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Castles Crumbling Verified Episodes of
2023
(Taylor’s Version)
[From The Vault]
Taylor Swift

Lyrics About Tracklist Comments

Swift wrote “Castles Crumbling” around 2010 for her third studio
album, Speak Now. Since then…
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Castles Crumbling (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault] Lyrics

Translations

[Intro: Taylor Swift]

(Once, I had an empire)
(Once, I had an empire)
(Once, I had an empire)

[Verse 1: Taylor Swift]

Once, I had an empire in a golden age
I was held up so high, I used to be great
They used to cheer when they saw my face
Now, I fear I have fallen from grace

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[Chorus: Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift & Hayley

Williams]
And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground
And you don't want to know me, I will just let
you down
You don't wanna know me now

[Verse 2: Hayley Williams, Taylor Swift & Hayley

Williams]
Once, I was the great hope for a dynasty
Crowds would hang on my words and they
trusted me
Their faith was strong, but I pushed it too far
I held that grudge 'til it tore me apart

[Pre-Chorus: Taylor Swift & Hayley Williams,

Taylor Swift]
Power went to my head and I couldn't stop
Ones I loved tried to help, so I ran them off
And here I sit alone behind walls of regret
Falling down like promises that I never kept

[Chorus: Taylor Swift & Hayley Williams, Taylor

Swift]
And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground
And you don't want to know me, I will just let
you down
You don't wanna know me now

[Bridge: Taylor Swift]

My foes and friends watch my reign end
I don't know how it could've ended this way
Smoke billows from my ships in the harbor
People look at me like I'm a monster
Now they're screamin' at the palace front gates
Used to chant my name
Now they're screaming that they hate me
Never wanted you to hate me

[Chorus: Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift & Hayley

Williams]
My castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground
And you don't want to know me, I will just let
you down (Just let you down)
My castle's crumbling down
You don't wanna know me now, now

[Outro: Taylor Swift]

(Once, I had an empire)
(Once, I had an empire)
(Once, I had an empire)

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About
Genius Annotation 3 contributors

Swift wrote “Castles Crumbling” around 2010 for

her third studio album, Speak Now. Since then, fans
gained knowledge of the song, but no part of it
was actually ever heard until it was released as a
From The Vault track on Speak Now (Taylor’s
Version) on July 7th, 2023, featuring Taylor’s long-
time friend, Hayley Williams.

In June 2023, a fan gifted Hayley with a bracelet

themed after Speak Now, fact to which she said

Expand

+42 1 Share

Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about
the song and explore its deeper meaning

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What did Taylor Swift say about "Castles

Crumbling (Taylor's Version) [From The
Vault]"?

Genius Answer 1 contributor

“ [Working with Taylor] was really special

because we have known each other for a
really long time in different stages of our
lives. We connected in the beginning
when Paramore was just sort of starting
to break out and kind of become a
popular band, and she had already been
successful in country [music] but she was
kind of nearing her crossover moment,
and it was very exciting. I was also very
thankful to know someone that was my
age, that was in a similar position to me.
And over the years, whether we’ve been
in contact consistently or not, I’ve just
always been really grateful to know I’m
not alone in it. She has so many
experiences that I can’t even fathom.
There’s been so much added pressure
that I know nothing about, and the scale
of it is something that’s so much grander
than Paramore has experienced even, but
I think we’ve found such a good honest
connection of just trying to be good
stewards of the opportunity that we’ve
both been given in music. Like, how do
we actually use this in the best way that
we can? How do we share these
opportunities with the right people? How
do we experience this and be fully
present for it? And I really look up to her
for that. But as far as “Castles Crumbling”
goes, I heard the song and was super
surprised by the storytelling in it, which is
no surprise because it’s a Taylor Swift
song, but it’s about an experience that
we’ve both shared growing up in the
public eye and I just feel very honoured
to get to sing about that feeling. And
yeah, I just really love it. I love it. I can’t
believe I got to be a part of it.

— Hayley Williams via Coup de Main

Magazine.

Was Hayley Williams always supposed to

feature on this track?

Genius Answer 1 contributor

“ When Taylor asked me to feature on

Speak Now TV, she originally suggested
another song, and I was honest with her
that though the song may have been
closer to what a casual Paramore fan
would expect me to feature on, I didn’t
relate to that sound as much,“ Williams
recalls. "She then, within minutes, sent me
‘Castles Crumbling,’ and not only did it
feel more like a fit, I related to it lyrically
on a deeper level … She respected my gut
feelings and still pushed me to stay in it
with her.

– Hayley Williams via People

How did the song perform commercially?

Genius Answer 1 contributor

During the tracking week ending July 22,

2023, the song debuted at #31 on the
Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The song became the album’s second highest

peaking “From The Vault" track, as “I Can See
You (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]”
debuted at #5.

Who produced “Castles Crumbling (Taylor's

Version) [From The Vault]” by Taylor Swift?

When did Taylor Swift release “Castles

Crumbling (Taylor's Version) [From The
Vault]”?

Who wrote “Castles Crumbling (Taylor's

Version) [From The Vault]” by Taylor Swift?

Speak Now (Taylor’s

Version) (2023)
Taylor Swift

1. Mine (Taylor’s Version)

14. Long Live (Taylor’s
Version)
2. Sparks Fly (Taylor’s
Version)
15. Ours (Taylor’s Version)

3. Back To December
(Taylor’s Version) 16. Superman (Taylor’s
Version)

4. Speak Now (Taylor’s

Version) 17. Electric Touch (Taylor’s
Version) [From The
Vault]
5. Dear John (Taylor’s
Version)
18. When Emma Falls in
Love (Taylor’s Version)
6. Mean (Taylor’s Version)
[From The Vault]

7. The Story Of Us (Taylor’s

19. I Can See You (Taylor’s
Version)
Version) [From The
Vault]
8. Never Grow Up (Taylor’s
Version)
20. Castles Crumbling
(Taylor’s Version) [From
9. Enchanted (Taylor’s The Vault]
Version)

21. Foolish One (Taylor’s

10. Better Than Revenge Version) [From The
(Taylor’s Version) Vault]

11. Innocent (Taylor’s 22. Timeless (Taylor’s

Version) Version) [From The
Vault]
12. Haunted (Taylor’s
Version) Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
[Prologue]
13. Last Kiss (Taylor’s
Version)

Expand

Credits
Featuring Produced By
Hayley Williams Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift

Written By Publisher
Taylor Swift Sony/ATV Tree Publishing &
Taylor Swift Music

Mastered at Mixed At
Sterling Sound Studio MixStar Studios
Expand

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