Posted on 04/28/2015 8:42:30 PM PDT by FlJoePa
What a room full of legends...and yet they knew what they were watching.
Chet Atkins sat their with his mouth open most of the time.
As a pretty good guitar player Myself, albeit on the Spanish Classical, I want to thank you for the opportunity to listen to a true master play, and must shake My head in awe of what Mr. Glen Campbell can produce from a simple Steel-Stringed Acoustic.
A tip of the hat to a master of the craft.
What a treat! Thanks.
Thanks...one of my all-time favorite love songs sung by one of my favorite singers / guitarists. John Hartford wrote some incredibly beautiful and intriguing lyrics. It is so cool the way he wove in the beautiful variations of “you are gentle on my mind” in the last lines of each stanza.
“Gentle On My Mind”
It’s knowing that your door is always open
And your path is free to walk
That makes me tend to leave my sleeping bag
Rolled up and stashed behind your couch
And it’s knowing I’m not shackled
By forgotten words and bonds
And the ink stains that are dried upon some line
That keeps you in the backroads
By the rivers of my memory
That keeps you ever gentle on my mind
It’s not clinging to the rocks and ivy
Planted on their columns now that bind me
Or something that somebody said
Because they thought we fit together walking
It’s just knowing that the world will not be cursing
Or forgiving when I walk along some railroad track and find
That you’re moving on the backroads
By the rivers of my memory
And for hours you’re just gentle on my mind
Though the wheat fields and the clothes lines
And the junkyards and the highways come between us
And some other woman’s cryin’ to her mother
‘Cause she turned and I was gone
I still might run in silence tears of joy might stain my face
And the summer sun might burn me ‘til I’m blind
But not to where I cannot see you walkin’ on the backroads
By the rivers flowing gentle on my mind
I dip my cup of soup back from a gurglin’
Cracklin’ caldron in some train yard
My beard a rustling, cold towel, and
A dirty hat pulled low across my face
Through cupped hands ‘round the tin can
I pretend to hold you to my breast and find
That you’re waiting from the backroads
By the rivers of my memories
Ever smilin’ ever gentle on my mind
.
Why no Crystal Gayle in the header?
Glen Campbell is and was a master guitarist, singer, songwriter; a genius who played back-up for many early groups, including the Beach Boys.
And played on dozens of other rock and roll hit records in the 1960s.
What a great talent Glen Campbell is! Thanks for posting.
I was a pretty hard rocker back when this tune came out (also a guitar player), but even I turned up the radio volume for Mr. Campbell. He is a tremendous talent
Gentle on my Mind is poetry. And Glen Campbell singing and playing it is sheer artistry.
That said... I really love to listen to the song. There's something about the way Campbell executes it that makes me all wistful in spite of myself.
I like how Willie Nelson looks up when Glen says “I’ll play one”...
It’s a fantastic song.
It does though have the counter culture anti-marriage ethos.
“And it’s knowing I’m not shackled
By forgotten words and bonds
And the ink stains that are dried upon some line”
In other words marriage is just words and bonds that will be forgotten and dried ink stains on a marriage license.
Interesting to compare to the original 1967 version I remember from my junior year in high school...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VecunpIqlg0&list=RDVecunpIqlg0&spfreload=10#t=0
You kinda wonder how many other guys’ minds she’s gentle on.
Read the book “The Wrecking Crew” to get some real insight into Glen and his early career. The combination of raw talent and years of hard work alongside the best in the business produced what you see here, the consummate pro.
Hmm. Interesting.
I don’t think that way.
Never crossed my mind ever after decades of listening to this great song.
I don’t think shed be crying to her mother if that were the case.
You’re both correct in your assessments. But even though he won’t commit to the woman he loves, the wistfulness comes through beautifully. I’m sure we’ve all known both men and women who are like that.
Sometimes marriage and settling down don’t work for everybody. I’ve got a close family member like that and he’s finding in his late 60s he really doesn’t have a lot to live for — his life has become pretty empty and meaningless. It’s a sad state of affairs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.