Fairy Tales and Castles

He says he looks in the mirror
And he can't tell anymore
Who he really is and who they believe him to be
And he says he walks a thin line
Between what is and what could be
He's getting closer
To something he can't understand

Cause there's a crack in his plastic crown
And his throne of ice is melting
He climbed his ladder
There was nothing there
And now it's a long way down
Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand

He says his head is filled with
Cartoons and fairy tales
And he's trapped inside a dungeon of dolls
With smiles on their faces
He's built a pretty cage
His shows on a beautiful stage
With candy coated prison bars
And chains that look like jewelry

Cause there's a crack in his plastic crown
And his throne of ice is melting
He climbed his ladder
There was nothing there
And now it's a long way down

Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand
Cause he lives inside
A fairy tale sand castle now
And there's room inside
For false expectations and illusions

Cause there's a crack in his plastic crown
And his throne of ice is melting
He climbed his ladder
There was nothing there
And now it's a long way down
Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand
Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand
Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand
Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive, hey
On and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand

In Lifehouse’s, “Fairy Tales and Castles” the singer utilizes childish fantasies in order to portray a deeper meaning; losing the essence of childhood to the reality of the real world. The informal diction, repetition and unusual lyrics allows listeners to concentrate on the message begun sung rather than hearing typical songs of love relationships or tough situations in life which are a continual theme in the alternate rock genre.

“He says he looks in the mirror
And he can't tell anymore
Who he really is and who they believe him to be
And he says he walks a thin line
Between what is and what could be
He's getting closerTo something he can't understand”

The opening stanza of the song immediately starts off describing the main person as someone who is lost and confused about his place in the world. Although no age is specifically given, one may guess a difficult situation has caused the man to reflect about what type of person he is. Possibly having to handle with the pressures of growing up in the turbulent teenage years, he is being influenced by peer pressure to be someone he does not want to be; yet, in reality, he himself does not know who he really is. Without a distinct personality or persona, he is “walks a thin line” of choosing between moral and immoral choices that may affect his life.

“Cause there's a crack in his plastic crown
And his throne of ice is melting
He climbed his ladder
There was nothing there
And now it's a long way down”

During the second stanza the idea of reality slowly affecting a young man is when “the throne of ice is melting.” The symbolic meaning of sitting on a high throne or idea about a how the world is becomes liquidated over the years. Either realizing the mighty throne which he sat on before was one of power or high status now disappears as he is forced to compete with millions of others in the world. No longer is he the king on the throne of his hometown but rather just another human trying to make a living. By “climbing the ladder” of reality he reaches a stage in his life which seems to fulfill him; yet, he was so engrossed with the immediate pleasures that when he realized these didn’t fulfill his happiness, he must start anew.


“He says his head is filled with
Cartoons and fairy tales
And he's trapped inside a dungeon of dolls
With smiles on their faces
He's built a pretty cage
His shows on a beautiful stage
With candy coated prison bars
And chains that look like jewelry”

Grasping the concept of the real world is hard for the man to understand because everything he was told of as a child does not really exist in life. Filled with fantasies of happily ever after endings, the man is forced to reconsider everything he has been taught. Being trapped inside a dungeon of dolls may be symbolic of him being trapped at job where all he sees are faces with detached smiles. However, he builds a stage which could mean he starts a career in the adult entertainment business. The use of an oxymoron to describe the “candy coated prison bars” further enforce the man’s idea of living in a fantasy world filled with women dressed in “chains that look like jewelry.”

“Cause on and on and on he goes
Dancing on the grave
Of what he thought was still alive
And on and on and on he goes
Dancing in mansions made of twigs
And castles made of sand”

The chorus of the sing continues to reiterate the theme of living a fantasy life. Even as life goes on and mistakes are made, he still remains alive with the same old habits. By “dancing in mansions made of twigs/ and castle made of sand,” the man never can hold onto anything permanently. Although he may attempt to live a luxurious lifestyle, he can never match up to that of his fantasies; therefore, he ultimately lets life go by in whatever direction the wind blows.