About the song
Darby’s Castle is a song written and recorded by Kris Kristofferson. It was released as the second single from his 1970 debut album, Kristofferson. The song tells the story of a man named Darby who builds a castle for his wife, but she leaves him for another man. The song is a powerful ballad about love, loss, and the futility of material possessions.
Kristofferson’s lyrics are simple but evocative, and they paint a vivid picture of Darby and his castle. The song begins with the narrator describing the castle, which is “standing on a hill, where the smoke is hanging still.” The narrator then goes on to tell the story of Darby and his wife, Helen. Darby is a hard-working man who loves his wife very much. He builds the castle for her as a symbol of his love. However, Helen is not happy in the castle. She is lonely and bored, and she eventually leaves Darby for another man.
The song’s chorus is a powerful refrain that sums up the song’s message:
“Darby’s Castle tumbled to the ground,
And love was the reason why.”
The song’s message is that love is more important than material possessions. Darby’s castle is a symbol of his wealth and power, but it cannot buy him happiness. In the end, it is love that brings him down.
“Darby’s Castle” is a classic country song that has been covered by many artists, including Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson. It is a powerful ballad about love, loss, and the futility of material possessions.
Here are some additional details about the song:
- The song was inspired by a real-life castle that Kristofferson saw while he was living in Nashville, Tennessee.
- The song was originally recorded as a demo for Monument Records. However, it was never released by the label.
- Kristofferson eventually re-recorded the song for his debut album.
- The song was a critical and commercial success. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
- The song has been covered by many artists, including Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson.
- The song is considered to be a classic country song.
Video
Lyrics
“Darby’s Castle”
See the ruin on the hill
Where the smoke is hanging still
Like an echo of an age long forgotten
There’s a story of a home
Crushed beneath those blackened stones
And a roof that fell before the beams were rotten
Cecil Darby loved his wife
And he laboured all his life
To provide her with material possessions
And he built for her a home
Of the finest wood and stone
And the building soon became his sole obsessionOh it took three hundred days
For the timber to be raised
And the silhouette was seen for miles around
And the gables reached as high
As the eagles in the sky
But it only took one night to bring it down
When Darby’s castle tumbled to the groundThough the shared a common bed
There was precious little said
In the moments that were set aside for sleeping
For his busy dreams were filled
With the rooms he’d yet to build
And he never heard young Helen Darby weeping
Then one night he heard a sound
As he laid his pencil down
And he traced it to her door and turned the handle
And the pale light of the moon
Through the windows of the room
Split the shadows where two bodies lay entangledOh it took three hundred days
For the timber to be raised
And the silhouette was seen for miles around
And the gables reached as high
As the eagles in the sky
But it only took one night to bring it down
When Darby’s castle tumbled to the ground