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"Long Live" is the fourteenth track from the standard edition of American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift’s third studio album, Speak Now, released on October 25, 2010, through Big Machine Records. It is also the fourteenth track from Swift's third re-recorded album, Speak Now (Taylor's Version), released on July 7, 2023, through Republic Records.

On March 1, 2012, Swift recorded and released a new version of "Long Live" featuring Brazilian country music singer Paula Fernandes. It features Portuguese verses written and sung by Fernandes, and was released to promote the Brazilian edition of Swift's 2011 live album, Speak Now: World Tour Live. The version was released onto the Brazilian iTunes Store on January 3, 2012, through Universal Music Group.[2]

Background[]

"Long Live", (in parentheses "We Will Be Remembered"), is the first song where I've ever had parentheses in the title. Besides that, though, this song is about my band, and my producer, and all the people who have helped us build this brick by brick. The fans, the people who I feel that we are all in this together, this song talks about the triumphant moments that we've had in the last two years. We've had times where we just jump up and down, and dance like we don't care how we're dancing, and just scream at the top of our lungs, "How is this happening?" And, I feel very lucky to even have had one of those moments, nonetheless all the ones that I got to have.

"Long Live" is about how I feel reflecting on it. This song for me is like looking at a photo album of all the award shows, and all the stadium shows, and all the hands in the air in the crowd. It's sort of the first love song that I've written to my team.

Hidden message[]

Hidden message: For you.

Lyrics[]

[Verse 1]
I said, "Remember this moment"
In the back of my mind
The time we stood with our shaking hands
The crowds in stands went wild
We were the kings and the queens
And they read off our names
The night you danced like you knew our lives would
Never be the same
You held your head like a hero on a history book page
It was the end of a decade
But the start of an age

[Chorus]
Long live the walls we crashed through
How the kingdom lights shined just for me and you
I was screaming, "Long live all the magic we made"
And bring on all the pretenders
One day, we will be remembered

[Verse 2]
I said, "Remember this feeling"
I pass the pictures around
Of all the years that we stood there on the sidelines
Wishing for right now
We are the kings and the queens
You traded your baseball cap for a crown
When they gave us our trophies
And we held them up for our town
And the cynics were outraged
Screaming, "This is absurd"
'Cause for a moment, a band of thieves in ripped up jeans
Got to rule the world

[Chorus]
Long live the walls we crashed through
How the kingdom lights shined just for me and you
I was screaming, "Long live all the magic we made"
And bring on all the pretenders, I'm not afraid
Long live all the mountains we moved
I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you
I was screaming, "Long live that look on your face"
And bring on all the pretenders
One day, we will be remembered

[Bridge]
Hold on to spinning around
Confetti falls to the ground
May these memories break our fall
Will you take a moment? Promise me this
That you'll stand by me forever
But if, God forbid, fate should step in
And force us into a goodbye
If you have children some day
When they point to the pictures
Please tell 'em my name
Tell 'em how the crowds went wild
Tell 'em how I hope they shine
Long live the walls we crashed through
I had the time of my life with you

[Chorus]
Long, long live the walls we crashed through
How the kingdom lights shined just for me and you
And I was screaming, "Long live all the magic we made"
And bring on all the pretenders, I'm not afraid
Singing, "Long live all the mountains we moved"
I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you
And long, long live that look on your face
And bring on all the pretenders
One day, we will be remembered

[Verse 1: Paula Fernandes]
Lembrei desse sentimento
Gritando dentro de nós
Éramos todos meninos
Em cada um, vivia uma paixão
Como uma cena de um filme
Vencemos pesadelos enfrentando os dragões
Criados por nossos medos
Fruto da imaginação

[Pre-Chorus: Paula Fernandes]
De frente a uma nova era
Na onda de uma canção
Nós construímos história
Mente, alma e coração

[Chorus: Paula Fernandes & Taylor Swift]
Long live the walls we crashed through
All the kingdom lights shined just for me and you
I was screaming, "Long live all the magic we made
And bring on all the pretenders
One day, we will be remembered"

[Verse 2: Taylor Swift]
I said, "Remember this feeling"
I passed the pictures around
Of all the years that we stood there
On the side-lines, wishing for right now
We are the kings and the queens
You traded your baseball cap for a crown
When they gave us our trophies
And we held them up for our town

[Pre-Chorus: Paula Fernandes]
De frente a uma nova era
Na onda de uma canção
Nós construímos história
Mente, alma e coração

[Chorus: Paula Fernandes & Taylor Swift]
Long live the walls we crashed through
All the kingdom lights shined just for me and you
I was screaming, "Long live all the magic we made
And bring on all the pretenders, I'm not afraid"
Long live all the mountains we moved
I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you
I was screaming, "Long live that look on your face
And bring on all the pretenders
One day, we will be remembered"

[Bridge: Paula Fernandes, Taylor Swift & Both]
Hold on to spinning around
Confetti falls to the ground
May these memories break our fall
Lembrei do momento
Que fiz promessa pra nós dois
Pintando o nosso destino
Puro, simples, pleno e sem fim
Que fosse assim sem um goodbye
Fosse para sempre "Eu cheguei"
POs sonhos que construímos
Me vi feliz, eu te achei
Será muito mais que achar
Será muito além de pensar
Long live the walls we crashed through
I had the time of my life with you

[Chorus: Taylor Swift with Paula Fernandes]
Long, long live the walls we crashed through
All the kingdom lights shined just for me and you
I was screaming, "Long live all the magic we made
And bring on all the pretenders, I'm not afraid"
Singing, long live all the mountains we moved
I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you
And long, long live that look on your face
And bring on all the pretenders
One day, we will be remembered

Live performances[]

Swift performed "Long Live" from February 9, 2011, in Kallang, Singapore, to March 18, 2012, in Auckland, New Zealand, as the fifteenth song on the setlist on the Speak Now World Tour. The song was also performed as a surprise song on December 12, 2015, in Melbourne, Australia, on the 1989 World Tour.[3] The song was performed once again from May 8, 2018, in Glendale, Arizona, to November 21, 2018, in Tokyo, Japan, on The Reputation Stadium Tour, as the sixteenth song on the setlist, paired with "New Year's Day".[4] Lastly, the song is performed on the on-going Eras tour, as the twentith song on the setlist, added on after the release of Speak Now (Taylor's Version), on July 7, 2023.

Taylor_Swift_Speak_Now_World_Tour_-_Long_Live_(HD)-2

Taylor Swift Speak Now World Tour - Long Live (HD)-2

References[]

Speak Now
"Mine" • "Sparks Fly" • "Back to December" • "Speak Now" • "Dear John" • "Mean" • "The Story of Us" • "Never Grow Up" • "Enchanted" • "Better Than Revenge" • "Innocent" • "Haunted" • "Last Kiss" • "Long Live"
Deluxe Edition
"Ours" • "If This Was a Movie" • "Superman" • "Back to December" (acoustic) • "Haunted" (acoustic) • "Mine" (Pop Mix)
Taylor's Version
"Electric Touch" (feat. Fall Out Boy) • "When Emma Falls In Love" • "I Can See You" • "Castles Crumbling" (feat. Hayley Williams) • "Foolish One" • "Timeless"
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