Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman - Help with Chords!!!

[dirtdog]

I used to play that song every night in my solo act. I still hold it up as an example of real craftsmanship.

Hey GJ - I've had this tune running through my head since the first time I saw the Glen Campbell/STP vid on youtube several months back.

I've been working through trying to figure out the chord progression but am running into difficulties. I'm basing my transcription on the Johnny Cash version which is about the most stripped down version I can find, however, there's still two guitars. Not sure what key it's in, but I begin with an F/G modulation for the intro.

The TAB out there on the internets is not of much help, either.

The part I'm having trouble with is the part that goes "looking in the sun for another overload". In the key I'm playing in, I think the roots are A-E-D-A, but a major or minor or 7th chord just doesn't sound right and I can't find the right slash chord.

Can you help a brother out?

DD

[Gravity Jim]

With the chords I played (which sounded right to my ear, but might not match Johnny's version), in the key of "A" it would go:

I am a lineman for the (Fmaj7) county,
(Em) And I drive the main (Dm) road...

(Am) Searching in the (G) sun for a- (Dmaj2) -nother over- (A) -load.

[dirtdog]

Jim - great! Thanks man!

DD

[Gravity Jim]

No prob, DD. Note that D is NOT a maj7, it's a maj2 (like a ninth, but played as a whole tone dissonance against the root). The cowboy chord version is to play a regular first-position D and lift your finger off the top string, adding an open E to the chord.

[dirtdog]

Like this?

EADGBE
xx0230

DD

[Gravity Jim]

Eeee-yep.

[dirtdog]

schweet....thanks!

[dirtdog]

Thanks Fezz!

[Doc W]

Here is how I do it:

intro: C11 (barre from the 5th to the 2nd string on the 3rd fret. A great one finger chord)

Verse:
/ Bbmaj7 / Amin7 / Gmin7 /

/Dm Am / G / D / D /

/Csus9 / Csus 9 / G /Gmin 7 /

/D / A7 sus 4 / Bbmaj7 / Am7 / Gmin 7 / C11 /

I love this song. Jimmy Webb was a great songwriter. If the above chords are confusing, let me know and I can email you a chart.

There is also a cool way to play the little telegraph thingie, the "deet dee deet" if you know what I mean. Hard to explain in an email, but the note is a D and the little telegraph sound figure is played during the Bbmaj7 Amin7 Gmin7 sequence. Play the Bbmaj7 on the 6th fret and the D will be on the 3rd string 7th fret. Instead of Amin7, play Am11, like this, with D on the 2nd string:

5x553x

Then Gmin7 on the third fret and the D is in the same place as with the Am11.

Man, that looks tortured when written out in an email. It is really simple in reality.

[juniorspecial]

If you ever get a chance, Jimmy Webb wrote a pretty good instructional book on songwriting.

Gives away just about all of his secrets, and makes the whole thing seem pretty simple.