Born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Rowlett, Texas, he currently resides in Rockwall, Texas. His parents, René and Betsy Castro, are Colombian, and he is the first person in his family to be born in the United States, followed by younger siblings Michael Castro and Jackeline (Jackie Castro), both of whom are singer-songwriters as well. Spanish was his first language as a child. Their father, René, is an architectural swimming pool designer and singer-songwriter.
He attended Vernon Schrade Middle School as a child and went on to Rowlett High School where he was a left winger on his school's soccer team and an honor student. He received a 1340 out of 1600 on his SAT. Castro was a junior majoring in Construction Science at Texas A&M University in College Station on a full academic scholarship when he auditioned for American Idol.
Castro has sported dreadlocks for more than three years.
Castro grew up playing drums. He taught himself to play the guitar in college. He had no formal voice training before auditioning for American Idol and had previously sung only 5 times in public, mostly during church services.
Castro performed as a drummer with the rock band Charlemagne, which later became Keeping Lions. He has stated that his musical influences include Ray LaMontagne, Ben Harper, Bob Marley, Carlos Vives and Kirk Baxley.
Castro was the love interest of Cheyenne Kimball on her MTV reality show, Cheyenne and was also featured in her music video for "Hanging On".
On October 31 on Halloween in 2009, Castro proposed to Mandy Mayhall, an alumna of the University of Oklahoma, a sister of Kappa Kappa Gamma and his girlfriend of a year and a half. Castro proposed to her at a tailgate party before the Oklahoma/Kansas State football game in Norman, Oklahoma. The two were dressed as Disney characters Belle and The Beast from the animated film Beauty and the Beast as their Halloween costumes. Castro and Mayhall began dating in 2008 when Castro's Idol stint began but first became friends in high school at Rowlett High School. Mayhall made a brief cameo in Castro's music video for "Let's Just Fall In Love Again".
As of January 2, 2010 Castro and Mayhall were married in his hometown near Dallas, TX. Castro and Mayhall now reside together in Dallas.
Over the Rainbow
Jason Castro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
The song "Over the Rainbow" is an iconic ballad that was first introduced in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. In this particular interpretation by Jason Castro, the singer captures the melancholic essence of the song, conveying the longing for a perfect world beyond the horizon. The opening verse "Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high" suggests the singer's aspirations for a beautiful place, perhaps beyond the skies or reality that exists today. The line "there's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby" reinforces the idea of an idealized place as the singer's imagination conjures the vision of a faraway unconquered land.
The second verse envisions a land where "Skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true." This line further drives home the idea of a perfect world, the ideal setting where aspirations and dreams can be fully realized. In the following lines, the singer speaks about his desire to find this place, saying "Someday I'll wish upon a star, and wake up where the clouds are far behind me." The imagery here is that of a person tired and worn out from the challenges and difficulties of this world, seeking a new home where the difficulties of life are behind him. The line "Where troubles melt like lemon drops" absorbs the listener into the singer's world, where all that causes pain and discomfort dissolves away like magic.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere over the rainbow
There's a magical place in my imagination
Way up high,
It's located far away, in the clouds
There's a land that I heard of
I've been told about this place
Once in a lullaby.
It's so enchanting, it feels like a dream
Skies are blue,
The sky there is always clear and bright
And the dreams that you dare to dream
If you have the courage to dream big
Really do come true.
Your dreams can actually become a reality
Someday I'll wish upon a star
I believe in making wishes and having hope
And wake up where the clouds are far
I hope to be in that magical land
Behind me.
To leave my troubles and worries behind
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
This magical land can heal all my problems
Away above the chimney tops
Located high in the sky, beyond my reach
That's where you'll find me.
This is where I aspire to be
Somewhere over the rainbow
That magical place I dream of
Bluebirds fly.
Even birds fly up there
Birds fly over the rainbow.
The birds are my inspiration
Why then, oh why can't I?
Why can't I also reach that place?
If happy little bluebirds fly
If even the birds are happy there
Beyond the rainbow
In that far-off, magical place
Why, oh why can't I?
Why can't I also find happiness and fulfillment?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: E.Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Irfan Khalis
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
And the dreams that you dream of, once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
And the dreams that you dream of, dreams really do come true
Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where trouble melts like lemon drops,
High above the chimney top,
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly
And the dream that you dare to
Why, oh why can't I?
I see trees of green, red roses too
I watch them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Well I see skies of blue, and I see clouds of white
The brightness of day, I like the dark
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people passing by
I see friends shakin' hands, sayin' 'How do you do?'
They're really say I, I love you
I hear babies cryin', and I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than we'll know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where trouble melts like lemon drops,
High above the chimney top,
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
And the dream that you dare to
Why, oh why can't I?
Ashley Helmke
I played this version at my Dad's funeral. Beautiful song and beautiful voice. RIP Ted Schelebo ♡ you, Dad!
Tracey Doss
We used this song after we were married. Something magical about this version, his voice and our wedding day! As we were announced husband and wife, this song played as family and friends blew bubbles around us. Beautiful moments happen when you have beautiful music.
Nadia Catrin
Favorite version so far. Don't get me wrong, I'm IN LOVE with the original, but I have to say.. There's something about his voice, and what he do to the song.. For a moment I was breathless, speechless and amazed :o
Katie Wallender
Best version EVER Jason!! We're using it for our wedding..and btw..thanks so much for making it the best!!!!
Jaimie_L ✨💋
Jason sings this song so well and I love listening to it!
Bowo Trahutomo
Love this song very much...Jason sings it very lovely and beautiful with his own style :)
RealJwHoJcAsH
This is the best version I ever heard of this song. Simply amazing.
JanWhatever
I love Jason Castro's version of this song. He really did a great job. This was his best performance on American Idol. His voice isn't strong enough for some of the songs he sang, but this one was perfection.
Cassia Juliane
lindo!!! maravilhoso tudo de bo uma voz abençoada por Deus
Seasonchange1
Never get tired of this song, Jason did such a fantastic job.