Holy cow, does Kansas have some slim pickings. If not for this song, I honestly have no clue what I even would have picked. And this song isn’t even really about Kansas. Jimmy Webb’s inspiration for the song were the the telephone lines of Washita County, Oklahoma, but in writing it he discovered that ‘Wichita’ sounded a lot better in the lyric, and that’s how it ended up.
That said, it’s hardly inappropriate to think about Kansas when it comes to songs drenched in loneliness and despair.
I’ve never actually been that in love with Glen Campbell, but he sings the hell out of this one. And “I hear you singing in the wire” is just one of the great lines in the history of songwriting.
This is also one of those songs that has spawned a million awesome covers. I’m most partial to the R.E.M. one myself, but there are plenty to enjoy.
I see you have a 50 state list going. I had one a few years ago but never got to 50
Some of my choices:
Arizona by Pedro the Lion (which is actually about states personified and having disagreements)
Going to Maine by Mountain Goats (yeah that’s easy)
Campfire Kansas by Get Up Kids
Kentucky Cocktail by Pavement
Long Vermont Roads by Magnetic Fields
Mississippi by Dylan
New Hampshire by Matt Pond PA
for New York I use Cat Power’s version of NY, NY !!
Tennessee Sucks by Ryan Adams
South Dakota by Liz Phair
One Mississippi by Janis Ian
so you see i got into duplicates..and haven’t yet finished…