Webb was a good singer in his younger days but he made his mark as a songwriter and let the vocal technique slide. Big deal. Listen to this version, REALLY LISTEN, and hear the art in it. The piano part is orchestral and complex, full of Webb's sophisticated harmonies and flourishes. Awesome how he combines country with classical with pop all in the same song. And nobody sings with more passion. He's one of our all-time greats, up there with Irving Berlin and the Gershwins.
There are a lot of songwriters out there who don't sing well... Bob Dylan being the ultimate bad voice (my opinion). Who cares. Songwriters like Jimmy Webb and yes, Dylan, and thousands of others who aren't that good vocally will keep writing beautiful songs. I'm a singer and quite proud of my pipes but I am not a songwriter, a craft I am in awe of. I love finding songs that ring true to me and taking them and making them as majestic and dramatic as I can. Jimmy Webb kicks major ass.
There's only ONE version of this song. Jimmy Webb CREATED IT and Glen Campbell performed it..and it's an absolute masterpiece. Without Webb's heartfelt SONGWRITING...there is no version so why bother to compare? Like all great songs, it takes you right into the heart and soul of the character it talks about. Thank you Jimmy....and Glen.
Jimmy Webb's hauntingly beautiful classic, Wichita Lineman, is among my favorite songs. I first heard it as a kid when it came out and it resonates powerfully to this day. Jimmy's, Glen's and Glen's later rendition with Stone Temple Pilots are all musical treasures!
You are listening to the most inventive songwriter in the history of popular music pouring his heart and soul into what is arguably the greatest popular song ever written. How can anyone not grasp this, and, instead, compare it to a superb but incomparably less nuanced performance by a wonderful technician, Glen Campbell? The mind boggles.
More times than not, the best version of Jimmy Webb tunes is actually by the songwriter himself. Like the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, he has proven that you don't need to have the perfect voice, just the perfect execution. I was thoroughly entranced when I watched him perform this song once on "The Late Show with David Letterman." Exudes a lot more emotion than Glen Campbell's more deliberate version.
ok, how many times have you listened to the glen campbell version, say , this year, and if any, did it do anything for you? How about 'Galveston'? Anyway, thanks for posting. really enjoyed it.
Very very simple. If you prefer he GC version you are an idiot. If you prefer this version then you have sound taste. Simply one of the greatest things ever.
@cccustard This is song writing at it's best, however, Jimmy Webb wrote this 'for' Glen Campbell. I don't think that people preferring Glen singing his song are idiots. The man's an institution.
It always strikes me as strange when people compare other peoples versions to the version of the person who actually WROTE the song,if it wasn't for Jimmy there wouldn't BE other versions.He is the one with the inspiration, this song came from his head.
well it's not a country version, and his voice is not as good as Glen Campbell's but the piano part has great depth and fits the mood of the lyrics. some really nice changes.
"Billy Joel said, and it was at the Songwriter's Hall of Fame ceremony, that it was a song about an ordinary man thinking extraordinary thoughts. That brought tears to my eyes because he came closer than anyone to getting it." quote from Jimmy Webb
just listened again...PERFECTION...that is what this performance is. it has every ingredient a performance needs for being ultimate. plus something else. humility.
Terrific song. I kind of equate him to Bob Dylan. From Manfred Mann and Peter Paul and Mary thru Jimi Hendrix, a lot of people have made good livings making better covers of his songs.
@tedwilsonjr Ted, glad to see your reply.It's a pleasure to see a brilliant writer perform his own masterpieces. I used to enjoy Burt Bachrach's performances of his wonderful hits. There is a certain charm hearing what the composer does with his works. Certainly Campbell's rendition was gorgeous. He's a brilliant singer/musician. But Webb need not thrill us with his voice. The proof of his genius is in his creations. I love Webb's treatment of his "McCarthur's Pk" He wrote Didn't We @ age 16!
a great song by one of the greatest, you try writing a song like that and get back to me... in a million years...BTW Dwight Yoakem does a killer version I think!!
It's such a great song... possibly the best he's written so far, but I like many of the covers of it. Glen Campbell's version is the first one I heard as a kid, but I really like him covering his own song. So many song writers shouldn't be allowed to sing, but he's credible.
Well, looks like a few have their opinions on which versions they like. Ask a James Taylor fan and you will get one answer, ask an REM fan and you get another. Glen campbell id it better as he got older if you ask me.
Its great to hear Webb do the songs he wrote, it does add some depth to my understanding of the lyrics.
Wonderful post. Funny- there's such richness and emotion in both the lyric and melody that I expected Mr Webb to be far older. This song is simply perfect and timeless.
I must agree w/ RalphDibny: It is deplorable how you have insulted Jimmy and in the process made a big "fat behind" of yourself. If you were wise you'd go to your account and change this. I wonder you posted it at all, given your utter disregard for the man's amazing talent and your vile words.
As a girl, mom &dad owned Glen's, must've been, greatest hits (reads more like a Web Anthology). I loved Glen's version. Still do. But something is to be said for the author's own rendition.
This song and version is pure genius. The raw voice of Jimmy Webb makes the words even more of an impact. Any pretty voice can cover a song-but that is not the point!
Jimmy Webb was a legitimate genius. Still, there is a word for the character of this performance -- overreaching. Webb was both playing and singing beyond his limits. Geniuses do this, and they do it deliberately. Pathfinders do it rough. But they bring back gold.
For whatever he lacks in vocal technique, we makes up for it in heart and soul and the ability to deliver a lyric. He is a virtuoso pianist in this genre. Bravo Jimmy !
This is great, and I have always loved the Glen Campbell version, too. Some people just don't have sufficient musical insight to 'get' more than one version of a song.
I would much rather hear Jimmy's interpretations of his own songs than the slicked up over produced versions that Glenn Campbell did. Not that Glenn isn't a good singer but there is just something magical about hearing the songwriter do their own songs.
Jimmy Webb is a lot like the Sammy Cahn of our era. I had the pleasure of seeing that great songwriter before he passed. It wasn't about his voice, it was about his music. Jimmy Webb is one of the greats.
Jimmy Webb! One of the most talented songwriters of all time. He might not have a voice to match his song writing, but to hear a song from it's writer puts the feeling of what the writer intended into the song. From The time I get to Phoenix to Richard Harris's rendition of MacArthur Park, Jimmy's song writing is on display and I wish his music would make a comeback today as the current Pop music does't come close to the excellence that Jimmy and others like Bert gave us years ago.
@milestoneexpress My heart goes out to you milestoneexpress. You are a pitiable person. Webb wrote the song. My late father was a lineman, May he rest in peace. Webb's sincere version makes me weep. It heals me. I used to be a bitter judgmental person too milestoneexpress . I hope you find a solution.
What's the point of such an insulting description regarding Jimmy Webb? You shoplift a video clip of him to put on YouTube then insult him?! He's an amazing songwriter and has ever right to sing on one of his song. Glen's version is the sweet, pop version, but nothing is better than the original composer.
Please delete the description if you can't be thankful.
Songwriters are not always natural performers. This song has continued to have an immense life after more that forty years. It's always refreshing to hear the songwriter's version to get an idea of how it sounded in that person's head when it was put together.
I now this guy is very highly regarded for his songwriting and by the list rightly so, but if this is typical I think he should leave the singing of his songs to other people who's larynx's are still in working order.....
@Softrockman Man, what's your opinion of Bob Dylan, Neil Young and others whose pipes aren't technically perfect? You should be thankful that you get to hear the composer sing it.
check out his album 10 easy pieces if you enjoy hearing Jimmy sing his songs. His piano playing is brilliant and i think he has a great voice. i feel he easily could have recorded all his own material. His voice is much better than many singer songwriters.
Hey and if one can't post something honest and nasty at times as I did then what kind of country are we living in? I love this song but it doesn't mean I have to be positive about everything. Just trying to ward-off criticism not that I mind some as that would make me a hypocrite. Hey and apologizes to all you Wonderfuls who think you are better than me as you are all so nice .. and bland
Jimmy wrote 3 great songs that I know. MacArthur Park is just below great. Didn't we .. is also just below great. He is not an amazing talent. Great writers like Neil Young, The Replacements (paul westerberg), Phil Ochs, Smokey Robinson, Graham Parker, Elvis Costello, Marshall Crenshaw have written dozens of great songs. OK I am shutting down and up.
@11xzxzxz Music is so subjective that even though I think Jimmy Webb is a better song writer than Neil Young it doesn't make me right. I am so glad music can not be measure and weighed whether it is a hit or a miss. It's left up to us to decide for ourselves. Jimmy Webb wrote By the Time I Get to Phoenix, Wichita Lineman, Galveston, MacArthur Park, The Worst That Could Happen, Didn't We, Where's the Playground Susie, All I Know. and so many more. He is at the very least very prolific.
This song reminds me of a neighbor that I had once that had worked for "Ma Bell" for fifty years and was still marrried to his high school sweetheart.
This song has always touched my heart, for more than 40 years, but no more than now when I hear its author sing it and when it makes me think of my wonderful wife, without whom I doubt I could have tolerated my recent chemotherapy. Thank you, Mr. Webb.
"And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time." I love you, my darling!
You know milestone...if you are going to be so negative about someone then why post his song. He wrote the song and can sing it how he thinks it should be. He is one of our great American talents. I like Glen C too, but where would he have been without all of Mr. Webb's songs. Pay some respect to the writer. And PS he does not have a fat behind.
What a shit thing to say about Jimmy Webb!!! Why did you even post it if you feel so negatively? Granted he doesn't have a real voice, never did.. but it is very interesting to hear hear how a writer interprets his own song.. I'm happy to hear it.
@blondstallion -- ??? I don't know what you mean?? and I don't think I ever commented on this??? or did I? but if I did, I would have said how much I like it; always great t hear songs from the songwriters...
This is brilliant. This is one of the most covered songs ever, but in the hands of the composer it is the best...hands down! The total power and emotion on this song has never been captured by any other artist period! You can insult him all you want, but as a musician, this is the supreme example of what it is all about!
Ahhhhh, wat a horrible comment! I am professional musician/pianist...and you `re talking about one of the finest pianists/composers/songwriters in popmusic! Zo think again...
i never saw jimmy webb sing before.....sure he misses some notes....but the emotion that he puts into the song is incredible.....and HE WROTE IT....that means the world to me....
LISTEN TO THOSE CHORD VOICINGS AND CONTEMPLATIVE INVERSIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS..... GOOD GOOGLY MOOGLY.......JW.....One of americas greatest artistic treasures.
I just checked out a few recent GC vids, and wish to retract my nasty snark about his voice. True, it can be a little nasal at times, but it's beautiful with the right material (but I still think Web's version of WL is better).
His recent studio vid of Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life), w/ a quasi-bluegrass backing band, it absolutely wonderful. It's worth searching out. I wonder if Green Day has heard it.
milestoneexpress, keep your GC shiny studio version for all time, but please, don't inflict it on the rest of us. Jimmy has a wonderful voice - pitch-perfect, a little ragged where it needs to be, and straight from the heart. A guy who would prefer GC's whiney, nasally tenor to that is a guy who would make irrelevant snarks about the size of a songwriter's behind.
Oh - and I agree that Wichita Lineman is a genuine classic. It has earned a place in the great American songbook.
For a songwriter (which is what Jimmy Webb is first and foremost) the song is what matters. A truly great song will always shine through regardless of the performer/performance for those who pay attention. Jimmy is simply one of the best.
Hey milestoneexpress - when someone makes a song of such timeless quality, show some respect. Do I prefer this version over Campbell's ( or REM's or the Ben Monder Trio )...maybe not. But he has written something that will stand the test of time - may we all be strong enough or smart enough or lucky enough to do the same. . .
re milestoneexpress, your description is totally ignorant, this is from the heart, free from studio polish and quite frankly I could listen to this version 100 times over before glen campbell anyday.....
jimmy webb was the master behind a lot of great songs including this one. Listen to the long version of witchita lineman and you ll see how the song is meant to be played. Far better than Glen campbell who never wrote any of his songs.
One of the greatest songwriters ever. The interpretation is from the original master...it doesn't require vocal skills to put a song across. If it did Bob Dylan and Billie Holiday would've required singing lessons.
Truly a masterpiece of a composition, but I agree that his vocals are pretty weak. Sometimes it's best to let better vocalists record & perform your songs. I love Burt Bacharach's writing, conducting & arranging, but his singing is awful. That didn't stop him from recording several albums of his singing(hey, with his own money...). I'd say that Dolly Parton, Carol King & Willie Nelson are writers who can also sing.
You have got to be kidding? I have heard this song sing by REM, Johnny Cash, and even the reggea version is better. This guy plays piano ok , but he is no liberace' lol.
OK.. to state the obvious, no one is ever gonna mistake this for Glen Campbell's version.. BUT , there is something great in hearing Webb sing his own tune.. warts & all... there is a lot of vulnerability here.
My name is James Webb in Tennessee. I am a gospel song writer. I have heard of Jimmy Webb all my life and thanks to you tube I have finally heard him. I love this song and his heart as he sings and plays it. Thank to you. JW
I like this version. No B.S. in it. My favourite version is Sergio Mendes and and Brasil '66. But, respect to Jimmy Webb. He wrote this great song. And without his song there are no versions of it.
This is very close to his version on the "Ten Easy Pieces" cd. He is a GREAT PIANO PLAYER. His voice is more soulful than anyone's with his own material. That's what makes this one of my favorite cd's. He has written some of the greatest songs in modern music history, plain and simple.
Campbell is good but something of a singer for hire. Jimmy sings it here obviously as he envisioned it when he wrote it. It's voice and piano, it doesn't get more simple than that.
I know Webb wrote this, but good lord, its overblown and ornate in this context and becomes laughable. The Cambell version is far better for my money, with all those hanging geetar chords. Or check out the Urge Overkill take on it.
one of the most beautiful songs i ever heard mr. webb...i wish you would write me a song but i enjoy singing wichita lineman and interpreting it my way..thank you for such a beautiful composition
Hey Milestone Express - why offer us this if you are so contemptuous of Jimmy Webb (on his "fat ass") and his performance?
I saw Webb in concert a couple of years ago and - certainly- there are performers like Glen campbell who can sing his songs better than him, but I felt privileged to hear him. It was a magical evening.
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kimralls 2 weeks ago
the vocals are a little uneven. The piano playing is brilliant, and the composition, well unbeatable.
DerekEynon 3 weeks ago
Jimmy Webb also wrote for the 5th Dimension. Wichita Lineman is and always will be my all time favorite.
stagehand113 3 weeks ago
Webb was a good singer in his younger days but he made his mark as a songwriter and let the vocal technique slide. Big deal. Listen to this version, REALLY LISTEN, and hear the art in it. The piano part is orchestral and complex, full of Webb's sophisticated harmonies and flourishes. Awesome how he combines country with classical with pop all in the same song. And nobody sings with more passion. He's one of our all-time greats, up there with Irving Berlin and the Gershwins.
greasemonkey1228 1 month ago 2
@greasemonkey1228 Wow great comment, yes I see what you mean.
BillysFingers 1 month ago
chills. BIG CHILLS!
byebyebabyLAB 1 month ago
some things can not be compared. amazing lyrics....really amazing...
wayfarerdreams 2 months ago
Remarking to the last comment, yeah he is an asshole. I luv Jimmy Webb.
n0tf0rg0tt3n 3 months ago
yeah he is an asshole.
n0tf0rg0tt3n 3 months ago
I don't know -- maybe it's just me, but hasn't Mr. Webb earned the right to sing his own songs?
tbjazzcat 3 months ago 4
The best version of this song is that one by Sergio Mendes & Brazil 66.
caravaggio31 4 months ago
wow
murmahneek 4 months ago
There are a lot of songwriters out there who don't sing well... Bob Dylan being the ultimate bad voice (my opinion). Who cares. Songwriters like Jimmy Webb and yes, Dylan, and thousands of others who aren't that good vocally will keep writing beautiful songs. I'm a singer and quite proud of my pipes but I am not a songwriter, a craft I am in awe of. I love finding songs that ring true to me and taking them and making them as majestic and dramatic as I can. Jimmy Webb kicks major ass.
tomwalz 5 months ago
hey uploader, if we need your stinking deadbeat comments we'll ask you. just upload the stuff and shut up.
TheWildkippy 5 months ago
Uh, he can't sing!
eblanaken 5 months ago
@eblanaken Yeah, but Bob Dylan couldn't either, and they can both write songs that will last forever...
renegadegl 2 weeks ago
@renegadegl I suppose you could add Springsteen. You are correct of course.
tiranuir 2 weeks ago
OK, Webb isn't a great singer with a great voice. But what the hell, he does justice to his songs:) --
stevevandien 5 months ago
Hey - I have all of your "greatest hits" anthology - however, I think the Chipmunks did a much better job than you did!
Incivilius 5 months ago
Love Glen Campbells version but I equaly like James taylor`s as well
karlpulpfic 5 months ago
great guy....what a melodious mind
dempsey981 5 months ago
They both own the song, but it's Glen's to sing.
radfish2000 5 months ago
So, if you didn't like this performance, why did you take the time to upload it?
bigbdog32 5 months ago
There's only ONE version of this song. Jimmy Webb CREATED IT and Glen Campbell performed it..and it's an absolute masterpiece. Without Webb's heartfelt SONGWRITING...there is no version so why bother to compare? Like all great songs, it takes you right into the heart and soul of the character it talks about. Thank you Jimmy....and Glen.
smithbonz 6 months ago 2
Jimmy Webb's hauntingly beautiful classic, Wichita Lineman, is among my favorite songs. I first heard it as a kid when it came out and it resonates powerfully to this day. Jimmy's, Glen's and Glen's later rendition with Stone Temple Pilots are all musical treasures!
ode2joy4u 6 months ago
Jimmy Webb is a song writing genius and it is thrilling to see him perform one of his better known songs. Thanks Jimmy for your music peter
pjbdrummer 6 months ago
GOD ! is it possible that i appriciate some justin bieber's song and that i also admire jimmy webb ?
MarvinSongs 6 months ago
You are listening to the most inventive songwriter in the history of popular music pouring his heart and soul into what is arguably the greatest popular song ever written. How can anyone not grasp this, and, instead, compare it to a superb but incomparably less nuanced performance by a wonderful technician, Glen Campbell? The mind boggles.
JimInNashville 6 months ago 2
More times than not, the best version of Jimmy Webb tunes is actually by the songwriter himself. Like the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, he has proven that you don't need to have the perfect voice, just the perfect execution. I was thoroughly entranced when I watched him perform this song once on "The Late Show with David Letterman." Exudes a lot more emotion than Glen Campbell's more deliberate version.
lsmftymf 6 months ago 3
ok, how many times have you listened to the glen campbell version, say , this year, and if any, did it do anything for you? How about 'Galveston'? Anyway, thanks for posting. really enjoyed it.
chuckeisenhardt 6 months ago
I'm just glad this song was written.
Thanks, Mr. Webb!
1Geronimodeleon 6 months ago 2
Very very simple. If you prefer he GC version you are an idiot. If you prefer this version then you have sound taste. Simply one of the greatest things ever.
cccustard 6 months ago
@cccustard This is song writing at it's best, however, Jimmy Webb wrote this 'for' Glen Campbell. I don't think that people preferring Glen singing his song are idiots. The man's an institution.
looking4ferdy 3 months ago
You have to remember this was 30 years after he wrote it. He actually has a good singing voice. Surprised he didn't record it himself in '68.
714AD 7 months ago
It always strikes me as strange when people compare other peoples versions to the version of the person who actually WROTE the song,if it wasn't for Jimmy there wouldn't BE other versions.He is the one with the inspiration, this song came from his head.
radagast65 7 months ago 20
well it's not a country version, and his voice is not as good as Glen Campbell's but the piano part has great depth and fits the mood of the lyrics. some really nice changes.
jefffreeland 7 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
"Billy Joel said, and it was at the Songwriter's Hall of Fame ceremony, that it was a song about an ordinary man thinking extraordinary thoughts. That brought tears to my eyes because he came closer than anyone to getting it." quote from Jimmy Webb
granako 8 months ago
Ooh! I need to go over old Jimmy Webb stuff, had nearly forgotten how much I had of his words!
57FLOW 8 months ago
This is beyond phenomenal..Anyone who misses/can't see/hear that
is beyond gone.
yeahyeahyeah7955 8 months ago
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rehtafsedaj777 9 months ago 2
just listened again...PERFECTION...that is what this performance is. it has every ingredient a performance needs for being ultimate. plus something else. humility.
hinomusic 9 months ago
I love this song and I love his voice. This man is a genius in the true sense of the word!!!
MrGeorgios2020 9 months ago
.......and I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time; what an incredible way to tell someone how much you love them...........
oxlotol 10 months ago 2
great writer, not the greatest singer. awesome Keys, of course.
drumdude46 11 months ago
jimmy webb what a great songwriter
slammer726 11 months ago 2
jim webb is a total genius
jasonbaxterpiano 11 months ago 2
head to mysspace forward slash furioussunshine to hear a fantastic and updated cover of this
bladez666uk 11 months ago
Terrific song. I kind of equate him to Bob Dylan. From Manfred Mann and Peter Paul and Mary thru Jimi Hendrix, a lot of people have made good livings making better covers of his songs.
vfondrk 1 year ago
Whoever posted this with those hateful words: You are an idiot. Jimmy Webb is a genius. How many masterpieces have YOU penned?
tedwilsonjr 1 year ago 27
@tedwilsonjr Ted, glad to see your reply.It's a pleasure to see a brilliant writer perform his own masterpieces. I used to enjoy Burt Bachrach's performances of his wonderful hits. There is a certain charm hearing what the composer does with his works. Certainly Campbell's rendition was gorgeous. He's a brilliant singer/musician. But Webb need not thrill us with his voice. The proof of his genius is in his creations. I love Webb's treatment of his "McCarthur's Pk" He wrote Didn't We @ age 16!
Loejyrrab 4 months ago
What a truly great songwriter he is.
angelagygi 1 year ago
He might be a great songwriter but let's be honest, he's a crap singer. Love the song and Glen's version has to be the best.
RobertLyleBurgess 1 year ago
1st time i've seen a snarky UPLOAD!?!?
you aren't fit Miles, to wipe Webb's are...
bellinghammond 1 year ago
a great song by one of the greatest, you try writing a song like that and get back to me... in a million years...BTW Dwight Yoakem does a killer version I think!!
MegaSqrl 1 year ago
It's such a great song... possibly the best he's written so far, but I like many of the covers of it. Glen Campbell's version is the first one I heard as a kid, but I really like him covering his own song. So many song writers shouldn't be allowed to sing, but he's credible.
justinlwerner 1 year ago
Well, looks like a few have their opinions on which versions they like. Ask a James Taylor fan and you will get one answer, ask an REM fan and you get another. Glen campbell id it better as he got older if you ask me.
Its great to hear Webb do the songs he wrote, it does add some depth to my understanding of the lyrics.
Incudius 1 year ago
this man give me inspiration to keep writing my music. maybe some day ...
rebeccaskye 1 year ago
I love this music! Remember me my first love!
mariogantois1 1 year ago
an American treasure.
a giant songwriter and
human being. god bless
you, your ears, mind and
fingers Jimmy and thank
you for everything.
miss you @ the Old Town,
NYC.
horvathivan 1 year ago
Wonderful post. Funny- there's such richness and emotion in both the lyric and melody that I expected Mr Webb to be far older. This song is simply perfect and timeless.
lokijordan 1 year ago
Saw Webb on Letterman the other night . Still Great ! Has new CD I want for Xmas .
milestoneexpress , what a cheap ,bush league comment ! Not cool at all
pbot007 1 year ago
Does anyone know if he is still writing songs? What a great songwriter!!!
Pink13Rose 1 year ago
I must agree w/ RalphDibny: It is deplorable how you have insulted Jimmy and in the process made a big "fat behind" of yourself. If you were wise you'd go to your account and change this. I wonder you posted it at all, given your utter disregard for the man's amazing talent and your vile words.
As a girl, mom &dad owned Glen's, must've been, greatest hits (reads more like a Web Anthology). I loved Glen's version. Still do. But something is to be said for the author's own rendition.
enilegnave21 1 year ago 3
This song and version is pure genius. The raw voice of Jimmy Webb makes the words even more of an impact. Any pretty voice can cover a song-but that is not the point!
johnfbright 1 year ago 3
He may have wrote it but jeeeeeez give us a break Jimmy!!!
Glen Campbell's version walks over it anyday!
shleml 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
....he reminds me of Jimmy Webb
SoSeventies 1 year ago
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SoSeventies 1 year ago
Jimmy Webb was a legitimate genius. Still, there is a word for the character of this performance -- overreaching. Webb was both playing and singing beyond his limits. Geniuses do this, and they do it deliberately. Pathfinders do it rough. But they bring back gold.
Runoffscribe 1 year ago
For whatever he lacks in vocal technique, we makes up for it in heart and soul and the ability to deliver a lyric. He is a virtuoso pianist in this genre. Bravo Jimmy !
glennbo72 1 year ago 3
This guy is true poet
MJSCountry 1 year ago 3
Wonderful piano work here-a great accompaniment to a timeless song.
james3363 1 year ago
he's a fantastic songwriter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
starhikers 1 year ago
This is very interesting. Is Jimmy classically trained? It would explain the lushness of his accompanyment.
35mm35 1 year ago
This is great, and I have always loved the Glen Campbell version, too. Some people just don't have sufficient musical insight to 'get' more than one version of a song.
danhughart 1 year ago
This is great, and I love the Glen Campbell, too. Some people are just too stupid to take two interpretations of the same song.
danhughart 1 year ago
I would much rather hear Jimmy's interpretations of his own songs than the slicked up over produced versions that Glenn Campbell did. Not that Glenn isn't a good singer but there is just something magical about hearing the songwriter do their own songs.
benkit49 1 year ago 2
Jimmy Webb is a lot like the Sammy Cahn of our era. I had the pleasure of seeing that great songwriter before he passed. It wasn't about his voice, it was about his music. Jimmy Webb is one of the greats.
crabbyb 1 year ago
And I need you more than want you And I want you for all time. Beautiful, gives me chills
1motorcycleboy 1 year ago
Jimmy Webb! One of the most talented songwriters of all time. He might not have a voice to match his song writing, but to hear a song from it's writer puts the feeling of what the writer intended into the song. From The time I get to Phoenix to Richard Harris's rendition of MacArthur Park, Jimmy's song writing is on display and I wish his music would make a comeback today as the current Pop music does't come close to the excellence that Jimmy and others like Bert gave us years ago.
chuckstrayer 1 year ago 3
@milestoneexpress My heart goes out to you milestoneexpress. You are a pitiable person. Webb wrote the song. My late father was a lineman, May he rest in peace. Webb's sincere version makes me weep. It heals me. I used to be a bitter judgmental person too milestoneexpress . I hope you find a solution.
zeze40video 1 year ago
What's the point of such an insulting description regarding Jimmy Webb? You shoplift a video clip of him to put on YouTube then insult him?! He's an amazing songwriter and has ever right to sing on one of his song. Glen's version is the sweet, pop version, but nothing is better than the original composer.
Please delete the description if you can't be thankful.
HunterMann 1 year ago 2
gee pretty obvious why he got glenn campbell to sing the originals
mugwamp4 1 year ago
Songwriters are not always natural performers. This song has continued to have an immense life after more that forty years. It's always refreshing to hear the songwriter's version to get an idea of how it sounded in that person's head when it was put together.
mnaran 1 year ago
Thank you for this. It is great to hear the song as it was probably conceived.
gregl515 1 year ago
By the way my favourite version is by James Taylor.
Softrockman 1 year ago
I now this guy is very highly regarded for his songwriting and by the list rightly so, but if this is typical I think he should leave the singing of his songs to other people who's larynx's are still in working order.....
Softrockman 1 year ago
@Softrockman Man, what's your opinion of Bob Dylan, Neil Young and others whose pipes aren't technically perfect? You should be thankful that you get to hear the composer sing it.
HunterMann 1 year ago 2
One of my all time favorites! Thank you Jimmy and Glen Campbell!
fiddlefolk 1 year ago
just, beautiful
12345l6789 1 year ago
check out his album 10 easy pieces if you enjoy hearing Jimmy sing his songs. His piano playing is brilliant and i think he has a great voice. i feel he easily could have recorded all his own material. His voice is much better than many singer songwriters.
spceman 1 year ago
He sang this on Letterman last night. Love this song...
jivetalkin03 1 year ago
Just watched this tonight on TV. I am not a big country music fan but I gotta tell ya I love this song!
GanonLives 1 year ago
@GanonLives why do you think it's a country song?
unclebobunclebob 1 year ago
One of the most beautiful and haunting melodies to come out of pop music. Ever.
The lyrics are vivid and softly passionate. It's Jimmy Webb's song. He sings and plays it perfectly.
mockymurmac 1 year ago
nothing he says in the intro is untrue, so get a sense of humour and stfu.. obviously he likes the song or he wouldn't post it.. ty uploader :)
randygland 1 year ago
Jimmy Webb has written and performed some of the most beautiful songs of modern times. And he is a true gentleman besides. Thank you, Jimmy.
ourmissboo 1 year ago 2
This is one of the most beautiful peices of music I have ever heard thanks Jimmy
1975mindy 1 year ago
why insult Jimmy Webb ? The man is a major talent. your a dumbass.
paintedhorse1957 1 year ago
@paintedhorse1957 Your site is not so much music site but your music tastes suck, mr ugly..
11xzxzxz 1 year ago
Jimmy what a talent i love this song ,so beautiful, your performance is awesome
1975mindy 1 year ago
Hey and if one can't post something honest and nasty at times as I did then what kind of country are we living in? I love this song but it doesn't mean I have to be positive about everything. Just trying to ward-off criticism not that I mind some as that would make me a hypocrite. Hey and apologizes to all you Wonderfuls who think you are better than me as you are all so nice .. and bland
11xzxzxz 1 year ago
Jimmy wrote 3 great songs that I know. MacArthur Park is just below great. Didn't we .. is also just below great. He is not an amazing talent. Great writers like Neil Young, The Replacements (paul westerberg), Phil Ochs, Smokey Robinson, Graham Parker, Elvis Costello, Marshall Crenshaw have written dozens of great songs. OK I am shutting down and up.
11xzxzxz 1 year ago
@11xzxzxz Music is so subjective that even though I think Jimmy Webb is a better song writer than Neil Young it doesn't make me right. I am so glad music can not be measure and weighed whether it is a hit or a miss. It's left up to us to decide for ourselves. Jimmy Webb wrote By the Time I Get to Phoenix, Wichita Lineman, Galveston, MacArthur Park, The Worst That Could Happen, Didn't We, Where's the Playground Susie, All I Know. and so many more. He is at the very least very prolific.
crazykeyman 1 year ago
I love JImmy Webb. We are all richer because of him.
rawmuse 1 year ago
Jimmy Webb has more talent in his "Fat Behind" than you have in any part of your insignificant body
rubikonic 1 year ago
@rubikonic I agree.
bebmc 1 year ago
This song reminds me of a neighbor that I had once that had worked for "Ma Bell" for fifty years and was still marrried to his high school sweetheart.
PaulsDena 1 year ago
This song has always touched my heart, for more than 40 years, but no more than now when I hear its author sing it and when it makes me think of my wonderful wife, without whom I doubt I could have tolerated my recent chemotherapy. Thank you, Mr. Webb.
"And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time." I love you, my darling!
bashofan 1 year ago
One of the most profound love songs of all time and you notice Jimmy Webb's fat ass. Interesting.
brijhar 1 year ago
You know milestone...if you are going to be so negative about someone then why post his song. He wrote the song and can sing it how he thinks it should be. He is one of our great American talents. I like Glen C too, but where would he have been without all of Mr. Webb's songs. Pay some respect to the writer. And PS he does not have a fat behind.
MrMiercoles 1 year ago
The man is one of the most talented songwriters of all time. Where's the respect milestoneexpress? Geez...
murphslaw123 1 year ago
What a shit thing to say about Jimmy Webb!!! Why did you even post it if you feel so negatively? Granted he doesn't have a real voice, never did.. but it is very interesting to hear hear how a writer interprets his own song.. I'm happy to hear it.
musicmann1967 1 year ago 2
Absolutely brilliant.
vicbastard 1 year ago
People like Jimmy Webb bring a lot of happiness to those who listen to their songs. Thank you Jimmy!
Jessecraft1954 1 year ago
The big three: J.S. Bach, Richard Rogers, Jimmy Webb.
blondstallion 1 year ago
@blondstallion might I add Harold Arlen who wrote the #1 song of the 20th Century...
HadleyLamar 1 year ago
@HadleyLamar okay, but then I must also add Burt B., Leonard B. and James Taylor. And i hope you meant: one more for my baby(etc..)
blondstallion 1 year ago
@blondstallion -- ??? I don't know what you mean?? and I don't think I ever commented on this??? or did I? but if I did, I would have said how much I like it; always great t hear songs from the songwriters...
HadleyLamar 1 year ago
This is brilliant. This is one of the most covered songs ever, but in the hands of the composer it is the best...hands down! The total power and emotion on this song has never been captured by any other artist period! You can insult him all you want, but as a musician, this is the supreme example of what it is all about!
mugsypea 1 year ago
Ahhhhh, wat a horrible comment! I am professional musician/pianist...and you `re talking about one of the finest pianists/composers/songwriters in popmusic! Zo think again...
Hazespianist 1 year ago
i never saw jimmy webb sing before.....sure he misses some notes....but the emotion that he puts into the song is incredible.....and HE WROTE IT....that means the world to me....
sweetloving18 1 year ago
WEBB is a tremendous song writer but he should leave the singing to the professionals.
mickiyelly1960 1 year ago
Suck it. This is heavier and better than GC's version.
rdangelo 1 year ago
LISTEN TO THOSE CHORD VOICINGS AND CONTEMPLATIVE INVERSIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS..... GOOD GOOGLY MOOGLY.......JW.....One of americas greatest artistic treasures.
KRISSPCRITTER 1 year ago 22
read his book!
dunkus42 1 year ago
This is beautiful.
OntoitinThere 1 year ago 2
this is awesome, totally great, passionate!! and he is a hell of a great pianist also. As a piano player I take the right to do that statement.
(sorry for bad english)
uffajan 1 year ago 14
the composer gets a free pass on his own work, which in Webb's case is impressive
renergutierrez 1 year ago 5
I just checked out a few recent GC vids, and wish to retract my nasty snark about his voice. True, it can be a little nasal at times, but it's beautiful with the right material (but I still think Web's version of WL is better).
His recent studio vid of Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life), w/ a quasi-bluegrass backing band, it absolutely wonderful. It's worth searching out. I wonder if Green Day has heard it.
muselarouge 1 year ago 2
milestoneexpress, keep your GC shiny studio version for all time, but please, don't inflict it on the rest of us. Jimmy has a wonderful voice - pitch-perfect, a little ragged where it needs to be, and straight from the heart. A guy who would prefer GC's whiney, nasally tenor to that is a guy who would make irrelevant snarks about the size of a songwriter's behind.
Oh - and I agree that Wichita Lineman is a genuine classic. It has earned a place in the great American songbook.
muselarouge 1 year ago 2
For a songwriter (which is what Jimmy Webb is first and foremost) the song is what matters. A truly great song will always shine through regardless of the performer/performance for those who pay attention. Jimmy is simply one of the best.
fjlawrence 1 year ago 3
Hey milestoneexpress - when someone makes a song of such timeless quality, show some respect. Do I prefer this version over Campbell's ( or REM's or the Ben Monder Trio )...maybe not. But he has written something that will stand the test of time - may we all be strong enough or smart enough or lucky enough to do the same. . .
fiddlerfart 1 year ago
re milestoneexpress, your description is totally ignorant, this is from the heart, free from studio polish and quite frankly I could listen to this version 100 times over before glen campbell anyday.....
lisdoobean 1 year ago
jimmy webb was the master behind a lot of great songs including this one. Listen to the long version of witchita lineman and you ll see how the song is meant to be played. Far better than Glen campbell who never wrote any of his songs.
alanmack30 1 year ago
@alanmack30 I believe Glen Campbell was a writer too.
mtlove91 1 year ago
Even Glenn says Jimmy's version is the best. No more is needed to be said.
gemusic1 1 year ago
One of the greatest songwriters ever. The interpretation is from the original master...it doesn't require vocal skills to put a song across. If it did Bob Dylan and Billie Holiday would've required singing lessons.
taildragger51 2 years ago 4
Damn straight, saw him live years ago and he rocked!
simontheboy 2 years ago 3
Truly a masterpiece of a composition, but I agree that his vocals are pretty weak. Sometimes it's best to let better vocalists record & perform your songs. I love Burt Bacharach's writing, conducting & arranging, but his singing is awful. That didn't stop him from recording several albums of his singing(hey, with his own money...). I'd say that Dolly Parton, Carol King & Willie Nelson are writers who can also sing.
HunterMann 2 years ago
You have got to be kidding? I have heard this song sing by REM, Johnny Cash, and even the reggea version is better. This guy plays piano ok , but he is no liberace' lol.
mnc90034 2 years ago
best rendition of this song, probably because it comes from his heart.
xTjPx 2 years ago 4
I've never actually seen Jimmy Webb before. I was expecting someone much older.
RPB412 2 years ago 4
yes, I was, too.
mk19103 2 years ago
He was only born in 1946. So when he was writing all those classics he was only 22-23!
mtend06 1 year ago
He was only born in 1946. So when he was writing all those classics he was only 22-23!
mtend06 1 year ago 3
@mtend06 Thats just amazing. Such sophisticated song writing for someone so young
thelostlevels 1 year ago
Thank you Jimmy for this song. Has touched my life.
shinebox777 2 years ago 2
The mystical Hwy 5...agricultural CA...night stars...cowboy boots and simple-hearted, honesty of a seasoned soul. Rock on Jimmy - rock on.
minwav 2 years ago 2
Jimmy Webb wrote this song. He's a fantastic singer and songwriter!
BandaisuanKaraoke 2 years ago 2
c`mon a singer he is not. song smith yes
RJiminez51 2 years ago
Well he did write this great song ;-)
mrwilliamk1 2 years ago 2
OK.. to state the obvious, no one is ever gonna mistake this for Glen Campbell's version.. BUT , there is something great in hearing Webb sing his own tune.. warts & all... there is a lot of vulnerability here.
timjmoran 2 years ago 3
It is one of the greatest lyrics in modern song and a true American original. Love it.
Pagra50 2 years ago 2
Comment removed
jamescwebb 2 years ago
My name is James Webb in Tennessee. I am a gospel song writer. I have heard of Jimmy Webb all my life and thanks to you tube I have finally heard him. I love this song and his heart as he sings and plays it. Thank to you. JW
jamescwebb 2 years ago
I like this version. No B.S. in it. My favourite version is Sergio Mendes and and Brasil '66. But, respect to Jimmy Webb. He wrote this great song. And without his song there are no versions of it.
darkoanton5 2 years ago 3
Oh I dunno. I always had a sentimental soft spot for Glen Campbell`s version.
Pagra50 2 years ago
Judging this performance is one thing, but insulting the man the way you do in the intro says a lot more about you than it does about him. Uncool.
RalphDibny 2 years ago 48
This is very close to his version on the "Ten Easy Pieces" cd. He is a GREAT PIANO PLAYER. His voice is more soulful than anyone's with his own material. That's what makes this one of my favorite cd's. He has written some of the greatest songs in modern music history, plain and simple.
fek2000 2 years ago 3
Honestly: he's so really great like writer and player on piano
but like singer, I prefeer Glen Campbell
Top100Guitarist 2 years ago
This becomes a hymn when sung by Jimmy Webb
davidbuzzburrows 2 years ago 3
Campbell is good but something of a singer for hire. Jimmy sings it here obviously as he envisioned it when he wrote it. It's voice and piano, it doesn't get more simple than that.
AK2927 2 years ago 9
jimmy webb wrote the song, one of the finest song writers of all time.
sdingley 2 years ago 3
i love his version of his song.
grainofsandfan 2 years ago 3
What do you mean "his version"? It's his song for God's sake. And it is without doubt the best version.
cccustard 2 years ago 2
jimmy is a saint!
pontello3 2 years ago
I have the feeling that Jimmy Webb posted this video and you are being taken for a ride.
garytelecastor 2 years ago
This guy wrote some of greatest song's of all time
Glen Cambell think's very highly of him.
nonukia3000 2 years ago 2
I know Webb wrote this, but good lord, its overblown and ornate in this context and becomes laughable. The Cambell version is far better for my money, with all those hanging geetar chords. Or check out the Urge Overkill take on it.
TheGaslightHorror 2 years ago
Don't be an arse.
cccustard 2 years ago
Being an arse is having a different opinion to yours I gather? Writers don`t always perform the best versions of their own songs. Case in point here.
TheGaslightHorror 2 years ago
its good to here the guy who wrote the song sing it first time i heard mr webb sing this song excellent
wolfgar50 2 years ago
Get a life you tragic twat, the man is an accomplished song writer and a musical genious
logonif 2 years ago
one of the most beautiful songs i ever heard mr. webb...i wish you would write me a song but i enjoy singing wichita lineman and interpreting it my way..thank you for such a beautiful composition
quisquisquis 2 years ago 3
Man, this guy sure wrote some nice songs.
guyNbluejeans 2 years ago 21
Hey Milestone Express - why offer us this if you are so contemptuous of Jimmy Webb (on his "fat ass") and his performance?
I saw Webb in concert a couple of years ago and - certainly- there are performers like Glen campbell who can sing his songs better than him, but I felt privileged to hear him. It was a magical evening.
NonInflatable 2 years ago 7
On his fat ass? For god's sake, you don't have to sleep with him, you can beat off to Jools instead!
damenbrazen 2 years ago 5