Castles in the Snow

"'Castles in the Snow’ I wrote in a hotel on tour about a very short relationship I had before in New York, which was too good to be true and then just disappeared.

This song is actually contrary to what you said earlier about your in the end positive contact with other people. Here we find you in a twisted King Midas moment, when you sing, ‘everything I touch goes cold.’ There’s this undeniable sense, that everything’s a good pleading for something. We are falling apart, deteriorating our bodies. Everything’s slipping away. But for this it’s about a more particular situation, I’m not commenting on everyone in the world. The song may be big, but this moment was fast and strong.

Do you get feedback from the people you sing about? Actually the ‘Castles in the Snow’ person wouldn’t talk to me, so let’s see if she does now. But I like feedback of all possible people, who see themselves in the songs."

Poster above explained the chorus well, IMO, and the main theme of the song, which is about unrequited infatuation. It's about focusing on a daydream of someone, knowing you cannot have their reality.

My take on the verses...

Here's all I know - he doesn't know much about her in reality Your checkered room and your velvet bow - He's like alice chasing after the rabbit down the rabbit hole to a distorted world; he's pursuing a girl he cannot have, but only in his imagination/dreams

Your Elvis song in my ear - he became infatuated with her like you would a catchy pop song, she is stuck in his head That moonlit voice that I hear - this either means that when he is alone with his thoughts at night, he hears her voice, as in, she is all he thinks of; OR it refers to the voice of doubt he hears at night, reminding him that he'll never have her

Now we are bold as brass - this is an expression which means overconfident, acting like you're gold when you're just brass We walk along our golden crest - people feel they are above others in their overconfidence, as a crest is the top of a hill We hide away for a week - people are afraid of reality, so they hide from it & become passive We only look and don't speak - this mixture of pride & fear keeps people from connecting, from pursuing a romantic interest, so they just look from a distance & don't actually talk; this & the above line also allude to games people play when they are infatuated

Wanted to add: If the "Your checkered room and your velvet bow" is not an allusion to Alice and Wonderland as suggested (but I think it is also), then it's still alluding to some symbols that getting the girl he wants is just a fantasy. Her velvet bow may be a symbol that she is too good for him (or thinks she is), and the checkered room may be a reference to her playing games, or being hard to win, like a game of chess.

Came across this song today and love it. Could be completely off the mark but my guess is:

He's a notorious playboy who has finally found the person he really wants to be with.

"Everything i see looks like gold. Everything i touch goes cold", Everyone to him is something to obtain, and he turns them "cold" when breaking their hearts and moving onto the next person.

Its possible the person knows this ("famous nightmare") so he doesnt try to deny his past but emphasises the small things he loves about them ("Here's all i know.....")

Not sure about the rest and "castles in the snow" but I'm guessing they get together :)

I read an interview where he said this song was about meeting an amazing girl ad immediately being crazy about her, it amounted to nothing and the song is a fantasy about what might have been.

Now we are old as bread

should be

Now we are bold as brass

I think Old as Bread is funnier though

This song is so rad...I swear.

all I can say is.. YUP!

I think the "checker room" and "velvet bow" bits are an allusion to Alice In Wonderland. And I'm pretty sure the song is about cocaine.

ughh twin shadow!!!! <3333