A little bit country: 5 charmingly cheesy locations from the Glen Campbell songbook

Glen Campbell is a country music hero, spinning melodic serenades that have the power to immediately transport listeners to an entirely different time and place. Campbell’s musical accolades are many; Grammy Awards and industry plaudits, best-selling albums—he even had an acting career starring alongside John Wayne in True Grit. We can also credit him with narrowing the gap between country music and pop, clearing the way for artists like Taylor Swift. So grab yourself a glass of sarsaparilla, put on a stetson and journey to these charming locations from the Glen Campbell songbook.

Wichita Lineman is the definition of easy listening. The song’s rosy rhythms will transport you to the wide skies, flat country and gentler pace of life this part of America offers.

The song tells the story of a lonesome Wichita telephone lineman working on a wire on the Kansas-Oklahoma border. Campbell’s silky tones turn this unassuming number about an ordinary guy working an ordinary job into a magical excursion through the mind of blue collar America.

Broadway, New York – from the song Rhinestone Cowboy

Rhinestone Cowboy enjoyed national success when it was released in 1975, reinvigorating Campbell’s career. The song about a country music singer who dreams of making it big. He imagines himself strutting out on the Broadway stage in New York, sporting a bejeweled cowboy suit; like a rhinestone cowboy in a star-spangled rodeo.

This ballad is sure to tug at the heartstrings. An army transport cruises out of Galveston, the sea winds blowing, birds flying in the sun. A soldier has left his sweetheart at home.

He dreams of her from afar—wondering if he’ll ever see her again on the beach where they used to run. He can “still see her dark eyes glowin’.”  Campbell’s moving delivery of Galveston caused Little Richard to say:“When Glen Campbell says one word, Galveston—it shakes me up. It takes me man, that’s the whole soul of it right there.”

Phoenix, Arizona – from the song By The Time I get to Phoenix

This is another number about leaving behind your sweetheart – this time for good. The song’s narrator is on the road before dawn and by the time his girl wakes up he’ll be in Phoenix. Oh Glen, you heart-breaker, but what a great city to chase your dreams in!

Nashville, Tennessee – from the song Country Boy

Another huge hit for Campbell, this song references the capital of country music, Nashville, Tennessee. The song is about achieving success while on the road, something to add to the playlist the next time you take a trip across America.

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