“Don’t Let Me Down” by The Chainsmokers (ft. Daya)

“Don’t Let Me Down” is one of those songs which, based on the simple facts surrounding it, most of us would presume is romantic in context. Take the title of the piece for instance, coupled with the fact that the vocalist is a female. Moreover the lyrics do in fact center on her entreating the addressee, an unspecified loved one, not to ‘let her down’. 

So it would be very much reasonable that said addressee is the vocalist’s lover or perhaps, all lyrics considered, her ex.

However, “Don’t Let Me Down” is also one of those types of musical stories where the relationship between the singer and who she is singing to is never specified. 

Verse 1

But here’s what we do know. From the onset she depicts herself as a depressed/downtrodden individual, one even in “need” of an instant “miracle”. She also describes herself as being “stranded”, implying that she has no one to lean on in this time crisis. 

So that is why she is compelled to ‘call out the name’ of the addressee. But this individual too is absent from her life.

Verse 2

In the second verse, it is further revealed that she perceives the addressee’s lack of presence during this moment as tantamount to desertion. That is to say that up until now, she was seemingly under the impression that this individual had her back. But now when the situation calls for it, the opposite rather appears to be true.

Chorus

So that then leads us to the chorus, where she is asserting that she ‘needs’ this person “right now”. And to note, Daya does refer to this individual as “darling”. So again, it can be argued that this is a lover she’s beefing with. But at the same time, “darling” is a term of endearment that can be applied to a number of different types of associates, especially from a female perspective. 

But regardless of the relationship dynamics, more to the point is the simple idea that, in the midst of ‘losing her mind’, the vocalist is thoroughly convinced that this individual’s aid is integral to helping her overcome whatever it is she is facing. 

So it’s like seriously, ‘don’t let her down’.  Or viewed differently, now is not the time for this person to prove that he or she isn’t genuinely a concerned loved one.

What Daya has said about “Don’t Let Me Down”

Conclusively, in her own personal interpretation of this piece Daya has also clarified that it is not specifically in a romantic context. 

In fact if we were forced to classify “Don’t Let Me Down” ourselves, what it primarily reads like is a song of despair. The singer has reached the end of her rope, whether that end be real or imagined. And now, more than ever presumably, she needs the addressee to intervene on her behalf. 

But that said, considering how forcefully that sentiment is repeated, it also doesn’t appear, as implied by Daya’s interpretation, that she is overly confident said individual will actually do so. 

And perhaps even more macrocosmically, it can be argued that she is so desperate that the addressee isn’t even someone she’s familiar with but rather anybody – a good Samaritan if you will – who would be concerned enough to help her in this crisis.

“Don’t Let Me Down” Facts

Primary Artist(s): The Chainsmokers
Featured Artist(s): Daya
Album/EP: “Collage” 

Was “Don’t Let Me Down” a single release?

Yes. It was a single from the EP, “Collage”. The Chainsmokers released it on February 5 of 2016.

Credits

“Don’t Let Me Down” was penned by Emily Warren, Andrew Taggart and Scott Harris. It’s production was also handled by The Chainsmokers themselves.

What genre(s) is “Don’t Let Me Down”?

• EDM
• Trap

Awards/Honors:

The song was awarded “Best Dance Recording” at the Annual Grammy Awards in 2017. The following songs competed with “Don’t Let Me Down” for the award:

• “Tearing Me Up” recorded by Bob Moses
• “Never Be like You” performed by Flume along with Kai
• “Rinse & Repeat” recorded by Riton and Kah-Lo
• “Drinkee” performed by Sofi Tukker

More Accolades:

Rolling Stone named it one of the 30 best songs of the first two quarters of 2016.

It became the group’s highest-charting song in the UK until the release of “Closer”.

Chart Performance:

• US – 3
• UK – 1
• Scotland – 3
• Romania – 6
• Portugal – 4
• Norway – 5
• New Zealand – 2
• Netherlands – 5
• Italy – 7
• Ireland – 3
• India – 3
• Hungary – 9
• Germany – 6
• Finland – 9
• Czech Republic – 4
• Canada – 4
• Belgium – 4
• Austria – 6
• Australia – 3

Covers:

• Suzan & Freek (2016)
• Mike Tompkins (2016)
• J.Fla (2018)
• Conor Maynard (2016)
• Boyce Avenue (2016)
• Beth (2016)
• Bars & Melody (2016)

Sampling:

• Robert Mendoza – “Closer / Don’t Let Me Down” (2017)
• Michael Constantino – “90’s & 2000’s Mashup” (2016)
• DJ Earworm – “SummerMash ’16” (2016)