Safe and Sound" is a departure of Swift from her previous country pop releases,[5] and is rather described as a moody folk ballad.[6][7] Rolling Stone deemed the song reminiscent of alternative country music.[2] Written in the key of G major, the track has a moderate slow tempo of 72 beats per minute. Swift's vocal range on the song spans from the low-note of G3 to the high-note of D5.[8] The song is mainly accompanied by an acoustic guitar and features The Civil Wars' "harmony" vocals.[9] According to Swift, the theme of "Safe & Sound" represents "the empathy and compassion Katniss feels for Rue, Peeta, and Prim in different parts of