Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
“Speak Now” transports listeners to Taylor’s daydream where she crashes her ex’s wedding so he won’t be stuck with a girl who doesn’t treat him right. It’s rumored to be inspired by Hayley Williams of Paramore, who had to attend the wedding of ex-boyfriend and ex-bandmate Josh Farro in April 2010.
[Verse 1]
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 marrying 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
Wearin' a gown shaped like a pastry
[Pre-Chorus]
This is surely not what you thought it would be
I lose myself in a daydream
Where I stand and say
[Chorus]
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"
[Verse 2]
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 that I was uninvited by your lovely bride-to-be
[Pre-Chorus]
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?
[Chorus]
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 (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 (Say a single vow)
Your time is running out
And they said, "Speak now"
[Post-Chorus]
Ooh (Run away now), la
Ooh (Say a single vow), ooh
[Bridge]
I hear the preacher say
"Speak now or forever hold your peace"
There's the silence, there's my last chance
I stand up with shaky hands, all eyes on me
Horrified looks from everyone in the room
But I'm only lookin' at you
[Verse 3]
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 marrying the wrong girl, haha
[Chorus]
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
They said, "Speak now"
And you say, "Let's run away now (Run away now)
I'll meet you when I'm out
Of my tux, at the back door
Baby, I didn't say my vows (Say a single vow)
So glad you were around
When they said, 'Speak now'"
Speak Now was written by Taylor Swift.
Speak Now was produced by Nathan Chapman & Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift released Speak Now on Tue Oct 05 2010.
No – as the pre-chorus lyric points out, she “[lost herself] in a daydream” about objecting to her ex’s marriage.
In a since-deleted interview with Yahoo! News that was documented by MTV, Swift said:
One of my friends, the guy she had been in love with since childhood was marrying this other girl. And my first inclination was to say, ‘Well, are you gonna speak now?’ And then I started thinking about what I wou...
In addition to being on the Speak Now World Tour setlist, Tay performed this song at the following events:
Late Show with David Letterman – October 26th, 2010
“You always regret what you don’t say.”
On November 29, 2011, this song was certified Gold by the RIAA.