Galveston

jimmy webb

In 1972, Jimmy Webb released his 4th solo album "Letters", and it failed to chart like everything else he had recorded. The lead song of this album was "Galveston", the way Webb meant it to be : «about a guy who's caught up in something he doesn't understand and rather would be somewhere else» in his own words. Three years before, Glen Campbell had soaked it with heavy arrangement and made it an "Anti Vietnam War Song", flashing all charts.
Well Jimmy, I'm sorry ... for the rest, I rate all your songs better performed by yourself than any cover artist, but this time Campbell beat you. Still I use to slow it down a bit, and fluctuate the rhythm to avoid it sounding like a march.

Galveston oh Galveston
I still hear your seawinds blowing
I still see her dark eyes glowing
she was twentyone when I left Galveston

Galveston oh Galveston
I still hear your seaweeds clashing
while I watch the cannons flashing
I clean my gun and dream of Galveston

I still see her standing by the water
standing there looking out to sea
and is she waiting there for me? on the beach where we used to run

Galveston oh Galveston
I am so afraid of dying
before I dry the tears she's crying
before I watch your seabirds flying in the sun at Galveston

For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.

G             C  D7 G                      G7         C    C/B...Am7
Galveston oh Galveston  I still hear your sea winds blowing
D7       G       Bm        C     C/B...Am7 
I still see her dark eyes glowing
          D7   Em       Cmaj7   C     G
she was twenty-one when I left Galveston
G             C   D7 G                      G7        C     C/B...Am7
Galveston oh Galveston  I still hear your sea waves clashing
D7       G                  C     C/B...Am7
while I watch the cannons flashing
    D7      Em       Cmaj7   C     G
I clean my gun and dream of Galveston

Bb                       C       Bb  ...C
I still see her standing by the water
Dm                             Bb
standing there looking out to sea
            Gm       C7       F
and is she waiting there for me
        Am     Dm              Gm ... Dsus4...C...D7
on the beach where we used to run

G             C  D7  G             G7      C   C/B...Am7
Galveston oh Galveston  I am so afraid of dying
   D7     G                    C   C/B...Am7
before I dry the tears she's crying
         Em                    C     Bm     Am7
before I watch your sea birds flying in the sun
          E
at Galveston