Wichita Lineman
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I’ve been listening to this great song lately: https://youtu.be/RKeqXyY-9xA
The classic version is the original, sung by the late great Glen Campbell. Of course the song was written by the equally great Jimmy Webb, and Campbell recorded the song with help from his good friends in the Wrecking Crew.
After singing along to it over and over and over the last couple of days, I realized that this great song is basically about an employee of the phone company who is eavesdropping on people private conversations.
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
HE HEARS YOU AND HE IS STILL ON THE LINE
it makes me see this song in a whole new light where the Wichita Lineman is a degenerate instead of a sympathetic, hard-working Midwesterner
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Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Bucky Badger
I thought you all should know
I thought you all should know the truth
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
https://americansongwriter
https://americansongwriter.com/2012/01/behind-the-song-wichita-lineman/
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Thomas O' Bagenhammers
My take is that he can hear
My take is that he can hear the one he loves through the lines.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Bucky Badger
Sounds more like DEA than
Sounds more like DEA than love to me but I appreciate that take and will mull it over
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Highnote
All too literal.... It's
...
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Highnote
All too literal.... It's
All too literal.... It's poetry, it's imagery, it's open to interpretation.
It's about a Midwestern coke dealer.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Bucky Badger
Thank you so you’re saying my
Thank you so you’re saying my interpretation is as correct as any other I appreciate your input
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Thomas O' Bagenhammers
“What I was really trying to
“What I was really trying to say was, you can see someone working in construction or working in a field, a migrant worker or a truck driver, and you may think you know what’s going on inside him, but you don’t. You can’t assume that just because someone’s in a menial job that they don’t have dreams … or extraordinary concepts going around in their head, like ‘I need you more than want you; and I want you for all time.’ You can’t assume that a man isn’t a poet. And that’s really what the song is about.”
Doesn't sound like anything nefarious to me.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: skyjunk
High Voltage lines hum or
High Voltage lines hum or crackle when you get close to them you can hear it. Ever climb a one of them high electrical towers?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Bucky Badger
No I haven’t
No I haven’t
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Sycamore Slough
A friend works as a lineman
A friend works as a lineman for the Electric company. It's a difficult job; when the Weather is really crappy they have to go out and repair the downed lines. Anyway he's not much of a poet or musician, but goes hunting & fishing a lot.
The pay & benefits are pretty good for a 'blue-collar' job. Shitty schedule but plenty O/T if you want it.
No, they don't get a discount on electricity.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Bucky Badger
Does he listen in on people’s
Does he listen in on people’s phone calls
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: skifurthur
You may be on to something!
You may be on to something!
Since you seem to have a profound insight into Jimmy Webb's lyrics, could you please tell me and countless others; Who the fuck left the cake out in the rain?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Stone
I frequently travel through
I frequently travel through California, Nevada and Utah. I see power lines come and go in all directions. It seems the power companies adhere to the belief the shortest way from point A to point B is a straight line. Power lines go off into distant valleys and mountain ranges. I often wonder how they were built and how they are maintained. Are we building new ones? I don't see roads along them. How do we do it? It takes a ground crew to support the helicopters doing the heavy lifting. I would like to know the history of our power grid.
Thoughts I have had while driving thought the endless Nevada landscape.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Bucky Badger
>>>>Since you seem to have a
>>>>Since you seem to have a profound insight into Jimmy Webb's lyrics, could you please tell me and countless others; Who the fuck left the cake out in the rain?
Sure but first let’s tell everyone that “the cake” in this song is a metaphor for a relationship Webb had. The cake being in the rain symbolized the ending of that relationship. I’d imagine Jimmy felt his lover left the cake in the rain since he’s the one lamenting over all the time he wasted making the cake.
Did you know that Jimmy Webb was friends with the late, great Larry Coryell?
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Def. High
Mmm - cake!
Mmm - cake!
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Bucky Badger
Nice cover too
Nice cover too
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Across
I've had to survey for as
I've had to survey for in advance as well as monitor power line construction in rural areas of NV as well as monitoring maintenance and replacement of standing transmission towers and poles in CA. Pretty crazy watching a power line get put up over rough terrain (especially in the winter when I did). The rehab work (reseeding mostly) covers a lot of the ground disturbance from construction, and from what I've seen, there are some crazy predicaments those crews get into when putting up lines in rough terrain. There is usually some type of access road for most lengths of construction, whether a temp road that gets rehabbed or short access routes from a further out existing road. Super steep locations get the helicopter dropoffs and support for putting the pole segments in place but most of it is done by general construction equipment on the ground. A lot of the new transmission lines in NV are for all the geothermal plants tying in to the existing power grid.
I also have a cousin who was a lineman for the power company on LI. He got fried pretty good while on the line about 20 years ago and got put on disability. Mostly a full recovery otherwise. I don't fuck with electricity, and I don't listen to Glen Campbell.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Bucky Badger
Cool story you should listen
Cool story you should listen to this: https://youtu.be/RKeqXyY-9xA
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: jazfish
And I need you more than want
And I need you more than want you,
And I want you for all time
Is just a fantastic line.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Stone
Thanks Across.
Thanks Across.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTfx9n2ImMc&t=170s
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: treat island
Thanks for the video, Peak,
Thanks for the video, Peak, quite the orchestration of movement. Very cool. And thanks for sharing your experiences, Across.
>>> I don't fuck with electricity, and I don't listen to Glen Campbell. <<<
Words to live by.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
If you can't stomach Glen
If you can't stomach Glen Campbell, you may prefer The Meters' version:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4lh4UNi3U8I
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Bucky Badger
What’s wrong with Glen
What’s wrong with Glen Campbell?
Here’s the most interesting cover version I found, Guns n Roses live: https://youtu.be/bAelbp6R-aE
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Bucky Badger
Nice Meters version refugee
Nice Meters version refugee
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
Thanks Bucky, I like it too.
Thanks Bucky, I like it too. Got to see them play it at NOLA Jazzfest twice last year, at the Fest, and at the Saenger Theater when they were inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.
I would have liked to see Jerry Garcia give it a try.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Bucky Badger
I saw a show at that Saenger
I saw a show at that Saenger Theater recently that’s a nice place
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Across
I definitely listen to the
I definitely listen to the Meters and have heard their version.
So Art Neville played last year? Huh, I thought he hadn't been playing the past few years due to poor health/frailty. Probably had a backup keys guy (Ivan I'd assume) to help out as well as covering for the sad decline in his voice. Such a bummer, love me some Poppa Funk. Got to see the OG Meters with Art, Leo and Zigaboo (no Cyril) open for WSP Halloween show after 2006 Vegoose. Only WSP show I've attended but it was all for the opening hour set. Fucking killer grooves and nice bucket list get for living in Vegas at the time.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Philzone Refugee
Yes, Across, Ivan was backing
Yes, Across, Ivan was backing Art up at both shows. They had the original 4, Art, Leo, George and Zig, as well as Cyril for a good chunk of the 2 shows I saw.
I remembered wrong about the Saenger, though. It was the recently renovated and reopened Orpheum Theater where they got the HOF induction. The other set I saw was their closing Jazzfest Set on the fairgrounds.
Top of Page Bottom of Page PermalinkFull Name: Across
Ivan is the man, those must
Ivan is the man, those must have been some killer shows in their hometown. I have flacs (auds) of those two shows if you are interested.
Dumpstaphunk is playing a cheap funk and brews fest up at Squaw Valley in less than a month but I have to miss it for work unfortunately.