It's really exceeded my expectations in so many ways, and one of those ways is that I thought it would be appropriate to add "Ronan" to this album.Red was an album of heartbreak and healing, of rage and rawness, of tragedy and trauma, and of the loss of an imagined future alongside someone. I wrote "Ronan" while I was makingRed and discovered your story as you so honestly and devastatingly told it. My genuine hope is that you'll agree with me that this song should be included on this album. As my co-writer and the rightful owner of this story in its entirety, your opinion and approval of this idea really matters to me, and I'll honor your wishes here.
— An excerpt from Swift's letter to Thompson[25]
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[26] | 88 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[27] | 142 |
| USBubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[28] | 9 |
| USHot Country Songs (Billboard)[29] | 42 |
Swift's soft-rock ballad "Ronan," inspired by a Phoenix mother's heartfelt blog post ...
