Beyoncé has always been *mother* to her fans, but there’s one song on her new album, Cowboy Carter, that’s a sweet reminder of how she’s also a real-life loving mom to her three children. The Grammy-winning artist released her album on Friday, March 29, with a mix of original country songs, collabs, and covers from artists such as Dolly Parton and The Beatles. But of all 27 tracks on the album, what’s really going to warm your heart will be Beyoncé’s “Protector” lyrics.
The song starts with Beyoncé’s daughter, Rumi Carter’s, voice asking, “Mom, can I hear the lullaby, please?” The small but tender moment feels similar to features Beyoncé’s older daughter, Blue Ivy, has had in her mom’s songs when she was younger. It’s a testament to how Queen Bey draws from her own emotions and experiences to create her art. After Rumi’s line, a twang-y guitar tune begins to play and Beyoncé starts to sing about her role as a mother.
As the singer gets to the chorus, she sings, “And I will lead you down that road if you lose your way / Born to be a protector.” Here, she shares how she’ll be there for her children, always helping them be on the right track. She also lets her kids know that she will protect them at all times, as that is what she was born to do.
The next few lines of the chorus say, “Even though I know someday you’re gonna shine on your own / I will be your projector.” This is where Mama Carter explores the idea that even though her children will eventually be old enough to be their own people, she will still help them along the way, guiding them as their “projector.” This lyric hits especially hard when you realize how much Blue has taken the spotlight in the past few years, to the point of now amassing her own fan base after starring in her mom’s Renaissance tour in 2023.
As a mother, Beyoncé sings about how her children give her life. In Verse 2, she sings, “An apricot picked right off a given tree / I gave watеr to the soil / And now it feeds me.” Even though she gave them life, her children are now the ones making her feel replenished. This seems to be a common theme throughout the song, as another lyric goes, “I feel proud of who I am / Because you need me.” This shows how no matter how old they get, the simple fact that her children will need her time and time again, is enough to make Beyoncé feel a sense of pride and self.
In the bridge of the song, the singer shares not only how her kids look like their dad, but also that they will always be supported, stating, “I first saw your face in your father’s gaze / There’s a long line of hands carryin’ your name / Liftin’ you up, so you will be raised.” She’s reassuring her babies that no matter what, there are people who will always have their back — and she, of course, is one of them.
“Protector” is a pure, precious love letter from a mother to her children. It’s meant to encourage, uplift, and reassure them that their mom will always be there, even when they grow up and can fend for themselves. It also serves to remind fans that though Beyoncé is an iconic singer, she’s also a great mother above all else.