Karl Wallinger left the Waterboys to form World Party, which was (especially at first) more political than the Waterboys; this song was their farewell to him. I think it's intended as a critical send-off (the references to castles in the sand and "nothing to do with anything that is real", for instance) but not a simple dis. Something like, "You're a naive idealist, Karl, but hey, good luck - if the world can be changed, you've got a decent shot at doing it."
Karl Wallinger left the Waterboys to form World Party, which was (especially at first) more political than the Waterboys; this song was their farewell to him. I think it's intended as a critical send-off (the references to castles in the sand and "nothing to do with anything that is real", for instance) but not a simple dis. Something like, "You're a naive idealist, Karl, but hey, good luck - if the world can be changed, you've got a decent shot at doing it."