Galveston (song)
Encyclopedia
"Galveston" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Webb
and popularized by American country music
singer Glen Campbell
. In 2003, this song ranked #8 in CMT
's 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music. Glen Campbell's version of the song also made #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
and #1 on the country music
and "Easy Listening
" charts. It was certified gold by the RIAA in October 1969.
, The protagonist is a soldier, as shown in the original promo video with Campbell dressed up in a military outfit. Webb confirmed in interviews that he didn't have the Vietnam War
in mind when he wrote the song, as he had imagined it taking place during a battle of the Spanish-American War
, the time period when the City of Galveston reached its civic peak.
, Texas
: "I still hear your sea waves crashing/as I watch the cannons flashing/ I clean my gun/And dream of Galveston."
Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Webb is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He wrote numerous platinum selling classics, including "Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston", "The Worst That Could Happen", "All I Know", and "MacArthur Park"...
and popularized by American country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
. In 2003, this song ranked #8 in CMT
CMT
- Medicine :* California mastitis test* Certified Massage Therapist* Cervical motion tenderness, a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease* Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease* Chemically modified tetracyclines* Circus Movement Tachycardia...
's 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music. Glen Campbell's version of the song also made #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and #1 on the country music
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
and "Easy Listening
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
" charts. It was certified gold by the RIAA in October 1969.
Background and writing
The song was widely, but erroneously, perceived as a protest songProtest song
A protest song is a song which is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs . It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre...
, The protagonist is a soldier, as shown in the original promo video with Campbell dressed up in a military outfit. Webb confirmed in interviews that he didn't have the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
in mind when he wrote the song, as he had imagined it taking place during a battle of the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, the time period when the City of Galveston reached its civic peak.
Content
The song describes a soldier waiting to go into battle who thinks of the woman he loves and his hometown of GalvestonGalveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
: "I still hear your sea waves crashing/as I watch the cannons flashing/ I clean my gun/And dream of Galveston."
Chart positions
| Chart (1969) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Go-Set Chart | 5 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 2 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 9 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 3 |
| U.K. Singles Chart | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
Year-End Chart
| Chart (1969) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Go-Set Chart | 11 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 59 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 68 |
| U.S. Cashbox Top 100 | 70 |