"I found myself not only writing my own stories, but also writing about or from the perspective of people I've never met, people I've known, or those I wish I hadn't," Swift wrote in a recent Instagram post. If possible, of course, and thank you. Swift moved into Holiday House in 2013 for $17.75 million, and it caused some drama at the time. One could describe Rebekah in many ways, but never boring: Harkness associated with the likes of Andy Warhol, J.D. Log in sign up. Oh my god, I wanted to know the backstory when I heard this song! Discussion. The song focuses on Rebekah Harkness, a divorcee who famously married into the Standard Oil fortune in 1947, and patron to several New York City dance companies. ", Like us on Facebook to see similar stories, White House task force kept airport Covid screeners in place despite known risk of infection, sources say, Barr Refutes Trump on Massive Hack Source: ‘Certainly Appears’ to be Russia. "Holiday House sat quietly on that beach / Free of women with madness, their men and bad habits / And then it was bought by me," Swift sings. “I wonder if Taylor Swift might like to hear the story of the time a body washed up on the beach under her Watch Hill mansion,” wrote a reporter for the New London Day at the time. Swift explains it briefly in a verse—Harkness once owned Holiday House, the singer’s current Watch Hill, Rhode Island, home. Press J to jump to the feed. folklore is out now. Rebekah was not a person most people would want to emulate. Rebekah died in 1982 at the age of 67. Taylor Swift was inspired by the former owner of her 40 room mansion in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. The idea of a "mad woman" haunting an estate, bringing in men and causing controversy. 143. She … Rebekah died in of cancer in 1982. The dark story behind Taylor Swift’s $17m Holiday House mansion The Rhode Island property, once owned by an eccentric socialite, is now visited by Swift's 'squad' - … It doesn't appear in any feeds, and anyone with a direct link to it will see a message like this one. Would someone post the article here in the comments please? It seems fair that the life of Rebekah Harkness is now celebrated through Swift's song and … The Harkness couple purchased a waterfront mansion in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, which the two nicknamed the "Holiday House." Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. Taylor Swift surprised her fans at the end of last week when she released a new album, Folklore, with many spending the weekend dissecting the set of new songs and the meanings behind the singer's lyrics. The other piece of it, though, is about reputation (also, of course, the name of Swift's 2017 album). ", Even after Bill died, Rebekah remained in the home and her life in Holiday House became the stuff of legend. I love the history that she put in the song and everything. Folklore, Taylor Swift's latest album, is officially out, which means it's time to close-read the lyrics and find the hidden meaning. It's safe to assume that what drew Swift to Rebekah in the first place was their shared residence. In 2013, Swift bought a Rhode Island mansion once owned by Rebekah Harkness. Fast forward 60 years, and another thin, rich, beautiful white woman bought Holiday House. Picking up a pen was my way of escaping into fantasy, history, and memory. And one of those stories is about Holiday House, Swift’s vacation home in wealthy Watch Hill, R.I. — or, more specifically, one of its former owners. Though William died in 1954 after just seven years of marriage, Rebekah kept her last name and status, and proceeded to become legend among the East Coast upper crust. In fact, Rebekah was a musician, another connection with Taylor. Taylor bought Holiday House in 2013 for more than $17 million cash when she was only 23 years old. And then in 2020, the house’s owner, Taylor Swift, wrote a song about Rebekah Harkness, called The Last Great American Dynasty.The music video featured the beach and the waves from the house, just as Rebekah Harkness would have seen it. She once dyed a cat lime green. Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Rebekah Harkness, who also went by Betty, was the previous owner of Taylor Swift's Rhode Island home and serves as the inspiration for the third track on her latest album One song, "the last great american dynasty" exemplifies this new style of songwriting, as it tells the story of 20th century American socialite Rebekah "Betty" Harkness. Oh wow, no wonder this song became an instant favorite for me. Further reading. Though Rebekah grew up in a wealthy St. Louis family, her social status was elevated when, after her first divorce, she married William "Bill" Hale Harkness, the son of William Lamon Harkness and the heir to the Standard Oil empire. Taylor Swift's Watch Hill, Rhode Island, Home. Swift writes: Swift … Here’s the best article I found. After their marriage, Rebekah and Bill bought an oceanfront home in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, which they named "Holiday House." The Rhode Island estate sat empty for years, until Swift's arrival. "Holiday House sat quietly on that beach / Free of women with madness, their men and bad habits / And then it was bought by me," Swift sings. Locals were concerned the pop superstar would disrupt the quiet seaside town, which, in some ways, she did. In three minutes 51 seconds, Swift tells the story of Harkness’s legacy through lyrics. The mansion is known as “Holiday House.” Taylor draws subtle comparisons between herself and Rebekah … The house sat empty on the beach until Taylor bought it in 2013 for an alleged all-cash deal of $17 million. I’ve told these stories to the best of my ability with all the love, wonder, and whimsy they deserve. This album marks a departure for Swift, not only in the music itself—these songs have a distinctly moody, indie tone—but also in Swift's storytelling. User account menu. A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift). July 24, 2020 Swift illustrated this union with her lyrics, "Bill was the heir to the Standard Oil name and money / And the town said, 'How did a middle-class divorcée do it?' Notably, when her younger daughter, Edith, died by suicide, Harkness' simple response was, "I can't believe it took her this long to succeed. But why? She was patron of her own failing ballet company, the Harkness Ballet. Thank you! The New York Times, commemorating her death, noted that in addition to being a dance patron, she was a sculptor and composer. Her son Allen, who was interviewed by The New York Times after her death, described the crowd as "all the fairies flying off the floor, the blackmailing lawyers, the weirdos, the people in the trances.". Swift bought her "Holiday House" in 2013 for $17 million. Taylor Swift’s estimated net worth of $360 million includes a $80 million+ property portfolio including her two Beverley Hills homes, a Nashville penthouse and mansion, New York duplex and the colossal Watch Hill estate that Swift decamps to in the summer, most … Rebekah married William Hale Harkness, the heir to the Standard Oil fortune. Here, we explore who Rebekah was, and why she captured Swift's attention. : Beth Garrabrant, A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Jul 23, 2020 at 9:06pm PDT. Who Is Rebekah from Taylor Swift's 'The Last Great American Dynasty'? Together, the pair resided in Rhode Island, in a home called "Holiday House" that Swift now owns. Swift caused quite the stir when moved into Holiday House, filling the beaches with paparazzi and the estate with celebrities. Unlike many of Swift's hyper-personal songs, " The Last Great American Dynasty " is inspired by the true story of another woman: socialite Rebekah Harkness, also known as "the maddest woman this town has ever seen." Harkness had a strained relationship with her children, building additions to her home so she could see them as little as possible. https://www.rollingstone.com/.../rebekah-harkness-taylor-swift-1033497 The Swift connection is that the superstar bought Holiday House for a reported $17 million in 2013. In 2020, Swift wrote the song "The Last Great American Dynasty" for her eighth studio album Folklore (2020), in which she tells Harkness' life story. Part of the theory behind "folklore" is that these songs test the boundaries of self, as Swift writes about historical figures, fictional characters, and her own life, dissolving the lines between those stories. It’s got … a lengthy semi-nonfictional track about Rebekah Harkness, a St. Louis–born debutante who married the heir to Standard Oil, bought a giant house in … Thank you!! Her ashes were placed in a $250,000 urn created by Salvador Dalí. A subreddit for Taylor Swift news, music, discussion, etc. Unless you are entirely disconnected from the Internet, you know that Taylor Swift released a brand new, surprise album last night. (Yes, the seaside mansion that was the … Harkness inherited her late husband's Watch Hill, Rhode Island, manse, which was known by friends, family, and distinguished celebrity guests—think Howard Hughes and Salvador Dalí—as the Holiday House. Now it’s up to you to pass them down. Article about the "Rebekah" of Holiday House Taylor sings about. Ever social, the couple hosted countless raucous parties at the home. Swift explains it briefly in a verse – Harkness once owned Holiday House, the singer’s current Watch Hill, Rhode Island, home. Swift sings, "They picked out a home and called it "Holiday House" / Their parties were tasteful, if a little loud. Taylor Swift Sings about Her Rhode Island Mansion in New Album Drop Her song, "the Last Great American Dynasty," revolves around former Holiday House owner, Rebekah Harkness. 143. In her day, Harkness was as much of a media darling as Swift is now, and often the target of unfavorable headlines and press coverage. But equally unapologetic as Swift. “Holiday House sat quietly on that beach, free of women with madness, their men and bad habits; then it was bought by me,” Swift sings. When I saw the title (and the little e next to it) I assumed it was about either the kennedys, or the trumps. Holiday House is one of Taylor Swift’s many homes, and it encompasses 11,000 square feet and sits on 5.23 acres. In isolation my imagination has run wild and this album is the result, a collection of songs and stories that flowed like a stream of consciousness. There's a survey to take to read it and it never ends. She married four times, with her last husband twenty years her junior. Rebekah, who also founded her own ballet company, died of cancer in 1982. How quickly society judges those that live lives different from the norm. “Rebekah rode up on the afternoon train / It was sunny,” Taylor Swift croons in her new song “The Last Great American Dynasty”. On the track, Swift sings: Rebekah rode up on the afternoon train, it was sunny / Her saltbox house on the coast took her mind off St. Louis / Bill was the heir to the Standard Oil name and money / And the town said / “How did a middle-class divorcée do it?” / The wedding was charming, if a little gauche / There's only so far new money goes.". References. She sings, "Who knows, if I never showed up, what could've been / There goes the loudest woman this town has ever seen / I had a marvelous time ruining everything. The Holiday House was once owned by Rebekah Harkness The mansion was once owned by Rebekah Harkness, a high profile socialite who famously married into the Standard Oil fortune. More posts from the TaylorSwift community. Press J to jump to the feed. Swift also shared that every single room of Holiday House “has a different anecdote about Rebekah Harkness.” Clearly, Swift is fascinated with the home's former owner, and … From the shore and from the street, Taylor Swift’s mansion — the one she sings about in “ the last great american dynasty ” on her new album folklore — is unmissable. Rebekah West Harkness (April 17, 1915 – June 17, 1982) also known as Betty Harkness, ... Harkness' "Holiday House" in Watch Hill, Rhode Island was acquired in 2013 by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Salinger, and Alvin Ailey. Very tragic story. 27 days ago. Holiday House, part of which was torn down in the 1970s because it was so big, had 40 rooms and 21 bathrooms in Rebekah Harkness' day. Some people of the small beach community … Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://books.google.ca/books?id=h7sBAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA45&lpg=PA45&dq=edith+harkness&source=bl&ots=XqEj1HgkIZ&sig=ACfU3U1_Pewkgp3lmZIxYJ4ZrjuwlLe4aw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjtsfaB0-nqAhWphOAKHRJ6Cw4Q6AEwEXoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=edith%20harkness&f=false. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts . Close. She filled the estate's pool with Dom Perignon. ", While Swift is clearly not a Rebekah clone, she does draw some similarities between herself and her home's previous owner towards the end of "the last great american dynasty.". https://books.google.ca/books?id=h7sBAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA45&lpg=PA45&dq=edith+harkness&source=bl&ots=XqEj1HgkIZ&sig=ACfU3U1_Pewkgp3lmZIxYJ4ZrjuwlLe4aw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjtsfaB0-nqAhWphOAKHRJ6Cw4Q6AEwEXoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=edith%20harkness&f=false. hold on to the memories . A subreddit for Taylor Swift news, music, discussion, etc. Posted by. I, glad it was neither, and instead was an awesome story about a woman. I think we might be following the same people on Tumblr! Taylor Swift - the last great american dynasty (Official Lyric Video) In a nutshell, Swift purchased Harkness's former home—nicknamed the Holiday House—for about $17 million back in … While the hubbub surrounding Swift's presence in the beach town has since died down, the pop star ends her song by subverting her own lyrics, turning the Rebekah narrative onto herself. Taylor Swift bought Holiday House for US$17 million in 2013. (Who can forget those 4th of July parties?) Sorry, this post was deleted by the person who originally posted it. The album loops itself blurry, and we’re back to “The Last Great American Dynasty”, a song about Rebekah Harkness, a “middle class divorcée” who married the heir to Standard Oil money, bought a Rhode Island mansion and dubbed it “Holiday House.” By the end of the song, Holiday House lands neatly in Taylor’s custody. 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