Music Review: "Speak Now" (CD single)
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that in this single Taylor Swift once
again indulges in fantasy -- this time, about breaking up a
marriage ceremony that's about to occur between the guy she
loves and another girl. While Swift sticks to her usual m.o. of
no mature content or swearing, her repeated focus on living in
a fantasy world may find parents wanting to discuss the
differences between dreams and real life with their kids.
- Families can talk about the plusses and minuses of daydreaming. What are some of the positive things that can result from dreaming big?
- On the other hand, what are some of the pitfalls involved in living too much in a fantasy world?
The second single from her full-length CD of the same name, "SPEAK NOW" once again finds pop-country sweetheart Taylor Swift singing the blues about a guy she may lose. This time, the guy in question is about to marry the "wrong girl" with a "snotty little family." Swift fantasizes about speaking out at the point in the ceremony where witnesses are asked to "speak now or forever hold your peace," and when she actually does, the guy abruptly halts the ceremony and runs away with her. As usual, Taylor doesn't use foul language or mature references to get her story across, but her repeated themes of living in an alternate reality may raise an eyebrow among some parents.
" Speak Now" doesn't find Taylor at her musical best: while her vocals have a light, lovely tone, she clearly can't belt it out like peers such as Carrie Underwood. In earlier tunes, power chords help to cover up her sometimes-shaky vocals, but this song finds Swift singing almost a capella at certain points. Coupled with a few jarringly atypical lyrics like "snotty," and the overall affect is a bit less fluid than the usual Taylor hit.
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