Jimi Hendrix – Castles Made Of Sand

I’ve always liked Jimi’s mellow songs. The song moves so well because of his guitar playing and the futility of life lyrics. The song originally appeared on the Axis: Bold as Love album released in December of 1967.

Jimi Hendrix and his mother Lucille Hendrix

He never liked talking much about his past, but he reveals some in this song. Sarita Cannon has written a book that explores Hendrix’s identity as a Black Cherokee. Hendrix’s Indigenous ancestry has never been documented by blood. His grandmother, a vaudeville performer from Vancouver, British Columbia, passed along Cherokee traditions to him. incorporated Indigenous themes in his music, including this song, the instrumental “Cherokee Mist” and the 1967 anthem “I Don’t Live Today.” His mother had stated that she was part Cherokee.

Many believed that this song is an instance of Hendrix reflecting on painful memories from his childhood, including his parents’ tumultuous separation and his mother’s illness, Hendrix himself never confirmed the inspiration behind the song. Leon Hendrix, Jimi’s brother, has said the lyrics were about their father’s alcoholism and their family. He said the soldier in the song is Leon himself. At one time  Leon was taken away by Child Protective Services.

Castles Made Of Sand was not released as a single and did not chart although the album peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 Album Charts in 1968.

This album was his second studio album to be released. His third and last album Electric Ladyland was released in October of 1968. Since Hendrix died in 1970…a glut of albums have been released. The man must have recorded in his sleep.

Castles Made Of Sand

Down the street you can hear her scream you’re a disgrace
As she slams the door in his drunken face
And now he stands outside
And all the neighbours 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 his tears fall and burn the garden green

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 up a dream that when he grew up
He would be a fearless warrior Indian chief
Many moons passed and more the dream grew strong 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 wheelchair 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

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

25 thoughts on “Jimi Hendrix – Castles Made Of Sand”

  1. If you would do a poll of Jimi Hendrix’s most popular songs, the quiet ballads would be probably right up there. For me, “The Wind Cries Mary” and certainly “Castles Made Of Sand” belong to the most beautiful lyrics that Hendrix has ever written.

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  3. One of his better songs to me. I am surely in the minority but I prefer his under-stated works like this, and as Hotfox said ‘The Wind Cries Mary’. I knew he had some Native Indian in his background, but not Canadian.

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    1. I love these mellow songs as well…no you are not the only one…I still like Vodoo Chile don’t get me wrong!

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  7. This one is right up my alley and I’m perplexed how I’ve never heard it before. The guitar work is on another level and his storytelling is top – notch and his voice delivery reminded me of Dylan’s. Please forgive me. haha

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  8. Admittedly, I had never paid closer attention to the tune’s lyrics. They do sound rather painful.

    Evidently, Hendrix was extremely prolific. I once read that when at home he’d walk around with a guitar – no idea whether he also took it to bed! 🙂

    While there’s been an enormous amount of post-humous releases, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s more material left in the vault.

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    1. Prince later was like that…but man Jimi in that day and time…had to be in a studio constantly. I hope there is more. Yea I read he did take it to bed…he was a pure musician who loved it.

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  12. Good post, Max. This is a great tune. I remember it from “back in the day.” Most of his fans wanted his heavy stuff, but he had a mellow side that came out occasionally. I didn’t know of his Cherokee heritage.

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    1. Thanks Phil… his guitar playing during slow songs was unique…that sliding technique he did added something else.

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  14. The first two verses are dark and dismal but the third can be interpreted differently. The girl is crippled and mute but when she sees the golden winged ship she jumps up and speaks, as if the vision had healed her. And if so then the ship could just keep right on going because the miracle had already happened. I like to think that’s what Jimi had in mind.

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    1. It’s such a beautiful song. Everyone talks about his guitar playing…and being one I can fully understand! But he could write some great lyrics as well.

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  15. This whole album is great. I never knew about his history. But the lyrics are incredible, and not just this song.

    There is so much to like about Hendrix. There is so much to learn from this album which is what, almost 60 years old? Incredible.

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