Ronan (song)

Updated on Nov 27, 2023

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Format Digital download Length 4:25		Genre Country soft rock Label Big Machine

Released September 8, 2012 (2012-09-08) Writer(s) Taylor Swift Maya Thompson

"Ronan" is a charity single released on September 8, 2012, by American singer Taylor Swift to the iTunes Store. Swift's lyrics are based on a blog she read about a four-year-old boy, Ronan Thompson, who died from neuroblastoma in 2011. Swift wrote the song by putting together quotes from blog creator Maya Thompson, Ronan's mother. Thompson is credited as a co-writer of the song. Swift first performed the song live for Stand Up to Cancer in September 2012, and has only performed it publicly one other time, at the Glendale, Arizona stop of The 1989 World Tour, at which Thompson was in attendance. All proceeds from sales of the single go to help fight cancer.

Background

Swift wrote the song after reading Maya Thompson's blog. Thompson is the mother of four-year-old Ronan Thompson, who died in 2011 of neuroblastoma. He had been treated at Barrow 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 blog Rockstar Ronan during the nine months that Ronan fought the illness before passing away in May 2011, just three days before he would have turned four. Maya worked through her grief by continuing the blog, writing heartbreaking letters to her late son, whilst also raising money and awareness for childhood cancer causes.

The pair met in October 2011, when Swift invited Maya to her concert at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona. She wrote about her reaction when Taylor told her that she'd penned the song inspired by her blog entries, "My calmness soon turned to complete and utter frozen shock when these words came out of her mouth. 'I wrote a song for Ronan,'" and she 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 show." Swift credits Thompson's mother as the co-writer of the song. It was released to the US iTunes Store shortly after the Stand Up to Cancer telethon ended and all proceeds of the single go towards cancer charities.

Composition

"Ronan" is mainly referred to as a country song. Mark Hogan of Spin magazine describes "Ronan" as a soft rock ballad. Swift wrote the lyrics of the song based on the blog entries by Maya Thompson, who received a co-writing credit.

Critical reception

"Ronan" received acclaim from critics. Rolling Stone called the song "heartbreaking". Bill Dukes of Taste of Country wrote: "It was clear [Swift] was just the voice for Maya Thompson..." Ed Masley of The Arizona Republic said that "'Ronan' may very well be [Swift's] finest hour as an artist."