Maroon
Written By Taylor Swift & Jack Antonoff
Produced By Taylor Swift & Jack Antonoff
About
From Genius, the ultimate source of music knowledge
Track 2 on "Midnights".
"Maroon" is the second song on Taylor Swift's tenth album Midnights. It has similarities to "Red" and "Clean."
While "Red" describes a love that was "burning red," this track is a more grown-up version of a love story. It shows that shades of red were a constant in the relationship, but maroon is a brownish crimson color; it is not a straightforward red but allows for complexities and honesty.
On a similar note, the muted and dark tone to "Maroon" could also suggest the passing of time. In that respect, the song may be a wisened reflection on a relationship Taylor experienced when she was younger, likely one taking place during the time of her album "Red." In this case it would not be a new, mature relationship; but rather it would be a more mature perspective on a young relationship.
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
When the morning came
We were cleaning incense off your vinyl shelf
'Cause we lost track of time again
Laughing with my feet in your lap
Like you were my closest friend
"How'd we end up on the floor, anyway?" you say
"Your roommate's cheap-ass screw-top rosé, that's how"
I see you every day now
[Chorus]
And I chose you
The one I was dancing with
In New York, no shoes
Looked up at the sky and it was
The burgundy on my t-shirt
When you splashed your wine into me
And how the blood rushed into my cheeks
So scarlet, it was
The mark they saw on my collarbone
The rust that grew between telephones
The lips I used to call home
So scarlet, it was maroon
[Verse 2]
When the silence came
We were shaking, blind and hazy
How the hell did we lose sight of us again?
Sobbing with your head in your hands
Ain't that the way shit always ends?
You were standing hollow-eyed in the hallway
Carnations you had thought were roses, that's us
I feel you, no matter what
The rubies that I gave up
[Chorus]
And I lost you
The one I was dancing with
In New York, no shoes
Looked up at the sky and it was (Maroon)
The burgundy on my t-shirt
When you splashed your wine into me
And how the blood rushed into my cheeks
So scarlet, it was (Maroon)
The mark they saw on my collarbone
The rust that grew between telephones
The lips I used to call home
So scarlet, it was maroon
[Bridge]
And I wake with your memory over me
That's a real fucking legacy, legacy (It was maroon)
And I wake with your memory over me
That's a real fucking legacy to leave
[Chorus]
The burgundy on my t-shirt
When you splashed your wine into me
And how the blood rushed into my cheeks
So scarlet, it was maroon
The mark they saw on my collarbone
The rust that grew between telephones
The lips I used to call home
So scarlet, it was maroon
[Outro]
It was maroon
It was maroon