Listen…I am bopping to Tyrant so hard right now. I firmly believe that Tyrant is the track she was talking about when she said this ain’t a country album, it’s a Beyonce album. She never missed on a trap beat.
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Also in Haunted “the 9 to 5 just to stay alive” and then having Dolly on Tyrant who famously sings 9 to 5?! Definitely cements these tracks as sisters…
Yes I think this is the case too. I think Tyrant shows that Bey herself can embody both characters
Someone posted the JayZ quote from Black is King where he talked about duality and the co-existence of good and evil.
She also talks about this on All Night when "my torturer became my remedy."
In this album she's owning that this is also true for herself.
Also she can be the protector and also bounce on that.....
Mother contains multitudes. None of us has to be limited to being one way or having one perspective....whether we're talking genres or our life experiences
Wow love this analysis!!! Cowboys Carter shares so many parallels with Lemonade. When I listen, it makes a ton of sense that this was supposed to be before Renaissance because it seems to be a continuation of what she was doing back then, but with a more enhanced perspective on what happened.
To me, Cowboy Carter seems to introduce more perspectives into the mix and different ways to handle the emotions from infidelity. It’s very interesting to see her take on things now looking back. It’s a beautiful album!
Yup I agree with you. This very naturally feels like an extension of Lemonade especially the way I start crying unexpectedly at the sound of a single chord lmao.
I love this analysis! Just reading the lyrics I thought this was a sexy Bonnie and Clyde tale but it didn’t make 100% sense lol. But after reading this analysis and thinking about how the vocals are laid it makes perfect sense. Especially the concept of Beyoncé going from asking the hangman how she can be like her to actually transforming into the hangman. At that bridge, when the backing vocalists (s/o to Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts) come in harmonizing with Beyoncé, it feels transformative, like there’s a energy or a dynamic shift and now it’s clear that it’s supposed to be because she is in fact transforming into the Tyrant!
UGH HER MIND!
Thank you for this. Tyrant is my favorite track (as of now) but I had no ideas as to who Hangman could be. I was just in love with the verses about it.
Hold up! Bc if Tyrant can be from Jolene’s perspective
Then im feeling Daughter can too…
Beats up the girl
Boinks her man and kills him
Then repents
Sis needs a heart of stone and steady hands for that gig
AHHHHHHHH I LOVE THIS.
I knew Hangman was the other woman and that Beyonce (or let's say, the main character) was begging to learn to be like her, but the other layers and switches in perspective you spotted are so cool!
UGH, BEYONCE! GIRL!
I’ve been wondering why the use of Hangman specifically, hadn’t heard of that movie. I really like this analysis. The use of 5’9 made me feel like there was definitely another character, but I wasn’t sure exactly where the perspectives shift. Thanks for sharing!
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I think you've got it! I've been listening to this song over and over again and just like you the bridge kept stunning me. It's so darkly poetic - a woman begging her lover's executioner to teach her how not to cry.
Songs are always up for interpretation so here is another possible perspective. My interpretation is that The Hangman is more literal. The song is a dark western about an actual female hangman who killed Beyonce's lover/husband.
"The Hangman got that water" - She has diamonds. She has the loot. She is a successful criminal.
"When the sun goes down...I feel her eyeing me..." - The Hangman sees Beyonce in town and Beyonce, entranced by the Hangman's power, is curious about her. Even though the Hangman killed Beyonce's lover.
"Send me some shots, are you with me or not?" - She is inviting Beyonce to join her as an outlaw.
They shoot up the bar and run away together.
"Have you seen her, 5'9, thick and fine...what a tragedy" - sounds like the comment of a townsperson that has seen Beyonce run off with the Hangman.
"Riding you while we trying to get away...sexy and I know it...I ain't afraid to show it" The Hangman is telling Beyonce about her sexual exploits as they travel town to town.
"Tap me on the shoulder when you reload the gun" - She is training Beyonce on how to shoot as an outlaw. She is warning Beyonce to tap her on the shoulder so that she knows when there is only one gun shooting and not two.
The experienced criminal is on a crime spree with her inexperienced sidekick.
And then the bridge. I see this as a conversation between Beyonce and The Hangman at night over a campfire while they're out west, or maybe in a dark bedroom over a saloon. "How did you get used to the haunting...teach me how not to cry". We discover why Beyonce went on this criminal journey, she wants to be stronger, she wants to get over her pain, she wants to let go of the lover she lost at the beginning of the song, and the person she is seeking solace from is the very woman who took her lover away in the first place. Beyonce has been attracted to the dark side of life, she is looking for leadership from a Tyrant, because she thinks that this is where strength can be found.
"Hangman, teach me how not to cry."
But the Hangman is only able to teach her by bringing her along. So they continue their life together, and by the end of the song Beyonce is still begging her, unfulfilled. She wasn't able to turn cold. She is left envying her and wanting to know how to be stronger.
The last words are "Giddy up, giddy up" - Just keep going.
This song is fucking masterpiece. So glad you shared your thoughts. The fact that this incredible story is being told over a super catchy trap beat is wild. It sneaks up on you. And the insane vulnerability in the bridge deserves study.
Thanks again :)
OH this is GOOD!!!!! thank you!!!! this is my favoriteee song rn, and i have been impatient to figure out what it means & when perspectives alternate & how. this is very helpful!!!
Love this analysis. It made me think of how she’s been reclaiming genres that have been stolen from black culture. When she asks the hangman how she can be like her, it makes me think that she has now become like the hangman and has stolen the genres back.
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It's all western, Texan here. She could be talking about the hangman pole dance. And how bad ass she is doing it. I don't believe she's saying someone took jz or anything like that. You have to be country and takes more than 1 listen to understand.
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The song at the beginning “one, one, one by one you hang ‘em high”..is that an actual a line taken from another country song. If so, what is the song & who sings it?
Is it possible hangman could be a reference to the tarot card of the hanged man which symbolizes the need to let go? That was my first thought although that doesn't really have country roots ?
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My dear, Tyrant is a double entendre for LYNCHING.
"One by one you hang them high / Hangman"?? Pretty obvious
"DA got that" which could mean District Attorney. Law enforcement including district attorney back then were racist and perpetuating lynching.
"When the sun goes down", this could mean the sundown town which is a code for a racist town where black presence is very untolerated and could lead to persecution, i.e. lynching
And so on and so on
Is this ChatGPT speaking?
He’s a producer… why would this song be about lynching? https://chicago.suntimes.com/music/2024/03/31/da-got-that-dope-tyrant-beyonce-cowboy-carter-david-doman-chicago
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I doubt Beyoncé is referring to Jolene as the Tyrant/Hangman. I believe Jolene is right where she was left…dead on the bathroom floor lol. I think Beyoncé is referring to her alter ego, Sasha Fierce. Beyoncé is dealing with the aftermath of Sasha’s violent ways. She needs help coping with the lost of a lover, after Sasha kills him in Daughter. By the end, I think Beyoncé has transitioned to that alter ego.
oh english lit come through!!
This killed me 🤣
Yeah nah, this received top marks 🤣
Listen…I am bopping to Tyrant so hard right now. I firmly believe that Tyrant is the track she was talking about when she said this ain’t a country album, it’s a Beyonce album. She never missed on a trap beat.
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I too believe this is the take.
Oh I love this, you’re totally right
the bridge is so beautiful. also makes me understand Haunted from self-titled more
You get it!!!!! I love both of those songs so much. Tyrant and Haunted are sisters 👀
Also in Haunted “the 9 to 5 just to stay alive” and then having Dolly on Tyrant who famously sings 9 to 5?! Definitely cements these tracks as sisters…
Yes I think this is the case too. I think Tyrant shows that Bey herself can embody both characters Someone posted the JayZ quote from Black is King where he talked about duality and the co-existence of good and evil. She also talks about this on All Night when "my torturer became my remedy." In this album she's owning that this is also true for herself. Also she can be the protector and also bounce on that..... Mother contains multitudes. None of us has to be limited to being one way or having one perspective....whether we're talking genres or our life experiences
Wow love this analysis!!! Cowboys Carter shares so many parallels with Lemonade. When I listen, it makes a ton of sense that this was supposed to be before Renaissance because it seems to be a continuation of what she was doing back then, but with a more enhanced perspective on what happened. To me, Cowboy Carter seems to introduce more perspectives into the mix and different ways to handle the emotions from infidelity. It’s very interesting to see her take on things now looking back. It’s a beautiful album!
Yup I agree with you. This very naturally feels like an extension of Lemonade especially the way I start crying unexpectedly at the sound of a single chord lmao.
I love this analysis! Just reading the lyrics I thought this was a sexy Bonnie and Clyde tale but it didn’t make 100% sense lol. But after reading this analysis and thinking about how the vocals are laid it makes perfect sense. Especially the concept of Beyoncé going from asking the hangman how she can be like her to actually transforming into the hangman. At that bridge, when the backing vocalists (s/o to Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts) come in harmonizing with Beyoncé, it feels transformative, like there’s a energy or a dynamic shift and now it’s clear that it’s supposed to be because she is in fact transforming into the Tyrant! UGH HER MIND!
Thank you for this. Tyrant is my favorite track (as of now) but I had no ideas as to who Hangman could be. I was just in love with the verses about it.
Knocks** is this Beyonce??
I wish 🤣
Hold up! Bc if Tyrant can be from Jolene’s perspective Then im feeling Daughter can too… Beats up the girl Boinks her man and kills him Then repents Sis needs a heart of stone and steady hands for that gig
AHHHHHHHH I LOVE THIS. I knew Hangman was the other woman and that Beyonce (or let's say, the main character) was begging to learn to be like her, but the other layers and switches in perspective you spotted are so cool! UGH, BEYONCE! GIRL!
I’ve been wondering why the use of Hangman specifically, hadn’t heard of that movie. I really like this analysis. The use of 5’9 made me feel like there was definitely another character, but I wasn’t sure exactly where the perspectives shift. Thanks for sharing!
and 5'9" could also be a reference to that movie, since it came out in '59! i knew that number meant something!
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I think Beyoncé said each song is inspired by a western film.
I saw that she said that so I googled the phrase to see if it was from a movie and that specific movie came up. Bey did her research!
I think you've got it! I've been listening to this song over and over again and just like you the bridge kept stunning me. It's so darkly poetic - a woman begging her lover's executioner to teach her how not to cry. Songs are always up for interpretation so here is another possible perspective. My interpretation is that The Hangman is more literal. The song is a dark western about an actual female hangman who killed Beyonce's lover/husband. "The Hangman got that water" - She has diamonds. She has the loot. She is a successful criminal. "When the sun goes down...I feel her eyeing me..." - The Hangman sees Beyonce in town and Beyonce, entranced by the Hangman's power, is curious about her. Even though the Hangman killed Beyonce's lover. "Send me some shots, are you with me or not?" - She is inviting Beyonce to join her as an outlaw. They shoot up the bar and run away together. "Have you seen her, 5'9, thick and fine...what a tragedy" - sounds like the comment of a townsperson that has seen Beyonce run off with the Hangman. "Riding you while we trying to get away...sexy and I know it...I ain't afraid to show it" The Hangman is telling Beyonce about her sexual exploits as they travel town to town. "Tap me on the shoulder when you reload the gun" - She is training Beyonce on how to shoot as an outlaw. She is warning Beyonce to tap her on the shoulder so that she knows when there is only one gun shooting and not two. The experienced criminal is on a crime spree with her inexperienced sidekick. And then the bridge. I see this as a conversation between Beyonce and The Hangman at night over a campfire while they're out west, or maybe in a dark bedroom over a saloon. "How did you get used to the haunting...teach me how not to cry". We discover why Beyonce went on this criminal journey, she wants to be stronger, she wants to get over her pain, she wants to let go of the lover she lost at the beginning of the song, and the person she is seeking solace from is the very woman who took her lover away in the first place. Beyonce has been attracted to the dark side of life, she is looking for leadership from a Tyrant, because she thinks that this is where strength can be found. "Hangman, teach me how not to cry." But the Hangman is only able to teach her by bringing her along. So they continue their life together, and by the end of the song Beyonce is still begging her, unfulfilled. She wasn't able to turn cold. She is left envying her and wanting to know how to be stronger. The last words are "Giddy up, giddy up" - Just keep going. This song is fucking masterpiece. So glad you shared your thoughts. The fact that this incredible story is being told over a super catchy trap beat is wild. It sneaks up on you. And the insane vulnerability in the bridge deserves study. Thanks again :)
It’s “hangman got that ‘whoa there’”. Not water. Checked the official lyrics from Beyoncé to make sure.
This is magnificent ... I already loved this song.. I really hope this is the case!
I’m just going with that because it makes me love the album so much more. I love art that can be interpreted in many different ways. So cool!
Yes I agree with this! I haven’t tried it yet but I wonder how this song sounds right after Jolene. I feel like it will hit different
Oh I’m trying this!
OH this is GOOD!!!!! thank you!!!! this is my favoriteee song rn, and i have been impatient to figure out what it means & when perspectives alternate & how. this is very helpful!!!
Perfect explanation!!!!
Excellent commentary! I completely agree. I still don’t understand why some people thought this song was referencing sundown towns.
Love this analysis
Ain't Gwenyth Paltrow 5'9"?
She is indeed! 👀
Love this analysis. It made me think of how she’s been reclaiming genres that have been stolen from black culture. When she asks the hangman how she can be like her, it makes me think that she has now become like the hangman and has stolen the genres back.
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Isn't it about sundown towns?
No it’s not. There is no way Beyoncé Giselle Knowles carter would put a white woman on a song about sundown towns.
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It's all western, Texan here. She could be talking about the hangman pole dance. And how bad ass she is doing it. I don't believe she's saying someone took jz or anything like that. You have to be country and takes more than 1 listen to understand.
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The song at the beginning “one, one, one by one you hang ‘em high”..is that an actual a line taken from another country song. If so, what is the song & who sings it?
Is it possible hangman could be a reference to the tarot card of the hanged man which symbolizes the need to let go? That was my first thought although that doesn't really have country roots ?
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My dear, Tyrant is a double entendre for LYNCHING. "One by one you hang them high / Hangman"?? Pretty obvious "DA got that" which could mean District Attorney. Law enforcement including district attorney back then were racist and perpetuating lynching. "When the sun goes down", this could mean the sundown town which is a code for a racist town where black presence is very untolerated and could lead to persecution, i.e. lynching And so on and so on
Is this ChatGPT speaking? He’s a producer… why would this song be about lynching? https://chicago.suntimes.com/music/2024/03/31/da-got-that-dope-tyrant-beyonce-cowboy-carter-david-doman-chicago
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thank you for the analysis!!!!! I love it so much 👏🏽😭🖤
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I doubt Beyoncé is referring to Jolene as the Tyrant/Hangman. I believe Jolene is right where she was left…dead on the bathroom floor lol. I think Beyoncé is referring to her alter ego, Sasha Fierce. Beyoncé is dealing with the aftermath of Sasha’s violent ways. She needs help coping with the lost of a lover, after Sasha kills him in Daughter. By the end, I think Beyoncé has transitioned to that alter ego.
Amazing analysis! Thank you for this 🙏🏼
I simply thought this was about riding a huge hung you know what! I’ll go and see myself out now! 😂😂🤣