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Royals
Song

Royals

Lorde
Album:
Pure Heroine

Song Meaning of Royals by Lorde


"I've always been fascinated with aristocracy," Lorde admitted to Rolling Stone.about the time "Royals" unexpectedly climbed to the top of the American charts.


"Royals" was a mumbled thunderbolt of playful resistance against rap and pop's obsession with wealth and status, written "in like half an hour" by a 15-year-old New Zealander who took inspiration from the diamond-encrusted swagger of Kanye West and Jay-Z's Watch the Throne as well as the muted electronic work of artists like James Blake.


I was absolutely making fun of a lot of things that people consider to be normal, Lorde later admitted.


The song's lyrics criticise the extravagant lifestyle many pop and hip hop-influenced singers exhibit in their songs and music videos, which makes them seem like contemporary royalty.


Music critics gave "Royals" high praise for its songs, production, and Lorde's vocal performance. The song has been included on critics' year-end and decade-end music lists since its release. The song was a hit on the charts around the world, peaking at number one in countries like Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In the US, "Royals" topped the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks.


Royals lyrics by Lorde


I've never seen a diamond in the flesh

I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies

And I'm not proud of my address

In a torn-up town, no postcode envy

 

But every song's like gold teeth, Grey Goose, trippin' in the bathroom

Bloodstains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room

We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams

But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece

Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash

We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair

 

And we'll never be royals (royals)

It don't run in our blood

That kind of luxe just ain't for us

We crave a different kind of buzz

Let me be your ruler (ruler)

You can call me Queen Bee

And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule

Let me live that fantasy

 

My friends and I, we've cracked the code

We count our dollars on the train to the party

And everyone who knows us knows that we're fine with this

We didn't come from money

 

But every song's like gold teeth, Grey Goose, trippin' in the bathroom

Bloodstains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room

We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams

But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece

Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash

We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair

 

And we'll never be royals (royals)

It don't run in our blood

That kind of luxe just ain't for us

We crave a different kind of buzz

Let me be your ruler (ruler)

You can call me Queen Bee

And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule

Let me live that fantasy

 

Ooh ooh oh

We're bigger than we ever dreamed

And I'm in love with being queen

Ooh ooh oh

Life is great without a care

We aren't caught up in your love affair

 

And we'll never be royals (royals)

It don't run in our blood

That kind of luxe just ain't for us

We crave a different kind of buzz

Let me be your ruler (ruler)

You can call me Queen Bee

And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule

Let me live that fantasy

Release Date

2013

Songwriter/s

Ella Yelich-O'Connor, Joel Little

Producer/s

Joel Little

Label/s

Universal

More songs from this artist click below:

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target="_blank" style="text-decoration: underline">https://www.songcontext.com/artist/lorde

More songs from the album click below:

Other Songs

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