Jimmy Webb is responsible for writing numerous popular and Top 10 hits sung by a disparate group of artists, including Glen Campbell ("Galveston"); Art Garfunkel ("All I Know"); Donna Summer and many others.
Webb's father was a Baptist minister and a former Marine. His mother died when he was a teenager. His most popular songs were all composed when he was between 19 and 21 years of age.
"By the Time I Get to Phoenix" is one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century.
He is noted for having written songs that were hits in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, and is the only person to receive Grammy Awards in all three categories: music, lyrics and orchestration. Webb has also written the music for the animated film The Last Unicorn.
Webb is also a performer of his own music, although his solo output has never matched the commercial success of recordings of his work by other performers.
He was elected to the National Academy of Popular Music Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1986.
Where Words End
Jimmy Webb Lyrics
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Along the coach roads I did ride
With the sword and pistol by my side
And many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade
And many a soldier shed his life blood on my blade
They fin'lly hung me in the spring of '25
But I am still alive
And I was born upon the tide
And with the sea I did abide
I sailed a schooner 'round the horn of Mexico
I went aloft to furl the mainsail in a blow
And when the yards broke off they say that I got killed
But I am living still
I was a dam builder
Across the river deep and wide
Where steel and water did collide
A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado
I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below
They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound
But I am still around
Seems like it all goes 'round and 'round
And 'round and 'round
I'll fly a starship
Across the universe divide
Until I reach the other side
I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can
Perhaps I may become a highwayman again
Or I may simply be a single drop of rain
But I will remain
And I'll be back again
And again, and again, and again.
The song "Where Words End" by Jimmy Webb featuring Michael McDonald is a tribute to a life that goes beyond the boundaries of time and space. The lyrics tell the story of a man who has lived several lives, starting as a highwayman who robbed young maids and soldiers, then becoming a sailor who sailed around the horn of Mexico, and finally a dam builder in Boulder, Colorado. Despite his many deaths, he claims to be still alive and present in different forms. In the final verse, he speaks of flying a starship across the universe, searching for a place to rest his spirit, and perhaps becoming a highwayman once again or a mere drop of rain.
The song uses powerful imagery to convey a sense of transience and continuity. The highwayman is a symbol of lawlessness and adventure, while the sailor represents the vastness and unpredictability of the sea. The dam builder evokes the power and danger of man's interaction with nature, while the starship suggests the possibility of exploring new frontiers beyond our world. Throughout the song, there is a sense of movement and transformation, as if the singer is constantly reinventing himself in new and unexpected ways.
Line by Line Meaning
I was a highwayman
I was a robber who would attack people traveling by coaches on the roads.
Along the coach roads I did ride
I would travel on these roads in search of potential victims.
With the sword and pistol by my side
To carry out my plans, I had both a sword and pistol with me at all times.
And many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade
I stole jewelry from many young women with my thieving ways.
And many a soldier shed his life blood on my blade
Unfortunately, I also killed many soldiers while carrying out my thievery.
They fin'lly hung me in the spring of '25
My criminal activities eventually caught up with me in 1825, leading to my execution by hanging.
But I am still alive
Despite my physical death, my story and legacy live on.
I was a sailor
At one point I was a sailor on ships that sailed the seas.
And I was born upon the tide
I was born into a life that would always be tied to the sea.
And with the sea I did abide
I lived a life alongside the sea for a long time.
I sailed a schooner 'round the horn of Mexico
I took a schooner across the tip of Mexico in a daring journey.
I went aloft to furl the mainsail in a blow
I went up the mast of the ship during a storm to secure the mainsail.
And when the yards broke off they say that I got killed
It is said that when the ship's yards broke off, I died in the process.
But I am living still
Despite the claims of my death, I live on in some way.
I was a dam builder
At one point, I built dams to control the flow of rivers.
Across the river deep and wide
These dams were built over rivers that were often wide and perilous.
Where steel and water did collide
The building of these dams often required the use of steel and a great deal of water.
A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado
One such place where I built a dam was in Boulder, Colorado, on the erratic Colorado river.
I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below
During the construction of the Boulder dam, I fell into the wet, unset concrete and disappeared.
They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound
After my death at the construction site, construction continued as the materials covered my body, placing me in a tomb of concrete.
But I am still around
Despite my literal entombment, a part of me remains in spirit or thought.
Seems like it all goes 'round and 'round
It feels like everything cycles endlessly, whether in life, death, or in between.
I'll fly a starship
In the future, I see myself piloting spacecraft and exploring the universe.
Across the universe divide
I will travel vast distances across the expanses of space.
Until I reach the other side
My journey will continue until I can explore every corner of the universe.
I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can
Along my travels, I'll hope to find a place where my spirit can finally rest easy.
Perhaps I may become a highwayman again
I may revert back to a life of thievery, carrying out dangerous highway robberies.
Or I may simply be a single drop of rain
I may become something as small or common as a single drop of rain that falls from the sky.
But I will remain
Despite where my journeys may take me, I will persevere and keep going.
And I'll be back again
Eventually, I'll return to life in some form, ready to embark on new adventures.
And again, and again, and again.
My explorations will continue endlessly, without limits or end.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jimmy Webb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind