The Personal Meaning Behind Beyoncé’s “16 CARRIAGES”

As Beyoncé prepares to lean into the country space, we’ve heard some of her most intimate and candid songs to date. That sort of vulnerability is right in line with the genre’s trademark spirit.

The seemingly more personal of her two recently released singles is “16 CARRIAGES.” The ballad sees Beyoncé guide the listener through her career and the hurdles she had to overcome to step into the spotlight at such a young age.

Dive into this soon-to-be Beyoncé staple, below.

[RELATED: Beyoncé Returns to Texas Roots with Country Album, New Singles “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages”]

Behind the Meaning

Sixteen carriages drivin’ away
While I watch them ride with my dreams away
To the summer sunset on a holy night
On a long black road, all the tears I fight

There has been a lot of discourse online about what Beyoncé is referring to when she sings about “sixteen carriages.” The most pervasive fan theories think she is nodding to either touring (which she has spent a significant portion of her life doing) or the age at which she started her trek to fame.

Even without knowing the definitive answer, we can tell that this song was a personal pursuit for Beyoncé.

At fifteen, the innocence was gone astray
Had to leave my home at an early age
I saw Mama prayin’, I saw Daddy grind
All my tender problems, had to leave behind

Beyoncé was a teenager when she first found fame with Destiny’s Child. Even though she garnered massive success with that group, leaving home and stepping under the magnifying glass of fame at such a young age would be a struggle for anyone. Beyoncé keys the listener into her own experience with that transition in this track.

It’s been umpteen summers, and I’m not in my bed
On the back of the bus in a bunk with the band
Goin’ so hard, gotta choose myself
Undеrpaid and overwhelmed
I might cook, clеan, but still won’t fold

Like a lot of Beyoncé’s music, she instills a sense of perseverance in the listener. She has long been a purveyor of confidence, but that typically comes in the form of braggadocios anthems. This song has the same effect, but it’s administered with a lighter, more poignant touch.

(Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)