Thursday, October 12, 2006

Galveston, Oh Galveston!

Jimmy Webb is one of my favorite songwriters (I need to link him in my favorites), and he's been responsible for some of the biggest hits during the 1960s and 70s. He's still kicking, and making more music. I hope to buy his Jimmy Webb Archive + Live soon.

Take a look at his Web site, if you want to know more about him.

http://www.jimmywebb.com/index.html

Here's some of the songs:

"By The Time I Get To Phoenix,”
“Wichita Lineman,”
“Galveston,”
“Where’s The Playground, Susie”
“MacArthur Park,”
“Didn’t We”
“Up, Up and Away,”
“This Is Your Life”
“Worst That Could Happen”
“All I Know”
“Easy For You To Say"
“The Moon’s A Harsh Mistress"

The list goes on. But it took me years, after listening to my dad's Glenn Campbell albums on the HiFi, to realize what the song, "Galveston" really meant.

Now, when I hear it on the radio, or play a Glenn Campbell cd, I stop and really listen to the words.

According to my research, Webb was visiting a beach in Galveston when he wrote the song. He made up the story about a soldier in the Spanish-American war and the girl he left behind.

However, the song was released during the height of The Vietnam War and many considered it an antiwar song.

It's timeless to me, and it could easily be about one of our soldiers in Iraq. The words are powerful, but if you've never heard Campbell sing it, download a copy. The song captures the fear and homesick blues that all of our men and women in Iraq, or in any war zone, probably feel right now.

It really makes me think, given the fact that Habeas Corpus is no more, with Iran and North Korea in our crosshairs, and the scary, scary time this nation is facing.

Enough said.

Galveston
Words and Music by Jimmy Webb

GALVESTON

Galveston, oh Galveston
I still hear your sea winds blowing
I still see her dark eyes glowing
She was twenty-one
When I left Galveston

Galveston, oh Galveston
I still hear your sea waves crashing
While I watch the cannon flashing
And I clean my gun
And I dream of Galveston

I still see her standing by the water
Standing there, looking out to sea
And is she waiting there for me?
On the beach where we used to run

Galveston, oh Galveston
I am so afraid of dying
Before I dry the tears she's crying
Before I see your sea birds flying
In the sun, at Galveston

2 comments:

Kasia said...

What do you know - I love Jimmy Webb too. My Glenn Campbell's Greatest Hits CD is one of the most-played at Chez Kasia (much to my boyfriend's amusement).

Granako said...

For the Jimmy Webb version try
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=dfYJKpLX1xw