Halsey’s “Castle” Lyrics Meaning
“Castle” serves two distinct yet related storytelling functions for Halsey. One is as the opening of her 2015 album, Badlands. That album is a look into Halsey’s innermost thoughts, specifically frustrations associated with many parts of her personal life. And as can be derived from the lyrics of “Castle”, at that time, the artist was indeed dealing with a considerable degree of aggravation. For instance, the track begins with Halsey complaining of her being “sick” of always being in the spotlight yet basically being powerless to do anything about it.
Secondly, this track is Halsey’s attack against patriarchy. FYI, patriarchy is a term mainly used by feminists to refer to society’s habit of assigning too much power and authority to men.
That said, some fans of Halsey initially thought that she was instead firing shots at her record company and the music industry respectively in reference to the “old man” and “castle” featured in the song. For example, the former advises her how to behave, and she is en route to the latter to be crowned a “queen”.
However, in reference to the “old man”, Halsey herself explained that such is not so. According to her, such symbolism is representative of a patriarchal structure. And as alluded to earlier, this character exists more in the artist’s mind than in real life. So for instance, the “old man” is actually Halsey admonishing herself to always be politically correct, even though she believes she doesn’t do anything to overtly offend anybody.
Ultimately, the lyrics express a sentiment of Halsey being exalted – somewhat reluctantly – and along the way being advised to alter her personality to appease others.
In summary, “Castle” finds Halsey attacking the external and internal pressures placed on her life because of her celebrity status.
Meaning of Agnus Dei
In the song’s pre-chorus, the phrase “Agnus dei” is mentioned multiple times. As a matter of fact, it is the only thing said throughout the pre-chorus. “Agnus Dei” is a Latin term that means “Lamb of God” in the English language.
And the Lamb of God is a title for Jesus Christ. In the Bible, the Lamb of God (“Agnus Dei”) appears once. And in that instance, it is used in John 1:29. There, John the Baptist referred to Jesus as the Lamb of God brought who has come to rescue the world from sin.
Did Halsey shoot a music video for “Castle”?
Yes, she did. And you can watch that video right here.
What Halsey said about “Castle”
According to Halsey, of all the songs on the album Badlands, “Castle” was the most fun to work on. Here are her exact words on Twitter regarding the making of this song:
Facts about “Castle”
- Halsey wrote “Castle” along with Norwegian songwriter and record producer Lido. This isn’t the only Halsey song Lido has co-written. For example, he collaborated with her on her single “New Americana“.
- Lido entirely took care of the production duties of “Castle”.
- The song was first released on August 28, 2015 along with the album (Badlands) it appears on. However, it was re-recorded for the fantasy adventure film The Huntsman: Winter’s War and re-released as a single.
- April 9, 2016 was the new version’s official date of release.
Does “Castle” have any certification?
Yes. In the United States, it was certified Platinum. The song was given this enviable certification because it sold over a million copies in America alone.
Did Halsey use any samples in this song?
No. And talking about samples, she sampled this song in her 2017 track “Good Morning”.
Did Halsey appear in The Huntsman: Winter’s War?
No. While she didn’t appear in the film, she promoted it with “Castle”. Furthermore, it’s noteworthy to state that the song’s official clip was made purposely to promote the film.
