# Does Glen Campbell's song Galveston mean anything special to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 27, 2017, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854 "2017-08-27T18:19:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/1 "2017-08-27T18:19:37Z")
I remember when Glen released Galveston and it became another of his huge pop hits, Jimmy Webb wrote the masterpieces and Glen performed them. I happened to watch a Youtube vid with Glen and Steve Wariner performing Galveston. The lead in discussion talks about it being a Vietnam War Song. 😕 Say What? I never made that connection. I was ten at the time and it was a nice pop song. Melissa Etheridge and Keith Urban admit that they didn’t make this connection either. It makes sense when it’s pointed out. Oh!, that’s a 60’s war song. :smack: The lyric does say I clean my Gun. But that could have just as easily been a homesick Trucker. _I drive my truck and dream of Galveston._ There is a line about dying. That got lost in the soaring violins. For me, it was just a song about a homesick guy longing to see his girlfriend. I see now the song could be associated with the war. Have You thought of \*Galveston \* as a Viet Nam war song? Don Ho sang it first. He was on Glen’s show, \*The Goodtime Hour \*and suggested that he should record the song. **Cite:** Glen Campbell in the 2nd video link btw, Glen did sing a very important song that connects with the social unrest and violence of the sixties. I think its\* just as relevant today\* and needs to be covered and rereleased by a major artist. 1968 [Dr. King](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Martin_Luther_King_Jr.) and [Bobbie Kennedy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Robert_F._Kennedy) were assassinated, Protesters at the Democratic Convention were beaten by Chicago police. There was a lot of unrest. 1970 [Kent State](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings)and days later students protesting were beaten by construction workers in [The Hard Hat Riot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Hat_Riot). 1969 Glen released \*Try a Little Kindness \* I still tear up listening to it. You got to try a little kindness Yes show a little kindness Just shine your light for everyone to see And if you try a little kindness Then you’ll overlook the blindness Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets Galveston lyrics > **[Glen Campbell - Galveston Lyrics | AZLyrics.com](https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/glencampbell/galveston.html)** > > Glen Campbell "Galveston": Galveston, oh Galveston, I still hear your sea winds blowin' I still see her dark eyes glowin' She w... Glen & Steve Wariner perform and the the lead in discussion discusses social impact. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/dd9nMrvBbmA/hqdefault.jpg "Glen Campbell & Steve Wariner Perform "Galveston"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd9nMrvBbmA) Glen and Jimmy Webb [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/H8qsYsG3aQY/hqdefault.jpg "Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb: In Session - Galveston (with lead-in discussion)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8qsYsG3aQY) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/2 "2017-08-27T18:26:23Z")
Never thought of it as a war song. I sing it for my local grocery store. “Albertsons, Oh Al-bert-sons…” ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/3 "2017-08-27T18:27:15Z")
I too remember when “Galveston” was released, and the Vietnam connection is a new one on me. But then, _everything_ back then was about Vietnam. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/4 "2017-08-27T18:28:43Z")
When it first came out, of course we all linked it to the Vietnam war. That was THE topic of the day. But I never thought of it as a protest song, like many other songs of that era. It always seemed more like: this is what soldiers think about in war, and our war just so happens to be the one in Vietnam. The lyrics are vague enough that you can read into it more than what it is. If you want it to be a protest song, it can be. If you want it to be a lament to the patriotic soldier, it can be. I voted “other” because I think it wasn’t so much about the Vietnam war, but about a soldier being somewhere he didn’t want to be. Could be Vietnam, could be anywhere. Or, it was about war, and it’s time and place was The Vietnam War, but the particular war wasn’t really the most important thing. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/5 "2017-08-27T18:40:04Z")
I wondered if the tv writers needed something interesting to talk about in the lead in discussion. Hey! this song was released during that war. That can be our talking point. 😉 Glen and Jimmy Webb don’t mention the War in their interview. (2nd video) Webb does complain the original recording is too fast. Glen sings it slower and more like a ballad in live performances. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/6 "2017-08-27T19:13:02Z")
Always thought of it as a war song. Not a protest song, but a song about a soldier’s homesickness. Never thought there was any other way to interpret it, really. “Cannon flashing” isn’t something a lonesome trucker would be saying. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/7 "2017-08-27T19:21:55Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Always thought of it as a war song. Not a protest song, but a song about a soldier’s homesickness. Never thought there was any other way to interpret it, really. “Cannon flashing” isn’t something a lonesome trucker would be saying. You were more perceptive than me. 😉 I’m surprised that I never made this connection. I blame the orchestra. It sounds so happy. The line about being frightened and dying gets overlooked. It is a great song. 1. By the Time I Get to Phoenix 2. You’ve Got to Try a Little Kindness 3. Wichita Lineman 4. Southern Nights 5. Galveston ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/8 "2017-08-27T19:28:50Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > You were more perceptive than me. 😉 > > I’m surprised that I never made this connection. > > I blame the orchestra. It sounds so happy. The line about being frightened and dying gets overlooked. > > It is a great song. > > 1. By the Time I Get to Phoenix > 2. You’ve Got to Try a Little Kindness > 3. Wichita Lineman > 4. Southern Nights > 5. Galveston I always thought Glen’s arrangement was inappropriately happy sounding. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/9 "2017-08-27T19:33:18Z")
“Happy sounding?” Really? People actually think that? Never in my life would I have described that arrangement as “happy.” “Over-orchestrated,” sure. But never “happy.” ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/10 "2017-08-27T19:35:07Z")
Yes, I thought this was clearly a soldier in Vietnam song at the time it came out. Still do. Here is the verse Webb wrote that Campbell left out: “Wonder if she could forget me I’d go home if they would let me Put down this gun And go to Galveston” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/11 "2017-08-27T19:40:23Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > “Happy sounding?” Really? People actually think that? Never in my life would I have described that arrangement as “happy.” “Over-orchestrated,” sure. But never “happy.” I don’t know about you, but I always get a little shiver of joy every time I hear: “I am so afraid of dying.” The arraignment isn’t somber, if that’s what people mean. Maybe it’s a bit upbeat for a serious song, but with the lyrics as clear as they are, I think it just generates an emotion of sadness no matter what the tempo. Do people not listen to the lyrics, or did they just hear the MUZAK tune in the supermarket? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/12 "2017-08-27T19:40:39Z")
Even a [much later live recording](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4suP_82afGw), with Glen cutting loose a little on guitar doesn’t sound “happy.” And **John** , I agree, although “joy” isn’t the word I’d use. That song is _deep_, for all its pop trappings and orchestration. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/13 "2017-08-27T19:44:34Z")
I was being facetious. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/14 "2017-08-27T19:47:29Z")
I commented before your edit. Stop doing that! 😃 And no, people don’t listen to lyrics. Remember Suzy Creamcheese and her encounter with Zappa. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/15 "2017-08-27T20:37:30Z")
I agree with Keith Urban. I’ve got an new appreciation for Galveston, since I printed out & thought about the lyrics. I’ll never see this song the same way again. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/16 "2017-08-27T20:38:49Z")
Special meaning, but not what you would expect. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/17 "2017-08-27T21:39:47Z")
Other. Never heard of it, nor heard it, in my life. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/18 "2017-08-27T22:02:27Z")
When I was a kid in the Sixties, my whole family had to watch Glen Campbell’s variety show, and I loved him. Later, I grew up and found him embarrassingly cheesy. And now? I’m somewhere in between. The cheese is still there (ugh those Nehru jackets and sideburns!), but so is the awesome musicianship and some great songs. Glen’s longtime golf buddy Alice Cooper says many major guitar gods venerated Campbell, and a few (including Eddie Van Halen) actually asked if Alice could hook them up with Glen for some guitar pointers. And they were RIGHT to venerate him as a musician. Some of his output was lame, but I’ll always have a soft spot for him. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/19 "2017-08-27T23:32:08Z")
The line about the cannons firing made me think it was about this war: > **[Battle of Galveston](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Galveston)** > > The Battle of Galveston was a naval and land battle of the American Civil War, when Confederate forces under Major Gen. John B. Magruder expelled occupying Union troops from the city of Galveston, Texas on January 1, 1863. > After the loss of the cutter Harriet Lane, the Union Fleet Commander William B. Renshaw blew up the stranded vessel USS Westfield to save it from falling into enemy hands. Union troops on shore thought the fleet was surrendering, and laid down their arms. > The battle is sometim... ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2017, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854/20 "2017-08-27T23:54:12Z")
Rarely heard (released well before I was born), but I like it. Has no special meaning, though and doesn’t evoke strong emotion in me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-glen-campbells-song-galveston-mean-anything-special-to-you/794854.md?page=2)