TYRANT

Album

Cowboy Carter

Label

Parkwood Entertainment

Genre

Country rap

Duration

10:00

Composer(s)

Beyoncé Knowles;Camaron Marvel Och;David Doman;Ezemdi Chinaecherem Chikwendu;Terius Youngdell Nash

Entered Chart

Apr 13, 2024

Peak Date

Apr 13, 2024

According to the Songfacts dictionary, a "Tyrant" is a ruler who uses his power arbitrarily and oppressively. Here, Beyoncé transforms heartbreak into a potent and intimidating brand of sensuality. Picture her, confident and in control, swaggering across the track, a force to be reckoned with. Ridin' you while we tryna catch a wave That's so sexy and I know it, and I ain't afraid to show it Think of "Tyrant" as the feisty cousin to the Renaissance track "Virgo's Groove." "Tyrant" adds another fiery anthem to Beyoncé's collection of sex jams. But while Renaissance tracks like "Thique" and "America Has A Problem" find Beyoncé flexing her booty, "Tyrant" celebrates her riding skills. Buckle up! "Tyrant" is the 21st track on Cowboy Carter, the second installment of Beyoncé's trilogy project conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic, following Renaissance. Cowboy Carter is not only the name of the album but also the central character in a narrative about tackling American cultural history. Remember Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé's alter ego from the late 2000s? "Cowboy Carter" is like a spiritual successor. Back then, Sasha Fierce embodied Beyoncé's "too aggressive, too strong, too sassy, too sexy." artistic persona. Here, Bey embraces a similar boldness, transforming into the titular "Cowboy Carter." On this track, Beyoncé showcases her undeniable talent and stage presence as this self-proclaimed "Tyrant." This swaggering persona is a way to demand answers from the "Hangman" – a symbol of infidelity, likely referencing Jay-Z's past cheating. The "Hangman" is also referenced as "Becky with the good hair" on Beyoncé's Lemonade song "Sorry" and as "Jolene" in her cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene." Cowboy Carter takes the form of a fictional Texas radio broadcast. Dolly Parton herself cameos as the DJ who introduces "Tyrant." Willie Nelson and Linda Martell, a pioneering Black country artist, also join the fun as DJs. Parton also appears on the spoken-word interlude titled "Dolly P." The sexy, fiddle-laden trap beat is courtesy of D.A. Got That Dope. A Chicago-native, Doman is a frequent Eminem collaborator and has also worked with the likes of Chris Brown ("Privacy"), Megan Thee Stallion ("Cry Baby") and Post Malone ("Motley Crew").

Cowboy Carter
Time to strike a match and
Light up this juke joint

One-one-one by one, you hang them high
Your hands are steady and you sleep at night
How did you turn your heart to stone?
I don't want him back but I can't let go
Hangman, answer me now
You owe me a debt, you stole him from me
I hated you once, I envy you now
Just tell me how, tell me how

(D.a. Got that-)

Oh, she got that whoa there, hangman got that whoa there
Don't act like you don't know
Giddy up, giddy up (d.A. Got that dope)
Don't pay me in gold, giddy up, giddy up
Back outside, I'm on the road, giddy up, giddy up (hey)
When the sun goes down (it's night, night, hey)
You can hear her body howl (in the moonlight, giddy up, hey)
I feel her eyein' me like owls (giddy up, giddy up, hey)
Hide your man when the hangman come in town (ooh, yikes)

She's a tyrant every time I ride it, every time I ride it
Make it look so good, try to justify it
Boy, you know they lookin' for me, how we gonna hide it?
Ride it like hydraulics, I am such a tyrant
Every time I ride it, every time I ride this
I don't like to sit up in the saddle, boy, I got it
Just relax, I got this, I got that exotic
Hips are so hypnotic, I am such a tyrant

Send me some shots, are you with me or not? Throw it back
Shoot up the bar
Then tell the law we don't remember nothin' after that
Scot-free (scot-free), whole city after me
Have you seen her? 5'9", thick and fine, what a tragedy
Hey, hey, ridin' you while we tryna get away
Ridin' you while we tryna catch a wave
That's so sexy and I know it, and I ain't afraid to show it
Baby, I'm goated, baby, I'm glowin'
Hey, hey, on the run, run
Tap me on the shoulder when you reload the gun

Tyrant every time I ride it, every time I ride it
Make it look so good, try to justify it
Boy, you know they're lookin' for me, how we gonna hide it?
Ride it like hydraulics, I am such a tyrant

How did you get used to the haunting? (The haunting)
The willing, the missing, the wanting (the wanting)
Dry eyes just send me across the divide
Hangman, teach me how not to cry
How not to cry, how not to cry

Oh, she got that whoa there, hangman got that whoa there
Don't act like you don't know, yeah, giddy up, giddy up (d.A. Got that dope)
Don't pay me in gold, giddy up, giddy up
Back outside, I'm on the road, giddy up, giddy up (hey)
When the sun goes down (when the sun goes down, giddy up, giddy up, hey)
You can hear this body howl (you can hear this body howl, giddy up)
Giddy up now
Diggadont, diggadont
Digga, daddy can't leave me 'lone, leave me 'lone
Damn if I do, damn it if I don't
Lady with a whip want what she wanna want, okay

Tyrant every time I ride it, every time I ride it
Make it look so good, cowboys justify it
Boy, you know they're lookin' for me, how we gonna hide it?
Ride it like hydraulics, I am such a tyrant
Every time I ride it, every time I ride it
Baby, I just don't sit up in the saddle, boy, I got it
Just relax, I got this, I got that exotic
These hips so hypnotic, I am such a tyrant

Hangman, answer me now
You owe me a debt, you stole him from me (giddy up, giddy up)
I hated you once, I envy you now (hey)
Just tell me how, tell me how
(Giddy up, giddy up)