A Man There is Always Alone

South Coast, the wild coast is lonely,
you may win at the game at Jolon
But the lion still rules the barrancas and
a man there is always alone.

My name is Juan Hano de Castro, my father was a Spanish grandee
But I won my wife in a card game, to hell with the lords o'er the sea
I picked up the ace, I had won her, my heart which was down at my feet
Jumped up to my throat in a hurry, like a warm summer's day she was sweet

[Chorus]

Her arms had to tighten around me as we rode up the hills from the South
Not a word did I hear from her that day, nor a kiss from her pretty red mouth
We came to my cabin at twilight, the stars twinkled out on the coast
She soon loved the valley, the orchard, but I knew that she loved me the most

[Chorus]

Then I got hurt in a landslide with crushed hip and twice-broken bone
She saddled our pony like lightning, rode off in the night all alone
The lion screamed in the barrancas, the pony fell back on the slide
My young wife lay dead in the moonlight, my heart died that night with my bride

[Chorus]

Sung by the Kingston Trio

I bought the Kingston Trio Platinum Collection CD which has a selection across much of their career. It has the classics but also a number of there lesser known songs. The song selection seems a lot darker than I remember from hearing the Kingston Trio as a teenager.

A very disturbing number was South Coast from 1958/9. The story is set in a rather lawless place and time in Spanish Latin America. I do not know if the authors are reflecting on too many pirate movies or an actual place time and incident. The Kingston Trio’s arrangement and performance heighten the tension. There are questions that bother me.


My name is Juan Hano de Castro, . . . But I won my wife in a card game

Even in an era where women had few formal rights and marriages were arranged, offering a girl as a bet in a card game may not be without precedent but it is rather unusual. Why did this girl get offered as a bet? What did she think about this? Why was it to her advantage to accept the situation?


My name is Juan Hano de Castro, my father was a Spanish grandee . . . my heart which was down at my feet Jumped up to my throat in a hurry . . She soon loved the valley, the orchard, but I knew that she loved me the most

But Juan Hano de Castro, taking his story at his word is a lonely man, in a place where one would not find a wife for the son of a Spanish Grandee. But a girl who melts his heart drops into his lap, so to speak. Was there a marriage or did he just start calling her his wife? Did she agree to this, willingly or other wise? Much is unsaid of their relationship when he gets back to his cabin. How long were they there? Neighbors? Friends? Children,? Servants? Did Juan treat her as the Senora of the Hacienda, such as it was, or a cook and bed partner? Apparently he fell more in love with her. He thinks she grew to love him also.


My young wife lay dead in the moonlight, my heart died that night with my bride

He is hurt in a landslide. She is quick to saddle and mount their pony. Is she riding for help or taking advantage of the situation to run? But the lions startles her pony it trips and she is killed. Did Juan’s heart die because he knows he was wrong about her love, or because she died? I would hope for the latter but suspect the former.

South Coast, the wild coast is lonely,
you may win at the game at Jolon
But the lion still rules the barrancas and
a man there is always alone
a man there is always alone.

Updated 10/07/05 - again- 09/25/07

Update 05/30/2009

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