Ooh, my love
My love

In the shadow of the castle walls
Wherever those walls were
Well, you used to love to be behind those walls with her
Within these walls...
Well, he watched from the corridor
Watched from the corner of his eyes
Seemingly waiting for the time
When the castle walls would all fall down

Yes, it was a strain on her...
Watching her castles fall down
Oh, but there was a time when he called her "Angel"
Where in the world did you come from?

Yes, it was a strain on her...
Watching her castles fall down
Oh, but there was a time when he called her "Angel"
Where in the world did you come from?

In the shadow of the castle walls
Wherever those walls were
In this land or in that land
Well, the castles all seem to belong to her
And all this talk about love and hate
And our separation way on down the line...
Well, they just can't wait, can they?
No, they just can't wait...

Yes, it was a strain on her...
Watching her castles fall down
Oh, but there was a time when he called her "Angel"
Where in the world did you come from?

There was a light that lighted the way to the chamber
Where they spent all their time
There was a light that lighted the way to the chamber door
Where they seemed to spend all their time

Ooh, my love
Ooh, my love
Ooh, my love

Yes, it was a strain on her...
Watching her castles fall down
Oh, but there was a time when he called her "Angel"
Where in the world did you come from?

Yes, it was a strain on her...
Watching her castles fall down
(Ooh, my love)
Oh, but there was a time when he called her "Angel"
Where in the world did you come from?

Yes, it was a strain on her...
It was a strain on me
Hey, hey, baby...No one can take you away from me
No...no one
Ooh, my love
In the shadow of the castle walls...

Yes, it was a strain on her...
Watching her castles fall down
(Ooh, my love)
In the shadow of the castle walls...
In the shadow of the castle walls...

---

WEBMISTRESS speculates:

I love this song, but it's very tragic - it's about the end of the dream, so to speak. Lindsey was leaving FM, and it ripped a hole in Stevie's heart. She remembers when they both shared that inner, guarded space, that "castle," together. But afterwards, it seemed he just wanted to watch her fall apart. When he finally took up and left the group, the illusion of being together though apart ended, and the "castles f[e]ll down."

It was hard on Stevie, and she remembers how it used to be - he "used to call her Angel" (see Goodbye Angel). It saddens her that they can't even be friends. At least when he was in the band she could feel like they had some semblance of a relationship even though they were no longer together. After all, while they were in the band together, they went all over the world together - to "this land and that land", touring. Now they're completely severed, after all these years of "talk about love and hate." All that talk that so delighted fans who were fascinated by the drama, who "just can't wait" for more - can we? But the drama's all over now - he's leaving FM for good. Still, she tells him, "No one can take you away from me." She'll always call him "my love."

 

SEAN speculates:

i love this song and always thought it held a dark and sinister side, if i had to guess i would think that its about a woman who totally cannot accept that her lover has left her for another woman.. she is at first obsessed and she eventually becomes completely delusional about it..the line ''in the shadow of the castle wall'' means she is ''outside'' of the castle looking ''in'' watching them be in love and thinking he used to call me ''angel''.. where did this woman come from? the line about ''love and hate and our separation is way on down the line''..is her refusal to accept the reality of the breakup and in the end the lines ''no one can take you away from me'' is her just finally snapping..and in her mind he will always be with her...even though he is with someone else.