Wichita Lineman

He is one of the all-time great songwriters.

I mean, I just say, you know, Wichita Lineman is one of the most awesome songs ever, period.

Yeah.

And most serious musical artists will tell you that Jimmy Webb is one of the guys that they start and stop with when it comes to, you know, looking to people, influence, things like that.

Most of one album was recorded in a Mississippi train depot in an adjoining boxcar.

She got more attention covering radio pop she'd heard growing up, songs like Last Train to Clarksville, Tupelo Honey, and Jimmy Webb's country-pop classic Wichita Lineman.

[singing] I hear him singing through the wires.

I can hear him through the whine.

But my Wichita lineman is still on the line.

Cassandra Wilson in 2001.

Her slow, understated, murmuring numbers had a great sense of mood, and she did a few of those.

I wish I wrote that song.

I think every musician in the world will say Wichita Lineman.

That has come up quite a few times on the show.

Yeah, it's just there's something about it, you know.

I mean, wow.

I don't I don't know.

I mean, you know, we'll have to go with Wichita Lineman and maybe I think She's Leaving Home by the Beatles was the first time I ever heard sadness in a in a song.

And it really struck me.

Let's, let's just, uh...

Wichita Lineman! That's the song.

[laughs]

I'm the lineman of Wichita.

No, man, that's every country song.

You know that.

All right, let me, let me read the, let me read the lyrics of Wichita Lineman.

Uh-

rain

And if it snows The stretch down south Won't ever stand the strain And I need you more Than want you And I want you for And the Wichita And I need you more than I want you And I want you for all time And the Wichita lineman ? ? ? Thank you.

Thank

you.

And then Dave Van Ronk, who was at one time the king of the Greenwich Village folk scene.

And here he is with the Bob Dylan tune that was written for Woody Guthrie, Song to Woody.

We heard the Jimmy Webb tune, Wichita Lineman.

This is really one of my favorite tunes, and it's primarily because the lyrics tell such an engrossing story.

[instrumental music]We have been listening to Gil Thritle from an album called Nashville Moog.

Wichita Lineman, a beautiful version of that.

And right before that, we heard Crazy Face by Van Morrison from 1970.

And before Van Morrison, we heard Diamond Head by The Ventures.

Never.

Do you know the song Wichita Lineman by Glen Campbell? I don't think I do.

Yeah, I am a lineman for the county.

Come on, man.

Jimmy Webb wrote these songs that were like, they're like lush and beautiful and Campbell sings it.

Give me a little.

Want to give me a little Wichita lineman here, brother?

Wichita lineman? Oh, you

Oh, niche.

It is the Jimmy Webb penned song, Wichita Lineman.

Oh, yeah.

Populized by Glenn Campbell.

you ever

see that movie about bob crane yeah

right yeah exactly just totally insane like so it's so the whole thing kind of has this like just kind of amazing story um but you know i you know everybody loved this song it's a you know absolutely just killer beautiful heartbreaking you know just something about the you know mix of the lyrics and the chords it's just you know really kind of pokes at your heartstrings and in such a great way but this particular version is just so so 70s produced in like the best way it's just got these great strings and horns and and sammy just sammying it up it's great It's Wichita lineman Sammy Davis Jr. from his 1970 record, Something for Everyone.

I am a lineman for the county.