Jimmy Webb on Writing His Most Famous Song 

Full Interview Here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j8pRKAgMaP4.htmlsi=efTUAk24bqJ4avJd

Arguably the greatest line ever in a song. "And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time."

It’s one of the greatest songs ever written

I am 58.. but every single time I hear WL I am 6, sitting in the backseat of my Dads 70's model yellow Ford Fairlane. We are going down some road in Asheville NC in the early 70's and I see out my rear right passenger seat tall apartment bldgs and business bldgs as the sun is setting behind them. Safe in the car with Daddy driving while this beautiful song etched itself into my memory and life.

As a Power Lineman for more decades than I care to count, I and my fellow linemen thought this song was pure cornball. All these years later I come to realize what a beautiful piece of music this is. “Lineman” is one of the greatest songs ever written. And that lyric “And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time” is simply gorgeous. Thank you Jimmy and Glen!

One of the greatest songs ever written. Thank you Jimmy and Glen.

Hearing Jimmy play a few bars on the piano brought tears to my eyes.

I don't know if this Level of Musician/Songwriter (Along with Burt Bacharach) will ever come around again. I love the fact that he was not only an accomplished musician/songwriter, but that he knew and respected his PEERS so heavily. My dad played with Burt Bacharach for a couple of years. Out of all the music he played in his career, the only piece of music he had Framed was Promises, Promises by Burt. It literally goes from 2/4 to 3/4 to 4/4 to 5/8 to 6//4 to 3/8 to 4/8 and over and back and around again. Each measure has it's own time signature (vs. Bar). Jimmy and Burt were not only musical geniuses of their time, but for ALL time.

Glen Campbell's Jimmy Webb trifecta: By The Time I Get To Phoenix, Galveston, Wichita Lineman.

Jimmy Webb is a genius and a treasure. Wichita Lineman is one of the greatest songs of all time in my book.

When you visualize those power wires on the main road, "and I want you for all time" ...those modern power lines slowly fade into telegraph lines. I don't know if Mr. Webb knew what he was adding there at the time, but it sounded like Morse code and made the song an experience; and the beauty of it still brings tears today.

One of the most beautiful songs ever composed. Amazing talent.

I lived on a dirt road in the country in the Texas Panhandle. When I was a kid, I walked that road a lot and I remember how the power lines would make a noise almost singing. This great song makes me think of home and those high line wires. Thank you Jimmy Webb!

Even this makes me weep. What a song. What a songwriter.

I love stories about how great songs come to be.

Rick congratulations YOU ARE the modern music historian. Thank you for these priceless historical musician interviews.

I remember crying like little girl when I first heard Witchita Lineman age 10. Truly great song

If it's not the best song ever written, it's certainly in the conversation.

GOAT. One of the absolute greatest. Even if you’re not into his genre or into Glen (who was tragically under-appreciated as a real musician) he has still contributed something amazing to the American experience.

I've always loved this beautiful song.

Bob Dylan described Wichita Lineman as one of the greatest songs ever written l think that sais it all about who Jimmy Webb was and the caliber of song writer he is definitely one of the best.

I can say, with no hesitation or any doubt that if I were to only be allowed to listen to one song for the rest of my life, even in loop, Wichita Lineman is THE song. I could never tire of it. Ever. It simply tells a story that I can imagine and it simply touches the soul. Deeply. Just a brilliant, beautiful song. Thank goodness for Jimmy Webb and for the brilliance of the late Glen Campbell.

Now I know why Jimmy Webb is on the credits for “organ” - so much more to the story! Love him on the piano - so beautiful! ✨ Plus Burt and Walk on By sung by peerless Dionne Warwick in January 1964. How much timeless goodness in these songs!

Jimmy Webb, Burt Bacharach, Paul Simon and Holland-Dozier-Holland were pretty much the soundtrack of my childhood in suburban Chicago in the 1960s.

I needn't repeat the fact that this is one of the most beautiful songs ever, It's crazy how I always see the Telstar satellite go overhead when I hear that beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep part of the song even though I have never seen that old satellite, Jimmy is also a painter who uses our mind as his canvas

Thank you, Rick. Jimmy is one of my absolute favorite composers. This interview should be placed in a time capsule.

One of the greatest songs ever written. No one writes like this anymore.

Besides being well written, the lush musical arrangement and musicianship, capped by the simulation of the "whine" sound of the wires and then, Glenn's awesome vocal, makes for one of the greatest songs in recording history. The Wrecking Crew at their finest!

Can't think of two guys who could analyze of the songs of our lives any better than these two.

Jimmy also wrote "Up--Up and Away" for the 5th Dimension. More great chords and progressions simply oozing from that one!

I never realized he wrote this. MacArthur Park bridge is one of the most gorgeous pieces of a song ever.

1:03 OMG! That is beautiful. Thank you Jimmy for making that record!

Jimmy Webb wrote some monster songs for all time . One of my favorite songwriters .

Such a beautiful song. It manages to tug at your heart all the way through. I love one of the things I read about it. I think it may have been in Jimmy's book that he mentions, but anyway, someone describes it like this. It never goes home, always wandering. It starts on F but never goes back. And something else joins my thoughts about this from a book by Schopenhauer (I think?) that says that once the tonic has been firmly established it exerts an irresistible force of attraction on all the other notes so that they want to, need to resolve eventually into it. I think that may explain why this song is so haunting and relevant.

My favorite song ! The drummer switches from brushes to sticks for that great ending! Those French Horns behind the guitar solo!

Could listen to Webb play forever Brilliant composer & pianist

all songwriters, lyricysts, are in another world, am so envious

I could listen to the conversation and the playing all night

Rick you are sooo fortunate to be there live. Thank you for sharing it with all of us!

Always in my top 5 songs. Loved hearing these two guys reeling off the names of those beautiful chords. And their appreciation of George Martin and Bacharach.

Absolutely killer chords and melody. Beautiful.

I’m getting it now, there’s nothing like a piano to paint musical pictures and colours in your mind and there’s no better man to do it than Jimmy Webb. 4:02

That’s absolutely amazing that the song is in F but there never is a F (root) chord in the song!!! That may be something unique in music.

This song is one of if not THE most perfect songs ever written. Sonically, lyrically, melodically it hits on every level. I listen to it when I'm in a certain mood and I find something different every time I hear it. The atmosphere, the mood of the song just envelopes the listener and takes you to that stretch of highway, hot, stark and lonely and we eavesdrop on the thoughts of the lineman as he goes about his job checking the lines. Just a beautiful song all the way around.♥️💯

Wow. Absolutely amazing. Thank you, Rick, for bringing us closer to these geniuses and the art they created.

What luscious , penetrating chords these great song writers creat(ed) to make their works so memorable and in touch with the soul. 50 years later they resonateas they did the first time I listened to them.

Quite possibly the greatest record of all time. Thank you, Jimmy, Glen and Al De Lory.

I was 15 when this came out. Still the best song that always feels good. A massive time stamp of my teen years. How we were so lucky to grow up in the 60s and 70s. Best ballads ever. All genre's.

Had the great good fortune to meet Jimmy Webb and tell him that he'd written one of the finest songs ever recorded. Whiticha Lineman..

One of my all time favorite songs….just gorgeous

One of the greatest American songs ever written

Excellent, Rick. This was an awesome interview. Lineman is a beautiful song. Lots of good info here.

Interesting. I always thought that ostinato line was meant to mimic a telegraph signal -- which would make sense. Can't believe Jimmy didn't hear it that way.

This is one of those songs i don't mind being stuck in my head for days

I'd never heard such an amazing song before watching the Rick's video talking about the greatest country song. Thank you!

I'd never heard of things song until somebody requested it at a funeral I was conducting - I loved it immediately on first hearing.

Rick, your interviews catalog historical musicians, singers, songwriters, and more. Wichita Lineman gives me an emotional response, even after 100+ times of listening. Jimmy provides such a great background.

I own a Gulbransen baby grand piano. She'a beauty. It feels and sounds like a piano three times the price. The Gulbransen and my Korg T3 are two of the best "things" I ever purchased. ....and my MK6 2013 manual 2dr GTI. Not an instrument but MAN is it fun to drive. No regrets. Rock on Rick.

I have no idea how you know these chords, how they're created, what the progressions are etc. Musicians are living in another universe. However, the results speak to every one of us. That's such a moving song, absolutely beautiful.

Thank you for sharing such an interesting interview with such a gentleman and musical genius.

I really love these short segments… they help me to catch up on episodes I somehow missed. I went back and watched the Full interview with Jimmy Webb after the short... Really, Really Good Stuff!

How does this only have 16k views? This is incredible!

Excellent interview. Tremendous insight on describing chromatic qualities and their impact on songs in the latter half of the century.

The most beautiful song of all time.

This song is SO BEAUTIFUL it brings tears to my eyes and gives me goosebumps. Living in KS in the late 60s, this used to come on the radio every morning while I was getting ready for school. Lord, I miss those days. I need this song more than want it - and I want it for all time.

This song, along with "Everybody's talking" by Harry Neilson are two of the most incredible songs ever recorded ! Thank you so much for "Wichita Lineman" for adding so much to my life ! Damn, every time these songs are played on the radio or TV... I stop... my eyes tear up... memories ?

My dad named his 18 wheeler “gentle on my mind”, we crossed Canada together on my summer vacations, glen and frank and CCR all on 8 track. Songs of my childhood. Thank you for this

Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell had 3 big hits together that were city songs - Wichita Lineman, Galveston, and By the Time I Get to Phoenix. Why did cities take such importance in his song writing? Another big song for Jimmy was MacArthur Park which is a city park in Los Angeles. How did geography or maps or places inspire his lyrics? Then there is Up, Up and Away where we lift off in a beautiful balloon and find happiness floating above the Earth. Just wondering, hmmmm?

"Gentle On My Mind," "Wichita Lineman" and "Galveston" were released one after the other. One helluva run of singles. These songs filled my home the year my father was in Vietnam and always take me back to that great aching we felt waiting for him to return.

These guys are/were melody makers at its finest.

My father loved Westerns. He was also a guitar player and singer---nothing fancy. He loved the song, he loved the music, he loved the lyrics. He said the song was haunting---speaking of loneliness, attention to duty, and longing for human companionship. That was the last song he heard before he died.

This song just cuts right through you. Unspeakable longing, loneliness and need. Haunting, as it is beautiful.

My favorite line in a song forever, our of all the songs, I need you more than want you and I want you for all time.!!!

I learned this tune the week that Glen Campbell died and although I predominantly perform Brasilian Jazz, I rolled this tune out on my gigs in downtown Seattle that week.

I love his, ‘The Moon is a Harsh Mistress’. I met Jimmy Webb decades ago. I was in San Francisco at a bar with my sister and some of her friends, who I didn’t know. There was a piano and a man sitting there. I went up and talked to him and found out he was Jimmy Webb! I knew who he was being a musician myself. I was thrilled. ❤✌️🌷

I met Jimmy a number of times, he is always delightful.

Beautiful, Jimmy Webb.

7:36 Best Dionne Warwick song ever!!

By far one of the most beautiful children progression ever written

Absolutely love Wichita Lineman!

Just amazing. Classic song from a classic era

What a pleasure to hear Jimmy Webb and this music again.

Thank you Rick for this! JW has always been my favorite composer. And what a gentleman. When my beloved cousin died young I was listening to Highway Men and the theme of reincarnation hit me hard. I wrote JW to thank him for the song and how it emotionally affected me. And he wrote me back thanking me! Wow…. Can’t wait to watch whole interview.

My grandpa was actually a lineman in Wichita, where he lived most of his life. Beautiful song.

Amazing chord structure

So brilliant….starts out with one of the greatest songs ever❤️

Those cord progressions demand so much emotion from the listener. How do you not love taking that auricle ride...?

I LOVE LOVE that song !! Gives me goosebumps and makes me tear up Whenever I hear it 😢

Pre-covid I saw him live at a small BH venue. He is quite the raconteur and the music was fantastic. And I heard a 93 yo Bacharach sing Alfie in his living room (fundraiser). Not a dry eye in the house. Years before I saw he and Dionne live in Vegas. Great show.

I had heard of him so often. Glad for the chance to learn more about him.

I am a forever fan of Burt Bacharach and only through the train ears of another great composer we learn how great Burt was,I love Wichita lineman I thing is one of the greatest songs of its time,it’s complicated harmony says a lot about him the composer ,love the conversation and a little more knowledge about beautiful music that I love,thank you Jimmy !

What a great interview! Quite a tour through the mid century American songbook.

The Glenn Campbell/Jimmy Webb collaboration was amazing. My favorite will always be “Where’s the Playground Susie?”

This man wrote the songs on the album A Tramp Shining sung by Richard Harris. My absolute favorite childhood album my parents played. Brilliant

So Jimmy Webb composed "Wichita Lineman" in F but didn't realise his song never actually goes there (i.e., never resolves to the tonic chord) until James Taylor told him years later. On second thought, it's hard to believe JW didn't know that already; maybe he was just name-dropping. (JT covered the song in 2008 and got a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal.)

Very informative interview of a wonderful song. Congratulations to Jimmy

Estou chegando aos 70 anos e ouço Jimmy Webb desde os meus 14. Minha alma está encharcada de música durante quase toda a minha vida e, seguramente, a obra de Jimmy está presente. Tenho cada nota de suas canções impressas na minha mente e coração. Posso dizer o mesmo da obra de Burt Bacharach. A música desses grandes gênios seguirão comigo até o final dos meus dias. Que bom que Jimmy ainda está por aqui 🎼🌹

Thank you so much for this. Thank you Mr. Webb. You and Mr. Bacharach are National Treasures.

@ 3:51 just a magical explanation

jimmy webb...im blown away