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Songfacts:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

This was written by Jimmy Webb, who also wrote Campbell's "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and "Galveston." He was driving along the Kansas-Oklahoma border when he saw a lonesome telephone lineman working atop a telephone pole. This gave him the idea for the song.

While recording the song in the studio, Campbell felt something was out of place. He couldn't capture the same feel of the song he'd felt when Webb sang the demo as he accompanied himself on his Hammond organ. Campbell decided that the only way to get the right vibe was to add Webb's Hammond organ to the song's instrumentation. (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for above 2)

The chiming at the fade that is meant to signify telephone signals was done on a massive church organ. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)

Glen Campbell told the Daily Mail about his excitement on first hearing this song. He recalled that Webb used to write in the studio as Campbell did his recording. When the songwriter sang to him the parts of this song that he'd initially written, Campbell knew it was a hit. He continued: "I implored him to finish it, and even offered to help. But he told me to go and play my guitar and leave the writing to him."

Comments:

Very,very confusing lyrics.
- Tom, ny, NY

well Im like alot of baby boomers who heard this back in 68 when it first came out. Had never heard of Glen Campbell but knew I liked this song! They played this on alot of AM stations too as rock and pop and country were all heard on the AM band back then. Shortly thereafter I heard another "country" song that blew me away..and that was "Country Roads" by John Denver
- doug, kansas city, MO

To clear up any misunderstanding "still on the line" means still on the job, not still on the telephone. Singing in the wire refers to the sound electricity makes when running through electrical wire. Linemen repair electrical wire. A very hardy, hard working, plain speaking bunch. The song deftly, but with much subtleness, takes the hard lineman's work that he is dedicated to, and which is very much a part of him, and at which he must apply himself to, to his lover. He is singing about work and he is also sing about a relationship. I need a small vacation--affair--but it don't look like rain (but he is still in love)--and the line won't stand the strain--another argument. Searching in the sun for another overload--you can figure that one out. But, very beautifully, he needs her as much as he needs his work, and his work is his life, so that is for all time--forever. A haunting, outstanding song that elevates love by showing how much it is apart of our lives even when we are away from it at our work.
- Nick, Indianapolis, India

Auke, Leeuwarden, Nederland -- I think the expressions, "X is on the line (to Y)", and "X is on the phone (to Y)" here mean (and this was true anyway in the late 60's) that X is romantically interested in Y, and is trying to get Y's attention. This also comes up in the Beatles song, "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window," in the line, "Sunday's on the phone to Monday / Tuesday's on the phone to me." And the lines, "I know I need a small vacation / But it don't look like rain," sound to me like he's talking about himself -- 'if it would only rain, they'd call me in off this job' (because I'm guessing they don't send line repairmen out to work on WET high voltage lines! -- anybody confirm or refute this?)
- Fred, Laurel, MD

The singer is definitely talking about himself when he refers to "the Wichita lineman," because he identifies himself as a lineman from the very start. Also, the word "overload" tells us that he repairs electrical lines, not phone lines. Great song ... and I've always thought the high-pitched instrumental part that follows "still on the line" sounds like Morse code sent on a telegraph. I've always wondered whether that was intended, although this sort of communication would probably involve a different type of wires.
- Brian, Indianapolis, IN

I just realised how great this song is. I love the way he is talking prosaically about his lonely job then goes into: "And I need you more than want you. And I want you for all time." Mark from Sydney, your comment nearly spoiled it for me but not quite!
- rjh, London, United Kingdom

Hate to admit it but I do like this song. Wade Hayes rerecorded it
- Joel, Wheeling, WV

I'd like to think "Lineman" is a metaphor for G. Campbe-LL's: life, love, love-lost, lonliness & lust (need/more than want). If you've driven on the plains--or anywhere desolate--you know it can be romantic, but also errie, & definately lonely. Lineman captures this essence perfectly. Webb liked to construct thought- provoking lines. Like poetry, the listener can make them as deep or as literal as they like. Perhaps that's the beauty of it.
- Ned, Falls Church, VA

I guess I found out the 'meaning' of the song. First it starts describing the man who repares telephone lines, "I am a lineman...and the Wicihta lineman is still on the line". Notice the shift from first to third person in the story telling. I think the following verses in the first person are conversations that the lineman picks up from people who phone one another, eg: "And I need a small vacation". This is confirmed by the closing sentences "..and the Wicihta lineman is still on the line".
- Auke, Leeuwarden, Netherlands

I'm seeing lots of posts on sites where (obviously younger people) ask, "What was so special about 1968?" Well, I guess you just had to be there to know how special 1968 was. The music of 1968 was phenominal. It may be "dated" to some, but to those of us who lived 1968, there isn't a much better time to have grown up in. Wichita Lineman by Glen Campbell is one of those songs.
- Tom, Dozier, AL

Wichita Lineman - written by Jimmy Webb as recorded by Glen Campbell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d8cHq7td5Q Play along! (1) = thumb - optional Intro: ********** Fmaj7 (1).3.3.2.1.0 C11 x.3.3.3.3.x Fmaj7 (1).3.3.2.1.0 C11 x.3.3.3.3.x Verse: ********** Bbmaj7 (6).x.8.7.6.5 Fmaj7/A x.0.3.2.1.0 C11 x.3.3.3.3.x Dm7 x.x.0.2.1.1 Am7 x.0.2.0.1.0 G 3.2.0.0.3.3 D x.x.0.2.3.2 Chorus: ********** C(add2) x.3.2.0.3.0 G/B x.2.0.0.3.3 Bb6 x.1.0.0.3.3 D/A x.0.0.2.3.2 A7sus4 x.0.2.0.3.0 Turnaround: ********* Bb x.1.3.3.3.x C(add2) x.3.2.0.3.0 Bb x.1.3.3.3.x C11 x.3.3.3.3.x (to Verse)[/quote]
- Jeff, San Diego, CA

I lived in Hawaii during the early 70's because my dad was in the Navy. I've always associated this song with that time. My dad told me that the Navy would play this song over the PA system on base whenever the USS Wichita would pull into Pearl Harbor.
- Johnny, Ft Worth, TX

I was in eighth grade when Glen Campbell had his summer-show for the Smo-bros. RFK and MLK were assassinated that year - it was a tumultuous year in America and in the world. I cried for America the first time that year. This song, and others written by Jimmy Webb resonate to this day with me. RFK was born into wealth and privilege, MLK was not - but both men cared enough about humanity to put their lives on the line for their ideals - the founding fathers would be proud of them and for the thousands of Americans who have, in the our 250 years, sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom.
- Dave Orksi, Macomb, MI

to john,in queensbury.thanks for that clever interpretation of the meaning. However, in one of Glen's performances, he adds a line, "I'm a Wichita lineman, holding on the line..." So I don't know if this is Glen's interpretation, or if that is the original meaning. Or if he is voicing the 'other' guy. to Dan in reading,England, telephone wires don't make any noise, nor do they get power overloads, so I think that electric wires are a more suitable interpretation. And usually there is the concern of the weight of ice and snow on powerlines as opposed to telephone lines. He is looking for 'overloads'. Electric powerlines hum and sing.
- David, Winkler, MB

OK, my apologies, if they are telephone wires, they are telephone wires.
- David, Winkler, MB

I remember this song from my childhood and its always been one of my absolute favorite songs.The image of the alone and lonely lineman out there on the flat endless Kansas plains has always just appealed to me as one of the most perfect songs ever written.Simple and crushingly real.Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell created one of the all time great records with this one.
- Mark, byrdstown, TN

Eve from Detroit, there are indeed Linemen for the County. Many rural areas in Texas and other states have their own electric utility co-ops, which have many linemen that work for them. They are "owned" by the members that they serve, the residents in the county. Great song Glen, one of my all-time faves.
- Wayne, Crockett, TX

It is a marvelous song, and it even gives public utilities some much-needed recognition. It's a song about the extraordinary emotions that affect an ordinary man, and a refreshing change from today's laments about how tough it is to be a celebrity. For what it's worth, many municipalities--cities and counties--run their own utility companies for water, gas, and electric power.
- Mark, Lancaster, OH

I think it's a tragic love song,about a man who does'nt want to beleive what he's hearing.The lineman for the county and the wichita lineman are not the same man.The singing thru the wire is not to him..she's talking to the wichita man That's why when he says he needs a small vacation there's a cry in his voice...it's not we need but I need one.The I need you more than..etc..is not meant for her to hear,he's not talking to her,he's listening to them,and says this in desperation..to himself. he wants her to hear it..but......change the first word in the last line from and to but and you'll see why.
- john, queenssbury , NY

I THINK IT IS A TRAGIC SONG OF LOSING LOVE- ABOUT A MAN WHO DOES NOT WANT TO BELEIVE WHAT HE'S HEARING.THE LINEMAN FOR THE COUNTY AND THE WICHITA LINEMAN ARE NOT THE SAME.THE SINGING THRU THE WIRE IS NOT MEANT FOR HIM,IT'S FOR THE WICHITA LINEMAN.THAT'S WHY WHEN HE SAYS HE NEEDS A SMALL VACATION THERE'S A CRY IN HIS VOICE.IT'NOT WE NEED.. BUT I. THE I NEED YOU MORE THAN WANT YOU..ETC.. IS NOT MEANT FOR HER TO HEAR,HE NEVER TALKS TO HER,HE'S TALKING IN DESPERATION TO HIMSELF.CHANGE AND TO BUT AND SEE
- john, queenssbury , NY

This is the greatest pop song ever written. It's the perfect balance between yin and yang, bitter and sweet etc. Opej space and isolation. It's bigger that Glen or Jimmy. It makes me cry everytime I hear it because it's about what could be but will never be. Dwight Yokam tried to pay tribute in his version but tried to cram too much in to to short a time. Casandra Wilson did a much better job. Glen did it best because he didn't realise the importance and historical impact of what he recorded. Big open spaces and insecurity and God and existentialim. It's bigger than me or you..
- Conrad, Charlotte, NC

There is a pretty good rendition of the song by Tom Jones (This is Tom Jones album). And, by the way, a fine version of The Beatles' Hey Jude.
- Pau, Barcelona, Spain

Don't try & figure out what kind of lineman this guy is -- it doesn't exist. Think about it: a lineman from the COUNTY? There ARE no county linemen in the U.S.! The telephone linemen work for AT&T or Bell, the electrical linemen work for Edison or Consumers Power, the telegraph linemen (when there was such a thing) worked for AT&T. No county employee can touch their wires! I mean, the liability alone would prohibit it! I think it just sounded romantic to say the guy worked for the county, kind of lonely sounding, more so than if he had a cushy job working for AT&T!
- Eve, Detroit, MI

A band called The Clouds from Sydney, Australia, covered the song in '96 on an album called Collage. I first heard their version on a Qantas flight in 2006. It is achingly beautiful and entirely addictive. I recall seeing Jim Webb give an interview on Australian television to Roy Slaven and HG Nelson (those in the US might know them from their winter and summer olympics shows 'The Dream'). I recall Jim saying that he thought the mark of a true song writer was to be able to write a song at short notice about any subject. This song is exactly what he was talking about. What separates Jim is that his turn into all time classics.
- James, Perth, Australia

Glen Campbell was quoted as saying this song was inspired by his experiences in Wichita Falls, TEXAS
- Dill, Soux City, IA

This song has been recorded by a diverse range of artists; from Ray Charles, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dwight Yoakam to Kool and the Gang and punk band Urge Overkill. But it's the cool version by pop star supergroup Sergio Mendes & Brasi '66 that everyone remembers, recorded back in November of 1969.
- Leya Qwest, Anchorage, AK

You can hear the version of this great hit by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 on YouTube. It's simply awesome!
- Leya Qwest, Anchorage, AK

Oklahoma-Kansas border??? I live in Oklahoma City area and my boyfriend lives in a suburb of Wichita called Park City and when one of us goes to visit the other, I can tell you that it takes about 30 minutes or more to drive between Wichita and Oklahoma.
- Natasha, Bethany, OK

"note the references to overloads and strain from heavy power use in cold weather" Wrong, I'm from that area and it references the weight of the ice and snow on the lines which frequently break the line.
- Todd, Mesa, AZ

Jimmy Webb's a great writer. I also love the great guitar twang sound and the transition to almost another tune at the end.
- Bruce, Boston, MA

I've always liked the interplay between the lyrics, where the lineman is on one level thinking about his work ("if it snows that stretch down south won't ever stand the strain") and on a deeper level about his girl back home ("I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time...). Kind of the duel-conversation we have with ourselves from time to time, especially for workmen who work with their hands for a living. The melody is absolutly haunting. Anyone who has travelled the seemingly endless highways of the American mid-west (Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska etc.) can feel the loneliness of the lineman deep down to their bones.
- Rick, Seattle, WA

I was 8 years old when this came out (1968), and this song just stuck in my heart in a special way...I personally feel that the song has both gentleness and power/meaningfulness....thanks, Glen
- David, Broomall, PA

I have always thought that line... "And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time" was one of the most touching and romantic lines ever written in a song. If he wants her for all time, and he needs her even more than he wants her...think about what that says about how much he needs her! I melt every time I think about that....
- Stephanie, Houston, TX

if you want to hear a great cover of this song, check out the "Optiganally Yours" version on there album "Spotlight On: OY" it will change your life.
- joe, streator, IL

My grandfather was an electrical lineman and in his day was EXTREMELY dangerous work. I think that the man in the song thinks about this often and thinks about what could happen on his long important trips away from home.
- Jay, toledo, OH

I would have thought the chorus line was pretty straightforward: "I need you more than want you": I don't want you as much as I need you; however, don't despair, because "and I want you for all time" - so I do really really want you! And just think how much I need you!
- Paul, London, England

I get chills everytime I hear this or any Jimmy webb song written for Glen Cambell. No matter the story behind it goes they are truly timeless songs.
- Rafael, Pasadena, CA

The "lineman" is not actually a electricity worker - he works on the telephone lines. The line about standing the strain if it snows refers to the weight of the snow on the cable.
- Dan, Reading, England

"Want" in this case is deliberatley ambiguous. In the first use of the word it signifies a physical lust that is usurped by his need for his partner's mere presence. The second use of the word "want" means to lack something - i.e. his partner's presence. Therefore one can summise that he's extremely lonely and seriously missing his lady.
- Antony, brighton, England

Johnny Cash did an amazing cover of Wichita Lineman on his "Hurt" CD release. Anyone who hasn't heard it should definitely check it out. I really, really can't reccomend it enough, especially to anyone who already likes the song in the first place.
- Alistair, New York, NY

"I need you more than want you, etc" refers to the deeper, more spiritual side of love (need) as being even more important than the phusical (want). This was always very plain to me.
- Jerry, Brooklyn, NY

"I need you more than want you, etc" refers to the deeper, more spiritual side of love (need) as being even more important than the physical (want). This was always very plain to me.
- Jerry, Brooklyn, NY

Well, I thought it was perfectly clear...LOL.
- Jenifer, Tokyo, Japan

Re the line, "and I need you more than want you, and I want you for all-time" One of Jimmy Webb's trademarks are lyrics which are ambiguous, cryptic and sometimes contradictory. I heard him explain in an interview once that he puts these sorts of lines in a song because it acts as a hook, making people curious about the song, and also gives them the space to make their own meaning out of it. Macarthur Park is the classic example of this technique.
- Mark, Sydney, Australia

Does anyone know what the line "and I need you more than want you, and I want you for all-time" means ? I can't get my head round the meaning.
- The Bear, Stirling, Scotland

I crave music by Van Halen, David Lee Roth, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Wall of Voodoo, Led Zepellin, and so many other rock machines. But there is something about this song that just stops me in my tracks, dead cold. A true sonic masterpiece.
- Big Mike, Merrillville, IN

This is a truly inspirational track and no matter how stressful your day has been, I defy you not to feel relaxed afterwards!
- DAVID, LONDON, England

Webb, in an interview, once said that the basis for the song was a joking bet that he could write a song about ANYTHING and make it a hit. When he saw the lineman he knew he had found it. The song is about a worker with the the county Rural Electrification crew (note the references to overloads and strain from heavy power use in cold weather).
- Keith, SLC, UT