Perhaps more than any other musical genre, country music is known for moving listeners to tears. Maybe that's because of the way it sounds, or the sad stories so many country songs tell...like one '60s hit that captures the raw emotions of a homesick soldier who's "afraid of dying."
Of all the partnerships in country music history, songwriter Jimmy Webb and singer Glen Campbell's was definitely one of the most successful. Once Campbell teamed up with Webb, his star rose significantly thanks to a trio of hits including 1967's "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," 1968's "Wichita Lineman," and "Galveston," which went to #1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart on April 19, 1969 and was ranked #8 in CMT's 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music in 2003.
But while Campbell's version of "Galveston" is the most famous, it was actually recorded first by Don Ho, who delivered a more somber take, as American Songwriter reported.
In an effort to downplay the song's implied anti-Vietnam War sentiments, Campbell wore military garb while performing the song for the first time on his variety show and changed some of the lyrics. Ho's original recording featured the line:
“Galveston, oh Galveston / Wonder if she could forget me / I’d go home if they would let me put down this gun and go to Galveston"
Campbell's update had a decidedly different tone:
"Galveston, oh Galveston / I still hear your sea waves crashing / while I watch the cannons flashing, I clean my gun and dream of Galveston"
Jimmy Webb said 'Galveston' wasn't meant to be patriotic
Webb addressed Campbell's revision some four decades later while performing the song during a WFUV Marquee Member show at The Living Room.
“A lot of people are under the impression that it was a patriotic song about the war in Vietnam,” Webb said. “In actual fact…I always did it very slowly."
Webb went on to demonstrate how Campbell performed the song, quipping, “Let’s all go to war."
“For me, it’s always been this song about a guy who’s caught up in something he doesn’t understand and would rather be somewhere else," Webb added before playing it his own way.
Even if Campbell didn't sing "Galveston" the way Webb intended, the song is still considered a classic today.
Related: Legendary Singer-Songwriter, 78, Plays What Bob Dylan Called the 'Best Song Ever Written' in 'Brilliant' New Video
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