Discover the story of the song > Beyond the Wizard’s Sleeve – Midlake

The lyrics talk about a group of mountaineers who gather materials to build a house in a new place. They struggle with leaks and exhaustion, but finally complete the house and are glad everything fits. However, when they return after being away, they find themselves surrounded by chemicals in a village that is no longer enough for them. The protagonist reflects on his childhood and wonders about a more productive name like Roscoe, and how the mountaineers made their house from cedars and stone. Overall, the lyrics discuss the difficulty of finding a place to call home and adapting to changing surroundings.