Wednesday June 15, 2022 “Castles Made of Sand” Jimi Hendrix

Guitar god Jimi Hendrix had Cherokee blood from both his mother and father’s lineage, and he paid tribute to those roots in the second stanza of “Castles Made of Sand”.  He sings, “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.” The story doesn’t end well for the young warrior.

Hendrix of course was ‘discovered’ by Chas Chandler, the bass player for the band the Animals who brought Jimi to London to launch his career.  While they were living in London they rented Ringo Starr’s apartment but were apparently not good tenants as Ringo had them evicted.

Jimi’s relationship with Chandler did not end well because it was discovered that Jimi had been sleeping with Chandler’s wife.

For the legend that he was, Hendrix only released three albums during his lifetime and his only top forty hit was his cover of Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”.  And there is always so much debate as to who the greatest guitarist is, Clapton, Hendrix, Page but Jimi felt the best guitarist was Terry Kath from the band Chicago.

Stay safe and well…and perhaps not the happiest of songs lyrically but enjoy some expected fine guitar work by Hendrix

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 wargames 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 past and more the dream grew strong until

Tomorrow he would sing his first warsong 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