Speak Now

Taylor Swift

About Speak Now

"Speak Now" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song, written and produced by Swift with Nathan Chapman, was released as a promotional single on October 5, 2010, by Big Machine Records from her 2010 album of the same name. Swift wrote the song about interrupting a wedding, after conversing with her friend, whose ex-boyfriend would soon wed to someone else, and having a dream about one of her own ex-boyfriends marrying another girl. The song relies on acoustic guitar and is a narration from the perspective of a person who crashes her former love's wedding in attempt to win him back. The song opened to critical acclaim for its lyrical detail. "Speak Now" had successful commercial outcomes in Canada and the United States, debuting and peaking at number eight on both the Canadian Hot 100 and the Billboard Hot 100. Its appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 marked Swift's sixth top ten debut, which made her the artist with the most top ten debuts in the history of the chart. "Speak Now" also managed to garner enough airplay to chart on the Hot Country Songs chart. 


Year:
2010
4:00
1,505 
#3

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I am not the kind of girl
Who should be rudely bargin' in on a white veil occasion
But you are not the kind of boy
Who should be marryin' the wrong girl

I sneak in and see your friends
And her snotty little family, all dressed in pastel
And she is yelling at a bridesmaid
Somewhere back inside a room
Wearing a gown shaped like a pastry
This is surely not what you thought it would be
I lose myself in a daydream
Where I stand and say

"Don't say yes, run away now
I'll meet you when you're out
Of the church at the back door
Don't wait or say a single vow
You need to hear me out"
And they said, "speak now"

Fond gestures are exchanged
And the organ starts to play
A song that sounds like a death march
And I am hiding in the curtains
It seems I was uninvited by your lovely bride-to-be
She floats down the aisle like a pageant queen
But I know you wish it was me
You wish it was me, don't you?

Don't say yes, run away now
I'll meet you when you're out
Of the church at the back door
Don't wait or say a single vow
You need to hear me out
And they said, "speak now"

Don't say yes, run away now
I'll meet you when you're out
Of the church at the back door
Don't wait or say a single vow
Your time is running out
And they said, "speak now"

I hear the preacher say
"Speak now or forever hold your peace"
There's a silence, there's my last chance
I stand up with shaking hands
All eyes on me
Horrified looks from everyone in the room
But I'm only lookin' at you

I am not the kind of girl
Who should be rudely bargin' in on a white veil occasion
But you are not the kind of boy,
Who should be marryin' the wrong girl

So don't say yes, run away now
I'll meet you when you're out
Of the church at the back door
Don't wait or say a single vow
You need to hear me out
And they said, "speak now"

And you say, "let's run away now
I'll meet you when I'm out of my tux at the back door
Oh baby, I didn't say my vow
So glad you were around when they said, "speak now"

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Taylor Swift

Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 14 to pursue a career in country music. more »

120 fans

Written by: TAYLOR SWIFT

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


13 facts about this song

Release Year
"Speak Now" was released in 2010. It is part of Taylor Swift's third studio album which carries the same title.
Songwriting
Notable for it, "Speak Now" was entirely written by Taylor Swift herself, making it a departure from her prior albums which had co-writing credits.
Genre Classification
The song and album are primarily categorized under the genre of "Country Pop".
Chart Performance
"Speak Now" peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, demonstrating its commercial success.
Love Story
The song tells a love story similar to the traditional "speak now or forever hold your peace" part of a wedding ceremony.
Inspired by True Events
Taylor Swift indicated in interviews that "Speak Now" was inspired by a real-life experience where she imagined running into an ex-boyfriend’s wedding.
Live Performance
Swift opened her Speak Now World Tour with this song and it has been a regular element of her concert set lists.
Critic Reception
"Speak Now" received widespread acclaim from music critics. In particular, they praised Swift’s songwriting ability and her pointed storytelling.
Unique Character
Unlike some of her other songs, Swift does not use the color red in the lyrics of "Speak Now."
Album Success
The album "Speak Now," which includes the title track, is one of Swift’s most successful, having sold over one million copies in its first week of sale in the U.S alone.
Grammy Awards
The album "Speak Now" earned several nominations for the Grammy Awards and won the award for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song.
Covered by Other Artists
The song "Speak Now" has been covered by many artists, including popular YouTube cover artists.
Record-Breaker
With the release of "Speak Now," Taylor Swift became the youngest person in history to single-handedly write and sing an album that reached the top of the record charts.

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    Speak Now

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 2010

    Billboard #8


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