Galveston - Glen Campbell
Written by Jimmy Webb
Intro: C F G
Verse 1
C F G C
Galveston, oh Gal-ves-ton
Cmaj7 C7 F Dm7
I still hear your sea winds blowin’
G Cmaj7 C7 F Dm7
And I still see her dark eyes glowin’
G Am F C F G
She was twenty one, when I left Galveston.
Verse 2
C F G C
Galveston, oh Gal-ves-ton
Cmaj7 C7 F Dm7
I still hear your sea waves crashin’
G Cmaj7 C7 F Dm7
And while I watch the cannons flashing
G Am F C F G
I clean my gun, and dream of Galveston.
Bridge
Eb F Eb F
I still see her standing by the water
Gm F Eb
Standing there, looking out to sea
Gm F7 Bbmaj7
And is she waiting there for me?
Dm Cm F G
On the beach where we used to run
Verse 3
C F G C
Galveston, oh Gal-ves-ton
Cmaj7 C7 F Dm7
I am so afraid of dyin’
G Cmaj7 C7 F Dm7
Before I dry the tears she’s cryin’
G Am G F Em Dm7
Before I watch your sea birds flying in the sun
A F [C Csus4] X 4 then C
At Galveston, at Galveston.
Coda: Instrumental (same as verse 2)
(Optional for solo vocalist).
Chords:
Cmaj7 Dm7 Eb (barre chord) F (barre chord)
e|-----------| e|---1-------| e|---6-------| e|---8-------|
B|-----------| B|---1-------| B|---6-8-----| B|---8-10----|
G|-----------| G|---2-------| G|---6-8-----| G|---8-10----|
D|---2-------| D|-----------| D|---6-8-----| D|---8-10----|
A|---3-------| A|-----------| A|---6-------| A|---8-------|
E|-----------| E|-----------| E|---6-------| E|---8-------|
Bbmaj7 C and Csus4 Note: The alternating C and Csus4
e|---1-------| e|-----------| ending to verse 3 is my own arrangement
B|---1-3-----| B|---1--1----| as an alternative to the instrumental
G|---1-2-----| G|-----------| coda.
D|---1-3-----| D|---2--3----|
A|---1-------| A|---3--3----|
E|---1-------| E|---3-------|
The original version as sung by Glen Campbell is in the key of F
and way too high for my voice. I thought that other singers might
appreciate a version in a more comfortable key, hence my transposing
it to the Key of C. It is a very famous song as it is considered
to be the first in a new genre from the 1960s: The “war protest”
song. Written by Jimmy Webb in the late 60’s, the subject of the
song in his mind was the Spanish-American war, not the Vietnam War
as many assumed it was. He also wrote “By The Time I get to Phoenix”,
“Wichita Lineman”, and “Honey Come Back” which have also been big
hits for Glen Campbell.
TAB by Yarrowyck.