Castle

"Castle"
General information
Artist	Halsey
Release Date	August 28, 2015
Recorded	2015
Genre	Electropop
Length	4:38 (See official versions)
Labels
Composer(s)	Ashley Frangipane, Peder Losnegård
Producer(s)	Lido
Album	Badlands
Singles Chronology
Previous	"Colors"
Current	"Castle"
Next	"Hands"
Badlands Chronology
"Castle"
"Hold Me Down"
Music Video

"Castle" is a song performed by Halsey. It is the opening track of her debut album Badlands. It was released on August 28, 2015 through Astralwerks Records.

It was re-recorded and released as a promotional single for the soundtrack of the 2016 film The Huntsman: Winter's War through Capitol Records on April 9, 2016. It also serves as the fourth single of Badlands.

A live version of the song is featured on Badlands (Live From Webster Hall), which was released on August 28, 2020.

Background

Speaking to Interview Magazine about the track in August of 2015, Halsey stated the following:

"'Castle' is my first song from the perspective of someone in the music industry and it's this idea of me gunning for my moment. Sonically, the nontraditional percussion and the choir supported the idea that there's a massive population. There's some religious imagery in it, too."

—Halsey

In an interview with Coup De Main, Halsey explains how the song is about overthrowing and defying the patriachal system:

"I think the old man is kind of just representative of a patriarch. When I first started out there were moments when I’d be wearing something and then I’d rock out on stage and think something like, ‘Is this too revealing? Is this too blah blah blah?‘ Or, 'Should I not say this? Maybe I shouldn’t curse.’ And then I think I eventually just starting being like, 'Why the fuck do I care? Why do I care? If I’m not offending anyone’s race or creed or beliefs to a level of political incorrectness, then why do I have to fucking please anyone? I have no-one to please.’ I think that is kind of what that song signifies – my entry into the music industry, and the realization that I don’t have to follow anyone’s rules."

—Halsey

The song, although originally recorded and released for Badlands in 2015, was re-recorded in 2016 as a promotional single for the movie The Huntsman: Winter's War. The new version of the track featured slightly altered vocals accompanied by a full orchestral backing. It was used in various teasers and commercials in support of the film.

Official versions

• Original version - 4:38
• The Huntsman: Winter's War version - 4:20
• Live From Webster Hall version - 4:34

Cross-referenes

• The lyric "They’ve got the Kingdom locked up" is a reference to Halsey's sophomore album Hopeless Fountain Kingdom.
• The song features the background vocals of a choir singing the ancient plain song Agnus Dei which translates from Latin to "Lamb of God".
• "Castle" is sampled in "Good Mourning".
• A screaming sound can be heard repeatedly through the sound, the same one as heard in "New Americana" at around 1:02, and in "Ghost".

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Sick of all these people talking, sick of all this noise
Tired of all these cameras flashing, sick of being poised
Now my neck is open wide, begging for a fist around it
Already choking on my pride, so there's no use crying about it

[Pre-Chorus]
Agnus dei
Agnus dei
Agnus dei
Agnus dei

[Chorus]
I'm headed straight for the castle
They wanna make me their queen
And there's a old man sitting on the throne there saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean
I'm headed straight for the castle
They’ve got the Kingdom locked up
And there's the old man sitting on the throne there saying I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut
Straight for the castle

[Verse 2]
Oh, all these minutes passing, sick of feeling used
If you wanna break these walls down, you’re gonna get bruised
Now my neck is open wide, begging for a fist around it
Already choking on my pride, so there's no use crying about it
Crying about it
Crying about it
Crying about it, about it, bout it, bout it

[Chorus]
I'm headed straight for the castle
They wanna make me their queen
And there's an old man sitting on the throne saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean
I'm headed straight for the castle
They’ve got the Kingdom locked up
And there's a old man sitting on the throne there saying I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut
Straight for the castle

[Bridge]
There's no use crying about it
There's no use crying about it
There's no use crying about it
There's no use crying about it

[Chorus]
I'm headed straight for the castle
They wanna make me their queen
And there's the old man sitting on the throne there that's saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean
I'm headed straight for the castle
They’ve got the Kingdom locked up
And there's the old man sitting on the throne there saying I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut
Straight for the castle
They wanna make me their queen
And there's a old man sitting on the throne there saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean
I'm headed straight for the castle
They’ve got the Kingdom locked up
And there's an old man sitting on the throne there saying I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut
Straight for the castle

Music video

A music video for the The Huntsman: Winter's War version of the track was released on April 13, 2016 and was directed by Scott Murray. It features scenes from the movie and Halsey was also featured in a music video, stylized as the the evil Queen Ravenna.

Chords

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