Green attended Emerson College briefly in 1998 before leaving to concentrate on his music, going on to co-found the anti folk group The Moldy Peaches with Kimya Dawson. In 2004 The Moldy Peaches went on hiatus and both Green and Dawson embarked on solo careers.
Green released several albums on Rough Trade Records. Among his better known songs are "Jessica" (about singer Jessica Simpson), "Novotel", "Friends of Mine", "Dance with Me", "Carolina" and "Emily", and, in Britain, his cover of The Libertines track "What a Waster".
Prior to Jacket Full of Danger in 2006, all of Green's albums had been released on the 22nd of the month. His latest album was released on March 18, 2008 and is titled Sixes & Sevens. Titles include "Morning After Midnight", "Twee Twee Dee", and "Drowning Head First", the latter a duet between Green and his girlfriend.
In January 2008, The Moldy Peaches began having a resurgence in popularity, due to their music being included in the hit indie film Juno.
Castles and Tassels
Adam Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was born in a murderous fashion
The ass of the business class was his passion
Number by hustle he numbered his muscles
And everybody’s acting like they’ve heard something back
From my baby,
my baby and me
Castles and tassels and flatulent assholes
I love you
Always
Standing in the sunlight some might say
That her hair was falling down from the building that day
The silvery ball was down by the bridge
And she used to take pills in the woods where she lived
And everybody’s acting like they’ve heard something back
From my baby, my baby and me
Castles and tassels and flatulent assholes
I love you, always
The man you scorned is self revived
He hides his reproach with a hollow pride
And everyone’s a ghost as the lesson dies
And it’s fun, to be a dirty son
One day at the bottom of the hill where they play
She lost a golden coin and the troll would not trade her
They say she lost a fortune and she lost it to her
And then he grew despondent cos she would not desert him
He laid out his hand and said ‘make me an offer’
Then she asked the troll for just how much did it cost her
You got to have money, you got to have money
Then he told the troll that you got to have money
You’ve got to have money, you’ve got to have money
Girl you tell your daddy that he’s got to have money
Castles and tassels and flatulent assholes
And you got to have money, you got to have money
The song Castles and Tassels by Adam Green is a surrealistic and dream-like portrayal of a fragmented and chaotic reality. The first verse sings about a man who was born in a murderous fashion and has a passion for the ass of the business class. He is characterized as a hustler, counting his muscles through honest means, but still falling down upon others. The chorus repeats the phrase "Castles and tassels and flatulent assholes" as a strange manifestation of a mundane world.
The second verse introduces the image of a woman standing in the sunlight, her hair falling down from the building. She used to take pills in the woods where she lived, and the silvery ball was down by the bridge. The lyrics shift between various disconnected vignettes or memories, as if trying to capture the fleeting moments of a surrealistic dream. The final verse speaks about a golden coin, a troll who would not trade it, and the need for money. The song ends with the repetition of "Castles and tassels and flatulent assholes" and "you've got to have money".
Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on the absurdity of life, the illusions of success and happiness, and the cyclical nature of human desire. The repeated phrase of "Castles and tassels and flatulent assholes" can be interpreted as a cynical critique of the materialistic and ego-driven society that we live in, where people are chasing after hollow ambitions and superficial pleasures, without regard for greater spiritual or moral values.
Line by Line Meaning
He was born in a murderous fashion
He had a violent beginning to his life
The ass of the business class was his passion
He was obsessed with the wealth and status of the upper class
Number by hustle he numbered his muscles
He gained his physical strength through hard work
Honour by honest he fell down upon us
He tried to maintain his dignity and morality, but failed
And everybody’s acting like they’ve heard something back From my baby,
my baby and me
People are gossiping about his relationship with his partner
Castles and tassels and flatulent assholes
I love you
Always
The singer expresses affectionate but nonsensical phrases
Standing in the sunlight some might say
That her hair was falling down from the building that day
Her hair looked as if it was flowing down from the building in the sunlight
The silvery ball was down by the bridge
And she used to take pills in the woods where she lived
There was a ball at the bridge and she used to take drugs in the nearby woods
The man you scorned is self revived
He hides his reproach with a hollow pride
The man who was rejected by others now tries to conceal his shame with arrogance
And everyone’s a ghost as the lesson dies
And it’s fun, to be a dirty son
People lose their true identity as society's values decline, and the artist enjoys being a rebellious outcast
One day at the bottom of the hill where they play
She lost a golden coin and the troll would not trade her
They say she lost a fortune and she lost it to her
She lost her valuable possession to a troll and failed to retrieve it
And then he grew despondent cos she would not desert him
He laid out his hand and said ‘make me an offer’
Then she asked the troll for just how much did it cost her
You got to have money, you got to have money
Then he told the troll that you got to have money
He became upset when she refused to leave him, and they tried to negotiate with the troll to reclaim her property by using money
Castles and tassels and flatulent assholes
And you got to have money, you got to have money
Girl you tell your daddy that he’s got to have money
The singer repeats nonsensical words and emphasizes the importance of money
Contributed by Mackenzie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rosie Morris
If I could only listen to one song on repeat for the rest of my life, this would be the song.
M W
Brilliant video by the way!
Saw the Mouldy Peaches about 12 years ago and I remember crying with joy in the sun at how good it was. Wondered what you guys were up to since then and found your solo stuff on youtube. Totally made my day!
The Northern Kid
Love your writting skills dear Adam.
sassysunflower
I was hoping they would make one for this song! Absolutely beautiful! I can't believe this album came out 4 years ago when I was 15, and I was anticipating it for so long. Should've made a video for Stadium Soul...love you Adam, from a long time fan
Ilaria Cappelli
First song I learned on the guitar a long time ago!
adamgreenofficial
It's a video from 2010 that was not released at the time - so it's kinda new in the sense that nobody has seen it before!
George Ptolemy
I love it
Beverly Ward
Why didn't you upload this sooner? This is the best video yet!
Daryl Ballister
great Song, great Video :-) Greetings from Germany. Your Concert in Hamburg was so amazing.
leesway
love it