DAUGHTER

Album

Cowboy Carter

Label

Parkwood Entertainment

Genre

Country pop

Composer(s)

Beyoncé Knowles;Camaron Marvel Ochs;Derek Dixie;Simon Martensson

Entered Chart

Apr 13, 2024

Peak Date

Apr 13, 2024

"Daughter" offers a glimpse into Beyoncé's psyche, a raw and unfiltered exploration of inner conflict. It unfolds in a bathroom stall where a confrontation with another woman sparks a violent fantasy. Beyoncé imagines inflicting harm, leaving the woman bruised and battered on the floor. The lyrics delve into a stream of consciousness, revealing a visceral reaction to this perceived arrogance. The imagery is intense: blood on her dress, the victim's status as a fan, hinting at a disturbing interplay of resentment and power. This violent scene remains a dark fantasy confined to Beyoncé's mind. Shame sets in, and she seeks help from God. She desperately yearns to be free from these intrusive thoughts that erode her sense of safety and self-worth. The daughter mentioned in the song title is Beyoncé herself. They keep sayin' that I ain't nothin' like my father But I'm the furthest thing from choir boys and altars If you cross me, I'm just like my father I am colder than Titanic water Beyoncé recognizes the influence of her father's coldness, a potential source of her own anger. This introspection reveals a parallel between them, highlighting the struggle to overcome inherited traits. "Daughter" adds a haunting dimension to the repertoire of country murder ballads, joining the ranks of iconic songs like The Chicks' "Goodbye Earl" and Carrie Underwood's "Two Black Cadillacs." "Daughter" injects a surprising twist after the second verse. The song transitions into the 1783 Italian aria, "Caro Mio Ben." The authorship of the aria is uncertain, though it's often attributed to composer Tommaso Giordani. Beyoncé delivers her haunting rendition of "Caro Mio Ben" in Italian, accompanied by a brooding finger-picked guitar melody. Report this ad Beyoncé recorded "Daughter" for Cowboy Carter, the second part of a trilogy that commenced with Renaissance. While Renaissance revolves around dance music, Cowboy Carter adopts a country theme. This isn't Beyoncé's first foray into country music. Her 2016 track "Daddy Lessons" explored themes of strength and self-reliance instilled by her father, even featuring a remix with the country group The Chicks (known then as Dixie Chicks). In "Daughter," possible allusions to "Daddy Lessons" emerge in the chilling lines, "Double cross me, I'm just like my father. I am colder than Titanic water." Unlike traditional country murder ballads, "Daughter" doesn't depict a literal revenge plot. Instead, it's a thematic continuation of the prior track, "Jolene." While "Jolene" explores themes of infidelity, "Daughter" represents a fantasy of violent retaliation. Beyoncé wrote "Daughter" with Cam & Simon Mårtensson. Cam is a country singer-songwriter who had her own hit in 2015 with "Burning House." She contributed to four other Cowboy Carter tracks: "Ameriican Requiem, "Protector," "Tyrant" and "Amen." Simon Mårtensson is Cam's guitarist, band leader and songwriting partner. Cam and Mårtensson also produced the track with Beyoncé and Bey's musical director, Derek Dixie.

Your body laid out on these filthy floors
Your bloodstains on my custom coutures
Bathroom attendant let me right in
She was a big fan
I really tried to stay cool
But your arrogance disturbed my solitude
Now I ripped your dress and you're all black and blue
Look what you made me do

They keep sayin' that I ain't nothin' like my father
But I'm the furthest thing from choir boys and altars
If you cross me, I'm just like my father
I am colder than Titanic water

Help me, Lord, from these fantasies in my head
They ain't ever been safe ones
I don't fellowship with these fake ones
So let's travel to white chapels and sing hymns
Hold rosaries and sing in stained-glass symphonies
Cleanse me, Holy Trinity, from this marijuana smoke smell in my hair

I sashayed my dress
Did my best impression of a damsel in distress
This alcohol and smell of regret
Allured my catch
Outfit too small to hide my scars
Feelin' bottled up like bottle service broads
How long can he hold his breath before his death?

Caro mio ben
Credimi almen
Senza di te
Languisce il cor
Il tuo fedel
Sospira ognor
Cessa, crudel
Tanto rigor
Ooh
Ooh

Help me, Lord, from these fantasies in my head
They ain't ever been safe ones
I don't fellowship with these fake ones
So let's travel to white chapels and sing hymns
Hold rosaries, sing in stained-glass symphonies
Cleanse me, Holy Trinity, from this marijuana smoke smell in my hair

Say I'm nothin' like my father
But I'm the furthest thing from choir boys and altars
Double cross me, I'm just like my father
I am colder than Titanic water