Kacey Musgraves has officially released her new album, Deeper Well, just in time for spring. Though the album has just dropped, fans are already looking into the lyrics of each track and one song that’s sticking out is “The Architect.”
“The Architect” is the 10th track on the album and there’s a raw vulnerability to it that will have listeners amazed by Musgraves’ lyricism. Hours before Deeper Well was released, Musgraves performed “The Architect” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with her band on a set that was in a field of flowers. The performance was as dreamy as the song, but the deepness of the lyrics made many curious about the inspiration and meaning behind the song.
The first verse of the song starts with Musgraves singing, “Even something as small as an apple/ It’s simple and somehow complex/ Sweet and divine, the perfect design/ Can I speak to the architect?” Musgraves is saying that even if apples are common and we see them in our day-to-day lives, there’s still something beautiful about them. She wonders how such beautiful things in the world are made and is curious to know where natural beauty comes from.
The first verse continues with, “And there’s a canyon that cuts through the desert/ Did it get there because of a flood?” This could be a reference to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, which is one of the seven wonders of the United States. Musgraves finishes the first verse singing, “Was it devised or were you surprised/ When you saw how grand it was?” Musgraves once again references the Grand Canyon but also asks the question of whether its creation was planned or if it was something that was unexpected and just turned out to be beautiful.
Musgraves begins the chorus singing, “Was it thought out at all or just paint on a wall?/ Is there anything you regret?” Musgraves is asking if the things that we see in life, whether they’re big or small, were thought out or if the architect was just convinced they looked good, much like how we are when we paint the walls of a new house or room, as well as if there’s anything that they regret or could take back.
The chorus continues, “I don’t understand, are there blueprints or plans/ Can I speak to the architect?” Most of the time, we have no clue what’s going on in life or why, and it seems that Musgraves is no exception. She’s asking to speak to the architect in hopes of getting an explanation for everything that’s happening.
In the second verse, Musgraves sings, “Sometimes I look in the mirror/ And wish I could make a request.” The verse finishes with “One day, you’re on top of the mountain/So high that you’ll never come down/ Then the wind at your back carries ember and ash/That it burns your whole house to the ground.” We all have those days where we feel like nothing can go wrong, but then they do and we’re left to pick up the pieces. Musgraves uses the imagery of a house fire to describe that destructive feeling.
The song finishes with a different chorus that begins with Musgraves singing, “Does it happen by chance?/ Is it all happenstance?/ Do I have a say in this mess?” Musgraves is asking if everything that happens is just accidental and if she has any control over what happens to her. She continues, “Is it too late to make more space?/ Can I speak to the architect?/ The life that we make, is it random or fate?/ Can I speak to the architect?” Musgraves wonders if life is random or if it’s predestined. The song finishes with “Is there an architect?,” which is Musgraves questioning if there is a higher power that controls everything we do.
Once again, Musgraves exhibits beautiful lyricism and meaning in “The Architect.” If you haven’t already, make sure to stream Deeper Well and get your tickets to her tour. In the meantime, I’m going to have “The Architect” on repeat for the rest of the day.