The song 'Feel Like Magic' by Sarah Proctor encapsulates a tale of reminiscing and yearning amidst the backdrop of a city that thrives with energy yet magnifies loneliness in its absence of a loved one. Through the artist's personal lens, we peer into nostalgic memories tied to places and experiences, all the while confronting the hollow feeling of navigating life without the significant other who made those moments shine. The poignant lyrics poetically convey the emotional tumult that accompanies the end of a relationship, where everything once touched by magic now bears the weight of absence.
Sarah Proctor's 'Feel Like Magic' unfolds an emotional odyssey steeped in nostalgia and longing, painted across a canvas of cityscapes that once witnessed moments of shared joy. As we are driven around streets brimming with familiar sights and bygone stories, the opening verse immerses us in the sentimental gravity of the setting. We sense the closeness of the past through places like a bar that holds the magic of a first encounter, amplifying the absence felt in the present.
The pre-chorus introduces an undercurrent of isolation as memories, vivid yet intangible, spill forth. They are bittersweet—reflections of beauty now sources of loneliness. This emotional descent is echoed in the hearts of listeners who themselves have likely navigated the corridors of memory, searching for warmth in the remnants of what once was. Sarah Proctor not only sings of her solitary journey but also resonates with the universal experience of dealing with the aftermath of lost love.
In the refrain, the sleepless city serves as a metaphor for the artist's restless state of mind, a landscape that holds her captive in a cycle of sleepless nights and weeks on end. Her longing is punctuated by a desire for the absent one to see the city—and, by extension, her life—in its current state, marked by the vibrant yet fleeting brilliance of its lights. The emotional texture here is complex; Sarah Proctor's yearning is for acknowledgment, companionship, and perhaps, validation of her enduring feelings in the face of change.
The subsequent verse and the bridge further emphasize the shift from joyous recollection to present melancholy. The mention of a band, whose identity is lost to time, emphasizes the nature of nostalgia as it colors emotion more than fact. Contrastingly, the contrast of Friday nights once lively and now empty underlines the transformation of her emotional landscape. The memories that cascade in an endless array make for a poignant image of someone trying to piece together the past while grappling with the solitude of now.
"Don't know what it is but it feels like magic"
The phrase 'feels like magic' is a testament to the enchantment felt when reminiscing about the past. It indicates that there is something inexplicable and extraordinary about the memories, lending a mystical quality to ordinary locations and moments.
"'Cause this city never sleeps"
Often associated with cities like New York, the notion that the city 'never sleeps' suggests a place of constant activity and life. In the song, it becomes a metaphor for the artist's restless and sleepless state as they navigate through their memories and loneliness.
"Will my heart still feel the same?"
This rhetorical question reveals an internal struggle over the lasting impact of past relationships and whether the emotional connection to those memories will change over time despite the changes in surroundings.
"Got nothing planned and you're not here"
The stark contrast between a once vibrant social calendar and a now empty one without the person who made those moments meaningful highlights the void that's been left behind.