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"Speak Now" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It is the title track for her third studio album, Speak Now (2010), and was released for digital download as a promotional single on October 5, 2010, by Big Machine Records. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Speak Now" is an acoustic guitar-driven country pop song with its refrain incorporating the 1950s rock chord progression. Lyrically, the track is about a protagonist interrupting a wedding in an attempt to win her ex-lover back. Swift was inspired to write it after learning that an ex-boyfriend of her friend would marry someone else.

"Speak Now"
Promotional single by Taylor Swift
from the album Speak Now
ReleasedOctober 5, 2010 (2010-10-05)
GenreCountry pop
Length4:02
LabelBig Machine
Songwriter(s)Taylor Swift
Producer(s)
Official audio
"Speak Now" on YouTube

Music critics lauded the narrative lyrics and production of "Speak Now"; some picked it as an album highlight. The song peaked at number eight on both the Canadian Hot 100 and the US Billboard Hot 100, marking Swift's sixth top-ten debut on the latter and making her the first artist with six US top-ten debuts. It also charted on the Hot Country Songs chart and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for 500,000 US digital sales. "Speak Now" additionally reached number 20 in Australia and number 34 in New Zealand.


Background and release


American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift wrote all tracks on her third album, Speak Now (2010), by herself.[1] The title track was inspired by a story of a friend of hers. This friend parted ways with her high-school boyfriend with hopes that they would rekindle in the future, but one day the friend learnt that the boyfriend would soon wed another woman. Swift recalled, "He had met this girl who's just this horrible, mean person who made him completely stop talking to all of his friends, cut off his family. She had him so completely isolated."[2] Swift asked her friend if she would interrupt the wedding and "speak now", drawing on the saying, "Speak now or forever hold your peace."[2]

After speaking with her friend, Swift became fixated on the idea of how tragic it would be for the person one loved to wed someone else. That night, Swift experienced a dream where one of her own ex-boyfriends married another girl. To her, this signaled that she had to compose a song about interrupting a wedding. In retrospect, she concluded, "For me, I like to think of it as good versus evil. And this girl is just completely – just the evil one."[2] Swift entitled the album after "Speak Now" because it fit the album's concept, with each song being a different confession to a person.[1] She explained that "Speak Now" served as a metaphor for her decision to express her thoughts or stay quiet forever, "[That] moment where it's almost too late, and you've got to either say what it is you are feeling or deal with the consequences forever."[3]

The song was released as a promotional single on October 5, 2010, by Big Machine Records as part of "Countdown to Speak Now", an exclusive campaign launched by the iTunes Store.[4][5] During the opening week of Speak Now, Swift performed the title track on the Late Show with David Letterman.[6]


Composition


"Speak Now" is a country pop track with a length of four minutes and two seconds.[7] It has a predominant pop music composition, intertwined with various country elements.[8] The song is set in common time and has a moderate tempo of 120 beats per minute. It is written in the key of G major and Swift's vocals span two octaves, from A3 to D5.[9] Swift's vocals begin in a hushed tone, then gradually grow until, at one point, she belts out the song's title.[10] The song features different twangy, up-and-down vocal hooks might, in similarity to "You Belong with Me".[8] It follows the chord progression G–D–Am–C.[9] The track is driven by acoustic guitar and features a guitar solo in the break.[10][11] The refrain incorporates the '50s rock progression.[12]

In the lyrics of "Speak Now", the narrator crashes her former love's wedding in attempt to win him back because she thinks he is marrying an unsuitable woman.[10][13] The opening lines acknowledge that, although out of character, Swift is still in love with her ex-boyfriend and wants to make sure he does not marry the wrong girl. Throughout the song's verses, Swift sneaks in the wedding and describes her observations, such as the bride-to-be's wearing of a poofy wedding gown shaped like a pastry, her cumulative family, and an organist playing "Bridal Chorus".[8][14] In the refrain, Swift pleads her ex-boyfriend to not say his wedding vows in order to run away with her.[10][14] The bridge has Swift responding to the priest's calling of "Speak now or forever hold your peace" before repeating the opening lines. The last refrain is altered, with Swift narrating from the groom's perspective and inform Swift they will indeed run away together.[14] Some critics compared the storyline of "Speak Now" to that of Swift's 2009 single "You Belong with Me"; both protagonists yearn for a love interest who is in love with another woman.[13][15]


Critical reception


Simon Vozick-Levinson of Entertainment Weekly deemed "Speak Now" one of Swift's best songs yet. He also said, "Her expressive delivery of the lyrics makes up for any shortcomings as a technical vocalist" and that it was "expertly catchy". He concluded that he was unable to stop playing the song after he heard it.[8] Jon Caramanica from The New York Times lauded the production, saying that it proved Chapman to be "a first-rate producer, and not just of the pop-country that's made Ms. Swift one of the most important new musicians of the decade".[16] Writing for the Hartford Courant, Erin R. Danton commended the melody as "irresistible".[11] In The Morning Call, John J. Moser thought "Speak Now" was one of the album's most interesting songs because it features "a jaunty lilt, '50s-rock chorus and over-the-top snotty lyrics that are interesting precisely because they’re new for Swift".[12] On a less positive side, Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine thought that "Speak Now", with its theme about love and romance, proved Swift's lack of songwriting material other than "how great boys are or how much boys suck or how dreams about boys will take her somewhere better than where she is now".[17]

In a retrospective review for Billboard, Jason Lipshutz highlighted the track's delicate lyrical details.[15] Nate Jones from Vulture described the narrative as "nonsense" but praised the production, especially the "admittedly charming chorus", and remarked: "it's hard not to smile at the unabashed silliness."[18]


Chart performance


"Speak Now" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number eight due to the sales of 217,000 digital downloads. With that week's appearance on the chart, "Speak Now" became Swift's sixth top ten debut and, therefore, set the mark that made Swift the artist with most top ten debuts in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, surpassing the five top ten entries earned by Mariah Carey from 1995 to 1998.[19] Elsewhere in North America, the track debuted at number eight on the Canadian Hot 100.[20] In Australia, "Speak Now" debuted at number twenty.[21]


Credits and personnel


Credits adapted from Tidal.[22]


Live performances


Swift performing Speak Now during the Speak Now World Tour
Swift performing "Speak Now" during the Speak Now World Tour

The song was performed as part of the regular setlist on the Speak Now World Tour (2011–12).[23][24][25] Clips of the performance can be seen in the music video for Swift's single "Sparks Fly". According to Jocelyn Vena of MTV.com, the performance was "a very theatrical moment" in which "Swift acted out crashing a wedding. She eventually stole the groom away, as she sings in the song, and the pair ran through the crowd together."[26] Swift performed the song on September 22, 2018, as the acoustic surprise song at the New Orleans stop on the Reputation Stadium Tour.[27]


Charts


Chart (2010) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[28] 20
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[29] 8
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[30] 34
US Billboard Hot 100[31] 8
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[32] 58

Certification


Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[33] Gold 500,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.


Release history


List of radio and release dates with formats and record labels
Country Date Format Label
United States October 5, 2010[34] Digital download Big Machine

References


  1. Kreps, Daniel (July 21, 2010). "Taylor Swift Announces Third Album, 'Speak Now'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 24, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  2. "Songs of Speak Now: Speak Now". Xfnitytv.com. Comcast. Archived from the original on November 5, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  3. Willman, Chris (October 28, 2010). "Taylor Swift Confronts Mayer, Laments Lautner In New Album". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  4. "Speak Now – Single by Taylor Swift". iTunes Store. Apple, Inc. Archived from the original on October 12, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  5. "Countdown to Speak Now". iTunes Store. Apple, Inc. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  6. "Late Show with David Letterman". Late Show with David Letterman. October 26, 2010. CBS.
  7. "allmusic – Speak Now Overview". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  8. Vozick-Levinson, Simon (October 5, 2010). "Taylor Swift releases 'Speak Now' single: Like it?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  9. "Digital sheet music – Taylor Swift – Speak Now". Musicnotes. Alfred Publishing. October 8, 2010.
  10. Lipshutz, Jason (October 5, 2010). "Taylor Swift Releases 'Speak Now' Title Track". Billboard. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  11. Danton, Eric R. (October 27, 2010). "Taylor Swift has plenty to say on Speak Now". Hartford Courant. pp. D.2. ProQuest 762589169. Retrieved September 19, 2022 via ProQuest.
  12. Moser, John J. (October 26, 2010). "Disc Review: Maybe it wasn't time for Taylor Swift to 'Speak Now'". The Morning Call. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  13. Lewis, Randy (October 24, 2010). "Taylor Swift: the next chapter". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  14. Vena, Jocelyn (October 5, 2010). "Taylor Swift Previews 'Speak Now'". MTV News. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  15. "Taylor Swift's Speak Now Turns 10: Billboard Staff Goes Track-By-Track On Their Favorite Songs". Billboard. October 22, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  16. Caramanica, Jon (October 24, 2010). "Taylor Swift Is Angry, Darn It". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  17. Keefe, Jonathan (October 25, 2010). "Taylor Swift – Speak Now". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  18. Jones, Nate (January 11, 2021). "All 179 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked". Vulture. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  19. Caulfield, Keith; Pietroluongo, Silvio (October 14, 2010). "Chart Moves: 'Glee,' Mavis Staples, Stephen Colbert, 'Social Network,' Pink". Billboard. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  20. "Speak Now – Taylor Swift". Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  21. "Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Song)". Australian-charts.com. Australian Recording Industry Association. October 18, 2010. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  22. "Try the TIDAL Web Player". listen.tidal.com. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  23. "Taylor Swift shimmers in Omaha". Coffey, Kevin. Omaha World-Herald. May 28, 2011. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  24. Herrero, Javier (March 19, 2011). "Taylor Swift encandila a unos 4.000 madrileños con su country edulcorado" [Taylor Swift dazzle some 4,000 locals sweetened country]. La Rioja (in Spanish). Grupo Vocento. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  25. Sträter, Andreas (March 13, 2011). "Blaue Augen, süße Songs: Taylor Swift in Oberhausen" [Blues, sweet songs: Taylor Swift in Overhausen]. Soester Anzeiger (in German). Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  26. Jocelyn Vena (July 20, 2011). "Taylor Swift's Speak Now Tour Brings Honky Tonk to NJ". MTV. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  27. Iasimone, Ashley. "All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on Her Reputation Stadium Tour B-Stage (So Far)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  28. "Taylor Swift – Speak Now". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  29. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  30. "Taylor Swift – Speak Now". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  31. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  32. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  33. "American single certifications – Taylor Swift – Speak Now". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  34. "Speak Now – Single by Taylor Swift – Download Speak Now – Single on iTunes". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Archived from the original on October 10, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2020.


На других языках


- [en] Speak Now (song)

[es] Speak Now (canción)

«Speak Now» —en español: «Habla Ahora»— es una canción interpretada por la cantautora estadounidense Taylor Swift. Se lanzó como un sencillo promocional de su tercer álbum de estudio, Speak Now (2010), el 5 de octubre de 2010 por medio de descarga digital por la compañía discográfica Big Machine Records. Swift la compuso mientras que la producción estuvo a cargo de ella misma acompañada por el productor discográfico estadounidense Nathan Chapman. En la canción, Swift habla sobre la interrupción de una boda, después de conversar con su amiga, cuyo exnovio pronto se casará con otra persona, y que sueña acerca de que una de sus propios exnovios se casa con otra chica. La guitarra acústica hace parte de la instrumentación y es una narración de la perspectiva de una persona que interrumpe la boda de su examor en un intento de reconquistarlo.

[ru] Speak Now (песня)

«Speak Now» (с англ. — «Скажите сейчас») — песня американской певицы Тейлор Свифт при участии Коулби Кэйллат, вышедшая 5 октября 2010 года в качестве промосингла с её третьего студийного альбома Speak Now (2010). Свифт написала песню о том, как прервать свадьбу, после разговора со своей подругой, чей бывший парень скоро женится на ком-то другом, и о том, что ей приснился сон, что один из её бывших парней женится на другой девушке. Песня представляет собой повествование с точки зрения человека, который разбивает свадьбу своей бывшей любви в попытке вернуть его.



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