The track, with its finger-picked acoustic guitar and softly spoken vocal performance, has a classic country-rock sound, whilst the production and overall feel of the song is reminiscent of early Damien Rice. Though, it is with the lyrics that the song truly comes alive.
Telling the tale of a man fighting for a failing relationship whilst his partner seems to be onset by a deep malaise, Houston is able to paint a vivid yet haunting picture of an individual who will do anything to save the thing he cherishes the most.
“Our dreams in the palm of your hand” croons the singer, as he acknowledges that for the pair to survive, the woman must accept the responsibility she holds. On the other hand, Houston also admits that he has “Been riding along a passenger with a ghost at the wheel” thus accepting that not only has the love his partner once had now departed, but he is also partly to blame for allowing it to happen.
The anger that the protagonist must have for being blind to the malaise that set in can be found in the song’s chorus, where the folk singer laments that the woman has taken from him “Things I’ve never seen / Things I never knew I’d need”.
The sparseness of sound during the chorus only adds to the pain Houston is trying to convey, the pain of a man who can see the future he craved slipping through his fingertips.
‘The Watcher’ is clearly a metaphor for the other half of the relationship, who will idly watch as their relationship crumbles around them. Yet, the analogy could easily apply to the singer himself, as he has ignored the rot taking hold, and only when he felt his dreams fading away did, he take action.
With lyrical precision and the ability to turn even the darkest of subjects into a sing-along country-rock anthem, Houston has quietly turned himself into one of America's best-kept secrets.
James Ogden
Image – Official Single Artwork
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