THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

846-Glen Campbell-Wichita Lineman.

1968-Number 7 single.

Best Bit-At 2.30. If a songwriter can make what appears to be, probably quite a mundane job, seem mysterious and romantic, they must be doing something right.

‘Wichita Lineman’ was written by Jimmy Webb, (see also best songs 119 and 1) who was born Jimmy Layne Webb, on August 15th, 1946, in Elk City, Oklahoma, United States, he is the only artist to ever receive ‘Grammy Awards’ for music, lyrics, and orchestration. Webb’s first major career breakthrough came in 1965 when he was contracted to ‘Jobete Music,’ which was part of ‘Motown Records,’ his first recorded song was ‘My Christmas Tree,’ by the Supremes, which appeared on their 1965 ‘Merry Christmas’ album. Jimmy Webb who is universally acclaimed as one of the greatest songwriters of the second half of the 20th Century, and who in 2011 was unanimously elected as ‘Chairman of the Songwriters Hall of Fame,’ replacing Hal David, (1921-2012) (see also best songs 902-832-815-740-644-376 and 224) will be best remembered for songs such as ‘Up, Up and Away,’ recorded by the 5th Dimension, (Billboard Number 7-1967) ‘MacArthur Park,’ (see also best songs 119) and ‘By the Time I Get to Phoenix (see also best songs 1.)

Jimmy Webb had a long working relationship with Glen Campbell, (1936-2017) (see also best songs 197) and other songs the pair collaborated on included ‘Galveston,’ (1969-Billboard Number 4 & UK Number 14) and ‘Where’s the Playground Susie’ (1969-Billboard Number 26.) Jimmy Webb has also released 14 solo studio Albums between 1968-2019, and although none were significantly considered to be a commercial success, many of those Albums have met with much critical acclaim. Jimmy Webb who is also the songwriter of the song that I have chosen as ‘The Best Song in the World Ever,’ has said about his writing style,’The territory I tend to inhabit is that sort of ‘crushed lonely hearts’ thing. The first part of a relationship is usually that white-hot centre when all the happy songs come. When that’s gone it can be devastating, and that’s when the sorrowful songs come.’

‘Wichita Lineman’ is the title track of the 11th studio Album by Glen Campbell, and was the second of two singles released from the Album, which was issued in November 1968, was written by Jimmy Webb, and produced bu Al De Lory (1930-2012.) ‘Wichita Lineman’ made Number 1 on the Billboard ‘Hot Country Singles’ chart, and Number 3 on the ‘Hot 100 Singles’ chart in America. Among the musicians who played on the track were members of ‘The Wrecking Crew,’ (see also best songs 978-811-744-672-660-527-486-262-202-197-192-180-127 and 71) which included Carol Kaye, (bass guitar) Hal Blaine, (1929-2019) (drums) and Al Casey (1936-2006) (acoustic guitar.) Al De Lory, who produced and arranged the track was also a member of ‘The Wrecking Crew. He was born on January 31st, 1930, in Los Angeles, California, United States, and died on February 5th, 2012, at the age of 82. His career highlights include playing keyboards on various Phil Spector ‘Wall of Sound’ productions, and playing the harpsichord, organ, piano, and tack piano, on the Beach Boys 1966 classic Album ‘Pet Sounds.’ In total Al De Lory worked alongside Glen Campbell as producer and/or arranger on 18 of his Albums, between 1967-1972.

Jimmy Webb has said that he got his inspiration for writing ‘Wichita Lineman’ while driving through Washita County, in Oklahoma. At that time many telephone companies were county owned utilities, and their linemen were county employees. Webb drove past endless telephone poles, and then in the distance he saw a solitary lineman atop a pole. He described it as ‘The picture of loneliness,’ as he watched the lineman speak in to the phone. Webb let his imagination run wild, as he thought what the man might be saying in to the receiver. Jimmy Webb has spoken about ‘Wichita Lineman,’ I’ve never worked with high-tension wires or anything like that. My characters were all ordinary guys. They were all blue-collar guys who did ordinary jobs. As Billy Joel (see also best songs 810 and 215) likes to say, which is pretty accurate, he said, ‘They’re ordinary people thinking extraordinary thoughts.’ I always appreciated that comment, because I thought it was very close to what I was doing, or what I was trying to do. And they came from ordinary towns. They came from places like Galveston and Wichita, and places like that. I have a very specific image of a guy I saw working up on the wires out in the Oklahoma panhandle one time, with a telephone in his hand, talking to somebody. And this exquisite aesthetic balance of all these telephone poles just decreasing in size as they got further and further away from the viewer, that being me, and as I passed him, he began to diminish in size. The country is so flat, it was like this one quick snapshot of this guy rigged up on a pole with this telephone in his hand. And this song came about, really, from wondering what that was like, what it would be like to be working up on a telephone pole, and what would you be talking about? Was he talking to his girlfriend? Probably just doing one of those checks where they called up and said, ‘Mile marker 46,’ you know. ‘Everything’s working so far.”

‘I am a lineman for the county and I drive the main road, searchin’ in the sun for another overload. I hear you singin’ in the wire, I can hear you through the whine, and the Wichita lineman is still on the line.’