If You See Me Getting Smaller, I'm Leaving by Jimmy Webb

Album: El Mirage (1977)

License This Song

lyrics

Songfacts®:

Jimmy Webb is a very successful songwriter whose credits include "MacArthur Park" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix." Webb also recorded his own material, including this song. Music industry veteran Hans Ebert tells us this story: "I interviewed Jimmy many years back after a gig in LA and, as I love the song - especially the title - asked him about it. Apparently, the line came from Waylon Jennings, who was pissed off at how long a shoot for a music video was taking. That was his line to the director before walking off into the sunset and never to return.
I also remember raving about this track and the album it's from - El Mirage - to Jerry Greenberg who, at the time was reporting in to Ahmet Ertegun. His reply: "Hans, you must be one of three people in the world who has bought that piece of s--t."

Comments: 1

Mike from Midhurst, United KingdomThis is a great song. Webb had an idea that he wanted the "whoosh" of a sailplane (glider) so he and producer George Martin set up microphones all down the runway at El Mirage where Webb played with his sailplanes. Sure enough he flew all the way down the runway and the selfsame "whoosh" was recorded and can be heard towards the end of this song.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

CruiseFlorida Georgia Line

Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" was the first country single to earn Diamond certification (10 million units sold) from the RIAA.

Shake It OffTaylor Swift

Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" was inspired by how she'd learned to deal with all the false rumors that circulated about her. She realized she could either let it get to her or "just shake it off."

Jet City WomanQueensrÿche

The setting for the Queensrÿche song "Jet City Woman" is Seattle, the "jet city."

I'm A BelieverThe Monkees

Neil Diamond wrote "I'm A Believer" early in his career. It was a hit for The Monkees and revived by Smash Mouth in 2001 for the movie Shrek, helping make Diamond cool again.

The JokerSteve Miller Band

The "pompatus of love" from the Steve Miller song "The Joker" comes from a line in a '50s doo-wop song Miller misheard: "puppetutes of love."

All Through The NightCyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper's hit "All Through The Night" was written and originally recorded by Jules Shear, who also wrote "If She Knew What She Wants" by the Bangles.