By The Time I Get To Phoenix
Gary Puckett Lyrics

Gary Puckett's song "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" is a melancholy ballad about a man who is leaving his lover. The singer tells the story of his journey towards Phoenix, Arizona, and the different emotions and thoughts he experiences along the way as he reflects on his relationship with his lover. The song begins with the singer leaving a note for his lover, telling her that he is leaving, but he knows that she will laugh because he has left her so many times before. The next verse tells of his stop in Albuquerque, where he imagines that his lover will be working and will call him during lunch, but he knows that she will hear only the phone ringing off the wall. The final verse finds the singer in Oklahoma, where he knows that his lover will be sleeping. As he contemplates leaving her for good, he imagines that she will turn softly in her sleep and call his name out low, and he feels the pain of the thought that she would cry if he left her for good. At the end of the song, the singer realizes that he would really go, despite all his past attempts to tell her the same.

The song "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" was originally written by Jimmy Webb for Glen Campbell, who released it as a single in 1967. Gary Puckett and the Union Gap also released their version of the song in 1967 as a part of their second studio album, "Woman, Woman." The song went on to become one of the band's biggest hits, reaching number sixteen on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song has since been covered by many other artists, including Isaac Hayes, Johnny Rivers, and Nick Cave.

The song is notable for its use of a narrative structure that tells the story of the singer's journey, and its exploration of the themes of leaving, regret, and the pain of breaking up. The song also features a distinctive guitar riff that is instantly recognizable, and the powerful vocals of Gary Puckett, which create a sense of emotional intensity and longing.