Taylor Swift and Paramore fans have been working on this their entire lives. The Grammy winner's long-awaited collaboration with Paramore's Hayley Williams, "Castles Crumbling," finally drops on July 7 as " Speak Now" (Taylor's Version ) One of the new "From the Vault" tracks appears. The song , like all of "Speak Now," was written by Swift herself, and is as slightly emotional and cathartic anthem as fans could hope for from a Swift-Williams collaboration . But some Swifties pointed to a darker connection to the Speak Now fan favorite.
"Castle Down" sees the singer's legacy completely unraveling, imagining a world where she is no longer trusted by her fans. "They used to cheer when they saw my face," Swift sang. "Now I fear I have fallen out of favour." Williams' verse shares a similar fate, illustrating how simple misfortune and unfair hardship can affect an entire career. "Once, I was the great hope of a dynasty, people would believe my words, they trusted me," she sings. Common in their narratives is the belief that their own mistakes led to their downfall. "Power rushes into my head and I can't stop," they sing in the pre-chorus. "My loved ones were trying to help, so I chased them away."
In a July 5 interview with Coup de Main , Williams said she was "grateful" to be friends with Swift while her career was taking off, and explained her relationship with "Castle Down." "I heard the song and was really impressed with the storyline, which is no surprise because it's a Taylor Swift song," she said. "It's been an experience for both of us growing up in the public eye, and I feel so privileged to be able to sing about that. Yeah, I really love it."
Many fans noticed the contrast between "Castles Crumbling" and "Speak Now"'s finale "Long Live," even calling it the song's "dark sister." "Long Live" finds Swift paying tribute to her fans, singing "Fight the Dragon" with them and promising that "we'll be remembered," while "Castle Down" focuses on her reaction to the world abandoning her, even her biggest fans' fears and anxieties. Hawkeye Swift tied it to her October 2022 Bejeweled video, in which she played an orchestral version of "Hail" as her new castle collapsed beneath her, suggesting this was always the case Easter egg about the new song.
Read the full "Castle Down" lyrics below.
[Introduction: Taylor Swift]
(Once upon a time, I had an empire)
(Once upon a time, I had an empire)
(Once upon a time, I had an empire)
[Verse 1: Taylor Swift]
Once upon a time, I had an empire in the golden age
I was so praised, I was great
They often cheer when they see my face
Now I'm afraid I've fallen out of favor
[Chorus: Taylor Swift and Hayley Williams]
I feel like my castle is falling down
I'm watching all my bridges burnt
You don't want to know me, I will only disappoint you
You don't want to know me now
[Verse 2: Hayley Williams]
Once, I was the hope of a dynasty
People will take my word for it and trust me.
Their faith was strong, but I pushed it too far
I hold a grudge until it tears me apart
[Pre-Chorus: Taylor Swift and Hayley Williams]
Power rushes into my mind and I can't stop
My loved ones tried to help, so I chased them away
And I sit alone behind a wall of regret
Falling like a promise I never kept
[Chorus: Taylor Swift and Hayley Williams]
I feel like my castle is falling down
I'm watching all my bridges burnt
You don't want to know me, I will only disappoint you
You don't want to know me now
[Bridge: Taylor Swift]
My enemies and friends watch my reign end
I don't know how it ended like this
Smoke billows from my ship in the harbor
People look at me like I'm a monster
Now they're screaming at the palace's front door
once recited my name
Now they're screaming that they hate me
I never wanted you to hate me
[Chorus: Taylor Swift and Hayley Williams]
My castle is about to collapse
I'm watching all my bridges burnt
And you don't want to know me, I'll just disappoint you (Just disappoint you)
My castle is about to collapse
You don't want to know me now
[Ending: Taylor Swift]
(Once upon a time, I had an empire)
(Once upon a time, I had an empire)
(Once upon a time, I had an empire)
