Leon Hendrix, the younger brother of Jimi, has said that Jimi revealed privately to him that the song was about their family[1]. The first verse is their mother leaving their father Al again for the final time. The second verse is referencing his Native American heritage and the stories his grandmother (a quarter Cherokee)[2] would tell him. The boy who played "war games in the woods with his Indian friends" is said to be Leon (as stated by himself) but could also be about Jimi. The third verse recounts Jimi's mother Lucille in the hospital suffering from liver disease, wishing to die so she would suffer no more, "to her legs she smiled you won't hurt me no more." Lucille did have cirrhosis of the liver, but was recovering outside of Hospital, when she was admitted unconscious to hospital, where she died from a ruptured spleen caused by a blow from an unknown source, not a liver complaint as is often repeated, although this was listed as a contributing factor on her death certificate. The song "Little Wing" is also about his mother Lucille as stated by Leon, although in interviews he gave an alternate interpretation, most likely so he would not have to recount painful memories for strangers. Jimi himself said the song was about the Monterey Pop Festival personified as a girl.
Locals from the Moroccan town Diabat have claimed that the song title was inspired by the Bordj El Berod-watchtower ruin. This statement however is not likely to be true as Jimi stayed in Morocco in 1969 (Castles Made Of Sand was written in 1967) The song was covered by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and a live version was featured on the 1994 B-Sides, Remixes, Outtakes and Live compilation CD Out In L.A.. The same version was released on the 2003 remastered version of their album Mother's Milk. The studio version was recorded in 1991 but was unknown of to fans until it was released as an iTunes exclusive bonus track to Blood Sugar Sex Magik in 2006. Four Tet also covered the song for the Late Night Tales mix album. The song was also covered (with Little Wing) by Tuck & Patti.
Castles Made of Sand
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As she slams the door in his drunken face,
And now he stands outside
And all the neighbors start to gossip and drool
He cries "Oh girl, you must be mad,
What happened to the sweet love you and me had?"
Against the door he leans and starts a scene,
And so castles made of sand,
Fall in the sea, eventually
A little Indian brave who before he was ten,
Played war games in the woods with his Indian friends,
And he built a dream that when he grew up,
He would be a fearless warrior Indian Chief
Many moons passed and more the dream grew stronger,
Until tomorrow, he would sing his first war song,
And fight his first battle, but something went wrong,
Surprise attack killed him in his sleep that night
And so castles made of sand,
Melts into the sea, eventually
There was a young girl, whose heart was a frown,
'Cause she was crippled for life, and she couldn't speak a sound
And she wished and prayed she could stop living,
So she decided to die
She drew her wheel chair to the edge of the shore, and to her legs she smiled
"You won't hurt me no more"
But then a sight she'd never seen made her jump and say
"Look, a golden winged ship is passing my way"
And it really didn't have to stop, it just kept on going
And so castles made of sand
Slips into the sea, eventually
The song Castles Made of Sand touches on the idea that everything in life is temporary and that no matter how much we try to build things up or dream of the future, nothing will last forever. The first verse describes a man getting into a fight with his girlfriend and being left outside to deal with the judgments of their nosy neighbors. He cries and begs for her to come back, but ultimately, their relationship falls apart like a sandcastle in the sea. In the second verse, a young Native American dreams of becoming a warrior chief and spends his childhood playing war games with his friends. However, he dies unexpectedly in his sleep the night before his first battle. His dream of becoming a chief crumbles like a sandcastle. The final verse is about a young girl who is crippled and cannot speak. She wishes for death to release her from her pain, but instead, she witnesses a beautiful golden ship passing by. The ship represents hope and the possibility of a better future, but it does not stop for her. In the end, even our hopes and dreams will slip away like a sandcastle in the sea.
This song is an insightful commentary on the fleeting nature of life and the importance of finding meaning in the present moment. The stories presented in the verses are vivid and thought-provoking, highlighting the struggles and hopes of ordinary people. The chorus ties everything together with the image of "castles made of sand" falling into the sea eventually, providing a poignant reminder of our own mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
Down the street you can hear her scream "you're a disgrace"
A woman is so angry that she screams at her drunk partner and insults him as he exists their home.
As she slams the door in his drunken face,
She angrily shuts the door on him with force.
And now he stands outside
The man is left outside after being kicked out of his home by his partner.
And all the neighbors start to gossip and drool
The neighbors notice the commotion and start to talk about it.
He cries "Oh girl, you must be mad,
The man is confused as to why his partner is so upset.
What happened to the sweet love you and me had?"
He asks his partner where their love went wrong and why she's so angry.
Against the door he leans and starts a scene,
The man leans against the door and begins to make a disturbance.
And his tears fall and burn the garden green
He is crying so intensely that his tears are burning the grass in the garden.
And so castles made of sand,
The following lines are examples of how fleeting human dreams and desires can be.
Fall in the sea, eventually
Human constructs and achievements will eventually fade away just as sandcastles crumble and wash away in the ocean.
A little Indian brave who before he was ten,
A young Native American boy who was playing war games in the woods with his friends.
Played war games in the woods with his Indian friends,
He and his peers played games of war in the forest like many other children do.
And he built a dream that when he grew up,
He had a dream that when he grew up he would become a fearless warrior and a chief.
He would be a fearless warrior Indian Chief
This boy wanted to become a great leader and protector of his people.
Many moons passed and more the dream grew stronger,
As time passed, his dream of becoming a warrior and chief grew stronger and stronger.
Until tomorrow, he would sing his first war song,
On the eve of his first battle, the boy prepared by singing his first war chant.
And fight his first battle, but something went wrong,
Before the battle even began, the boy was killed in a surprise attack.
Surprise attack killed him in his sleep that night
The young boy was killed in his sleep by an unexpected attack.
There was a young girl, whose heart was a frown,
A girl with a broken heart and a sorrowful demeanor.
'Cause she was crippled for life, and she couldn't speak a sound
The girl was paralyzed and unable to speak, adding to her feeling of helplessness.
And she wished and prayed she could stop living,
Feeling helpless, the girl wished for death to escape her painful situation.
So she decided to die
The girl, in her hopelessness, decided to end her own life.
She drew her wheel chair to the edge of the shore, and to her legs she smiled
The girl went to the beach and smiled for the first time, using her leg muscles to make an imprint in the sand.
"You won't hurt me no more"
She was free from her pain and no longer had to suffer.
But then a sight she'd never seen made her jump and say
The girl was surprised by something she had never seen before.
"Look, a golden winged ship is passing my way"
She saw a beautiful, golden ship flying overhead.
And it really didn't have to stop, it just kept on going
The ship did not need to stop for her, it had a destination and a purpose it needed to fulfill.
And so castles made of sand
This final line is a reminder that just as easily as castles made of sand can be washed away by the tides, so too can our fleeting dreams and desires slip away and disappear.
Slips into the sea, eventually
All things in life are temporary and will eventually fade away or be forgotten.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMI HENDRIX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind