It was an emotional performance, due in large part to Fallon’s grief: his mother, Gloria, passed away unexpectedly last week.
“When we were little, my mom would walk us to this store, me and my sister, and we would hold hands, she would squeeze my hand three times and say, ‘I love you,’ and I would squeeze back, ‘I love you, too,'” Fallon remembered, adding that he had tried to use the same tender way to communicate when she was hospitalized. So imagine the entire studio’s surprise when Swift — whose album Reputation was just released on Friday — echoed that very specific gesture in the lyrics of her own song, which she performed while playing piano.
“Suddenly she sings the line, ‘Squeeze my hand 3 times in the back of the taxi,'” wrote Tonight Show producer Mike DiCenzo in a series of tweets giving the back story on the resonant moment. “I nearly gasped. Tears. I think everyone in the audience started sobbing,” he wrote. “I could see Jimmy silhouetted at his desk dabbing his eyes with a tissue. We all lost it. It was a beautiful coincidence in a beautiful performance. ‘Hold on to your memories, they will hold on to you,’ Taylor sang.”
Swift had been in town over the weekend to perform on Saturday Night Live. She’s headed out west shortly for a string of holiday shows.
A few words (i.e. a thread) about tonight's show. It was our first show back after Jimmy's mom passed away...
— Mike DiCenzo (@mikedicenzo) November 14, 2017
Jimmy's words about his mom were beautiful. "Mom, I'll never stop trying to make you laugh. I love you." I was crying. We all were.
— Mike DiCenzo (@mikedicenzo) November 14, 2017
The story about his mom squeezing his hand 3 times to say "I love you" when he was a kid, and then him squeezing her hand in the hospital - he hadn't told any of us that story... More on that in a second.
— Mike DiCenzo (@mikedicenzo) November 14, 2017
First, a quick word about Taylor Swift. She was not scheduled to do our show today. But we wanted something special for this first show back, so we asked her on a complete whim, since she had been in town doing SNL. She said yes with zero hesitation.
— Mike DiCenzo (@mikedicenzo) November 14, 2017
She sang "New Year's Day." No one had heard it. Suddenly she sings the line, "Squeeze my hand 3 times in the back of the taxi." I nearly gasped. Tears. I think everyone in the audience started sobbing.
— Mike DiCenzo (@mikedicenzo) November 14, 2017
I could see Jimmy silhouetted at his desk dabbing his eyes with a tissue. We all lost it. It was a beautiful coincidence in a beautiful performance. "Hold on to your memories, they will hold on to you," Taylor sang.
— Mike DiCenzo (@mikedicenzo) November 14, 2017
That hug between Jimmy and Taylor after the song was 100% real emotion. Whatever you think of Taylor, she did something beautiful for Jimmy and our show today, and we're forever grateful.
— Mike DiCenzo (@mikedicenzo) November 14, 2017
from Myspace - Editorial http://ift.tt/2iVU6j3
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