Song Diving with Jimmy Webb

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We go Song Diving with Jimmy Webb, the legendary songwriter behind some of the most enduring songs in American popular music, including “Wichita Lineman,” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Galveston,” and “Didn’t We.”

We get into the stories behind his songs, including how Glen Campbell recorded “Wichita Lineman” before Jimmy even thought he’d finished writing it, the time Jimmy tried to sneak a curveball past Frank Sinatra with an unpolished song and what Sinatra had to say about it, and how he wrote “Didn’t We” entirely in his head while driving to Newport Beach, then walked into a house and played it for the first time.

We also geek out on the music that shaped him, from the gospel songs he grew up playing in church to the moment he heard the Beatles’ “Yesterday” and felt his musical world turn over. We talk about the genius of George Martin, the influence of Joni Mitchell, and how Jimmy heard a version of his own song, “The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress,” that was so beautiful and so different from what he’d imagined, he had to pull over.

Along the way, Jimmy sits down at the piano to bring these songs and stories to life.

It’s a conversation about the sophistication and mystery of great songwriting, the unpredictable nature of inspiration, and the drive to keep creating, even when you’ve already written some of the greatest songs of all time.

Listen everywhere you get your podcasts including: Spotify, Apple, and Amazon.

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Bonus: Jimmy Webb’s Song Diving Mixtape – with songs from the conversation!