Paper Crown
Alec Benjamin Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴A paper crown, and a heart made of glass
A tattered gown, and her kingdom of ash
She walks alone, can never look back
The story of a queen whose castle has fallen to the sea
She'll make it out, but she's never the same
She's lookin' down, at the scars that remain
But you hold your ground, though your kingdoms in flames
Cause it's the story of a queen who's castle has fallen to the sea Knowing there's no one who will be a king that will come and save his queen

When all she needs, and all she wants, and all she finds
When all she is, and ever was, is compromised
Cause there's no one to love her
You built your walls too high
And there's no one to love you when you build your walls too high

She's looking out, from the war that's inside
She's screaming out, cause no one survived
But when you're all alone, you wait and you hide
Cause it's the story of a queen whose castle has fallen to the sea
Knowing, there's no one who will be a king that will come and save his queen

When all she needs, and all she wants, and all she finds
When all she is, and ever was, is compromised
Cause there's no one to love her
You built your walls too high
And there's no one to love you when you build your walls too high

There is no one, who is strong enough, to save your love
There's no fairytale, There's no fairytale

When all she needs, and all she wants, and all she finds
When all she is, and ever was, is compromised
Cause there's no one to love her

You built your walls too high
And there's no one to love you when you trap yourself inside

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Alec Benjamin's song "Paper Crown" tell the story of a fallen queen who is struggling to pick up the pieces of her life after her kingdom has crumbled. The title "Paper Crown" represents the fragility of her reign, and her "heart made of glass" is a metaphor for her vulnerability. Her "tattered gown" and "kingdom of ash" symbolize the destruction that has befallen her. Despite her loneliness and the scars that remain, she refuses to give up and fights to save herself. She acknowledges that there is no king who will come to rescue her because she is the only one who can save herself.

The chorus of the song emphasizes the theme of self-love and acceptance. The queen realizes that she cannot rely on anyone but herself to rebuild her life, and she must learn to love herself despite her flaws. The lines "there's no one to love her/you built your walls too high/and there's no one to love you when you build your walls too high" suggest that the queen and others like her have created barriers to protect themselves, but these walls have isolated them from the love and support they need.

Line by Line Meaning

A paper crown, and a heart made of glass
She has a fragile identity as a queen with a paper crown and a heart made of glass.

A tattered gown, and her kingdom of ash
The queen's kingdom is in ruins which is reflected by her wearing a tattered gown.

She walks alone, can never look back
The queen can't look back at her past and must move forward alone.

The story of a queen whose castle has fallen to the sea
The song is about a queen whose castle has been destroyed and is now underwater.

She'll make it out, but she's never the same
Even though the queen will survive, she will never be the same after the traumatic experience.

She's lookin' down, at the scars that remain
The queen is reflective of the aftermath of the destruction of her kingdom.

But you hold your ground, though your kingdoms in flames
Despite the adversity, the queen remains strong and resilient.

Knowing there's no one who will be a king that will come and save his queen
The queen knows there is no one who will come and save her.

When all she needs, and all she wants, and all she finds
The queen is compromised as she has lost everything she needs, wants and finds.

Cause there's no one to love her
The queen feels unloved and alone.

You built your walls too high
The queen has isolated herself and built walls to protect herself.

She's looking out, from the war that's inside
The queen is battling with herself internally.

She's screaming out, cause no one survived
The queen is overwhelmed with grief as no one survived the destruction of her kingdom.

Cause there's no one to love you when you build your walls too high
The lyrics are a warning about the dangers of building emotional walls that will block out love and prevent anyone from entering.

There is no one, who is strong enough, to save your love
The queen has lost faith in finding someone strong enough to help her in her struggles.

There's no fairytale, There's no fairytale
The song is about the harsh realities of life and the absence of a fairytale ending.

And there's no one to love you when you trap yourself inside
The lyrics are a reminder that if you trap yourself inside, no one will be able to love you because you have shut them out.

Contributed by Jasmine T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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