Taylor Swift: Safe and Sound Meaning

Song Released: 2011

Safe and Sound Lyrics

I remember tears streaming down your face,
When I said I'll never let you go.
When all those shadows almost killed your light,
I remember you said "don't leave me here alone",
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight.
Just close your...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Aug 19th 2014 !⃝

   I personally think that it's about Katniss and Prim. "I remember tears streaming down your face" is when Prim was crying when Katniss volunteered and "when I said I'll never let go" before the reapings when Katniss was telling Prim she wouldn't get picked. "When all those shadows almost killed your life" when Prim chose then the next line "I remember you said don't leave me here alone" how Katniss promised Prim she would win for her. "But all that's dead and gone, tonight" implying that it already happened. And the chorus "Just close your eyes, you'll be alright. Come morning light you and I will be safe and sound" is how Katniss would calm Prim down and say that you'll be safe and sound. "Don't you dare look out your window, darling everything's on fire" it's like a way of saying that nothing outside is going well and it's all on fire. "The war outside our door keeps raging on" in the third book there's a war.
   
   "Hold on to this lullaby" Katniss would sing to Prim to call her down from a nightmare "even when the music's gone, gone" in the first book Rue told Katniss that in her district they would rely on singing to help them through the day. Singing was probably used for the same thing for some other districts so what the line is implying is that even when music's gone still be strong.
   
   Now this is just my opinion on the song Safe and Sound so don't make a mountain out if a molehill because if it.

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Jan 25th 2012 !⃝

   This song is sad. Too sad for words. I think it would be a goodbye to someone you care about as they are dying, similiar to the District 12 in the Hunger Games, a symbol of goodbye. However, given that it's a lullaby, I think it applies more to a small child like Rue. The Katniss and Prim thing would work, but only when she dies. But Rue was more of a music person, so the whole "Even when music is gone" line works in pretty well. Sorry to Peeta fans, but a lullaby to a 16 year-old BOY doesn't make sense.
   I also see it as a sort of memorial to all of the innocent children who have died. When I thought of this, I sort of cried a bit. This song is hauntingly sad.

3. 3TOP RATED

   #3 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Jan 23rd 2012 !⃝

   When I listened to this song for the very first time, I was very touched and thought it was the lullaby Katniss sang to Rue when she was killed, even it's not the same lyrics. But in the song from the book, we can see "close your sleepy eyes" and "Here it's safe", and that's not very far from the lyrics of "Safe and Sound".
   Then I thougt that it can be a song for Peeta and Katniss, because of the sentence "You and I'll be safe and sound", and we can have two winners only if they come from the same District, like Katniss and Peeta.
   And now... I think that it's a song for all the children that must fight and die for the Hunger Games, because each one of them want to survive without staying alone. That's the case of Katniss and Rue, and then Katniss and Peeta, but it was the case of many other children, that we don't now. It's a song that represent perfectly how the Hunger Games are crual and sad...
   
   PS : Sorry if I made some mistakes when I wrote this text, but I'm French and I'm still learning your beautiful language. ^^'
4. anonymous

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   Dec 2nd 2020 !⃝

   I think it’s about peeta because when it says all those shadows almost killed your light is referring to when the capitol took peeta and tortured him katniss said that his light was gone. And I thought that the sun is going down would make a sun set which is peeta s favorite color.
5. anonymous

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   Feb 1st 2020 !⃝

   I would say it is about Prim and Rue and reflects how she saw Prim in Rue and Rue in Prim. It mentions the war and how everything is burning which refers to prim bit the lullaby is more of an effort to comfort Rue as she dies lying and saying that she'll be safe and sound. It gives me the impression of when she was holding Rue as she dies in her arms, and trying to stay strong for her but internally breaking down hence the strong lyrics like them being safe conflicting with the tone of the lyrics and everything going on around them.
6. jarlie

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   Oct 18th 2018 !⃝

   This song is about the bond between two people. One of them is scared and needing help, not knowing what to do or how to go on. The other is there telling them that it is all going to be okay. Just 'close your eyes' and sort of promising that she will help.
   
   Also saying that don't worry about 'the war outside' meaning that don't worry about what everyone else thinks and that when they when they wake up tomorrow, it will all be over and okay.
   
   When the song says 'hold on to this lullaby even when the music's gone' it is saying, even when it gets tough and everything is about to fall, you will be okay and I'll always be with you.
7. Angelboo

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   Jun 23rd 2018 !⃝

   I never watched the movie, so when I heard this song I thought it was about a girl who was trying her best to comfort a friend going through a lot (Depression or abuse) and the friend ultimately commited suicide, and she's saying now he/she is free from all the pain that people caused him/her.("Just close your eyes, No one can hurt you now.")
8. anonymous

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   May 23rd 2016 !⃝

   I think the song is about Katniss thinking of prim while she's gone. If you pay attention during the music video you can see Taylor hold the mocking Jay pin making it seem to me that she's thinking of someone which it only makes since to be thinking prim while holding the pin she gave to her to keep her safe,plus I don't think Taylor would put the pin in the music video if she didn't want us to think it had to do something with the hunger games. Also listening to "I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go" has to be talking about prim crying when Katniss told her she'd never let her go. Another reason is "the war outside our door keep raging on" is about the war in the 3rd book. I know there are a lot more reasons that some other people wrote but I just wanted to keep it simple. But that was just my opinion.
9. anonymous

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   Nov 13th 2015 !⃝

   Taylor Swift achieves to capture and portray the strong bond within a couple or relationship of any sort, during their toughest time together. Swift presents the story plot through textual scenery such as "Don't you dare look out your window darling.. Everything is on fire" and carries onto describing the mood that lingers around the scenario. Its agony, pain from the partner that brings out the safe-keeping and comforting lyrics to life, for instance, "I'll never let you go" and "you and I'll be safe and sound". Yes, we can infer that chaos is controlling the situation between them, leading to a compiling outcome that Swift foreshadows. Death is on it's way. Therefore, Swift tells her partner to "hold onto this lullaby..even when the music's gone,gone" in an attempt for both to have something to cherish to during their moment of perish, together.
10. anonymous

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    Jun 28th 2015 !⃝

    I think this song is about all the people of Panam because every year they are afraid they will be picked for the Hunger Games. This is probably a mother soothing her child, saying that despite the war, she will be safe and sound.
11. anonymous

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    Jan 1st 2015 !⃝

    This song could be about Katniss singing to Her little sister Prim. Because Prim is so sweet and gentle and sometimes happy. When Prim gets picked at the Reaping, all those shadows almost kill her light. But they don't because Katniss volunteered for her. And Katniss says to Prim that she will never let her go and that's when Prim starts to cry. And Prim doesn't want Katniss to die cuz she takes care of her and loves her. But Katniss has to leave, but all that's dead and gone and past tonight. And that's basically what I think this song refers to. :) =D
12. anonymous

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    Nov 28th 2014 !⃝

    Okay enough with the Peeta and Katniss and Hunger Games crap. Yes this song was in the movie, but this song means so much more than the Hunger Games. I Personally think that this song is about either someone giving up on something, anything really, or someone trying their hardest to protect or help someone and end up failing at it. The lyrics "The door outside our door keeps raging on, hold on to this lullaby, even when the music's gone" I feel like these lyrics mean that even though so much pain, or loss, or so much is going on and you feel like you're about to give up, you remember something that helps you keep pushing forward and to not give, but to keep fighting through all the pain and that in the end ,everything will be alright.
    Now this is all my opinion and you can either take it or leave it, but this is what I personally think of what the song truly means, beside all the Hunger Games meaning to this song.
13. anonymous

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    Jun 23rd 2014 !⃝

    I think this song is about Prim because just before the reaping Katniss gives Prim a mockingjay pin and tells her "As long as you have it, you'll be safe." Relevant to the title safe and sound. Also, when she sings to Prim at the beginning of the book/film its because she can't get to sleep. "Just close your eyes, you'll be all right." Katniss' song to Rue is to help her die softly but NOT relevant to quotes like this "Don't you look out the window, darling everythings on fire."
14. anonymous

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    May 21st 2014 !⃝

    I think that there was a fire and her friend died in it.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
15. anonymous

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    May 13th 2014 !⃝

    I think that it's about Katniss think about how everything started while looking at district 12 after the Capital bombed it. In the friar verse it's talking about how she volunteered for Prim when she was reaped and then when it says "...but all that's dead and gone and passed..." implying that it happened a long time ago. Then it says "Don't you dare look out your window, darling everything's on fire, the war outside our widow keeps raging on" implying that it's during the 3rd book with the war. And when it says "Just close your eyes, the sun is going down, you'll be alright, no one can hurt you now" it's implying that all is well no more bad things in the world can hurt so just close your eyes. So as you see I think that it's about the war in the 3rd book and after it. But that's just my suggestion.
16. anonymous

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    Sep 9th 2013 !⃝

    Every time I hear this song I envision a woman and her child inside their home which she has set ablaze. She sings the lullaby to calm the child as it is burning down. This is how "no one can hurt you now" as on the other side "you and I'll be safe and sound. Beautiful, sad, and eerie.
17. anonymous

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    Apr 6th 2013 !⃝

    I, for one, think this song is about Katniss and Prim. The first verse must be referring to the reaping, and the second is about the war. "Don't you dare look out your window, darling everything's on fire" is about the bombs the capitol dropped in the rebelling districts, and the "hold on to this lullaby even when music's gone" is talking about the song she sang about the hanged man, I think. The chorus might be talking about Katniss's desire to keep Prim safe from harm and danger, therefore saying "You and I'll be safe and sound". That's my opinion, anyway, and I read all three of the books, but I could be wrong. We all have our different views, and this is mine. :)
18. anonymous

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    Jan 3rd 2013 !⃝

    I can understand why everyone is interpreting this as a song between Rue and Katniss, but as touching as that moment is, the entire series doesn't revolve around. I think that it's between Katniss and Peeta. Because remember in the cave after Katniss found him by the river? Well, she was going to get the medicine, and he didn't want her to go. "I remember the tears streaming down your face when I said I'd never let you go." Sure, she wasn't crying, but it must've meant something to her. And then when she gave him the sleep syrup, "Just close your eyes." And in the morning, when he woke up after the medicine took effect, they'd be Safe and Sound. Then to the second book. The uprising, and then the second 75th Hunger Games where she has to kill past victors, and although friends were made, others were lost. "Curled up to this lullaby." Not an actual lullaby, but the sound of the Mockingjays from the trees that imitated Prim's screams, probably also brought back bittersweet memories of Rue. Then the third book, although everything is over toward the end. They have their happy ending c:

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