When someone breaks up with you because they want to “find themselves”, how do you accept that?
Irish modern folk/rock singer-songwriter Dessie Magee explores this issue in his latest single, “Castle”. In his song, Magee writes a letter to his former lover, detailing the feeling of abandonment that comes with this particular heartbreak.
“Castle” opens with guitar acoustics so faint it is barely perceptible over Magee’s husky vocals. The drums and bass then kick in after the first verse. The bass adds a melancholic punch to Magee’s words, augmenting the somber tone of the track.
The subdued instrumentals allow Magee’s tortured voice to dominate the track, especially in the verses. You can really hear the heartache in his voice and feel the grief in his heart.
By the time that you read this, you’ll be long gone,
breathing in that fire that you speak of.
By the time that you read this, the waves will have washed
away the castle in our town.
The Belfast-born artist relates the story of his heartbreak through epistolary lyrics addressed to a former lover. The eponymous “castle” symbolizes the memories he’d built with his former love in their town, memories that would be “washed away” by the waves of time. Magee bemoans the fact that time would gradually erode the love and good times they shared.
By the time that you meet him, you’ll be a lost cause;
a wandering traveler from some other place.
But if you find the piece that’s missing from your puzzle
bring it to the castle in our town.
Magee’s lyrics tell a story of abandonment, that of his own love and his town.
The label “wandering traveler” implies his former love is traveling aimlessly in search of something she may never find. The former lover evidently leaves to find herself and the “piece” missing from her puzzle, but it may be too late to go back to him once she accomplishes that. All that is left of them is the castle of memories in their town.
But I know now why, without a doubt in my mind,
Yeah I know now why you can’t let your colors shine.
Magee expresses regret at allowing himself to be vulnerable, believing it merely leads to pain and despair. Having a relationship with someone requires you to open up and let your emotional guard down, but that invites the possibility of betrayal and heartbreak.
The music is at its most vibrant after the two choruses. The hitherto restrained instrumentals burst into an outpouring of colorful guitar lines and harmonica howls. This bridge is repeated towards the end of the song with the addition of Magee’s haunting backing vocals. The blaring instrumentals here coupled with Magee’s emotive vocals are so stirring, so powerful; it accurately evokes the outbursts of sadness one experiences in between periods of emotional restraint.
By the time the grief sets in, you’ll fall away,
confused by your nature and stories you’ve laid.
If you find the piece that’s missing from your puzzle
bring it to the castle in our town.
Magee’s evident resentment illustrates the difficulty of overcoming a breakup caused by personal whims. You feel insignificant, betrayed, and dejected.
However, Magee suggests that grief and regret will ultimately possess the deserter, and the decision to leave may haunt them forever.
