Chords for Billy Joel Jimmy Webb Wichita Lineman

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ Good evening. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ I'm here to talk about someone who is a friend of mine who is an American icon in my eyes and to most people here.
I can't possibly cover all the great songs he's written but I'm going to concentrate on one just to illustrate the artistry of this man.
_ How many people here have actually been to Wichita?
Anybody here been to Wichita? _ _ _
Miles of prairie, endless plains, a couple of telephone poles and prairie becomes mind-numbing.
_ _ And I heard this song written by this man, Jimmy Webb, and it made me think _ about almost _ everyone in a different way.
And I'm going to try to explain it [B] first and then I'm going to try to play it.
I tried to figure this out the other night.
I'm going to rewrite it, Jimmy, a little bit because I don't have the sheet music so I kind of did it my way. _ _ _ _ _
_ [D] _ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ And it starts off, I am a [C] lineman for the county.
_ _ _ _ [G] _
_ _ [B] _ And I'm thinking, okay, I'm going to interrupt myself a couple times and then I'm going to do it right.
I am a lineman for the county.
I am a lineman.
[Bm] Is he a football player?
What the hell is a lineman?
The county, and I drive the [Am] main road.
[D] _ [G] So why should I care?
[Em] _
Searching in the sun for another.
_ [A] _ _ [E] _
_ [B] Oh, now I'm getting interested.
_ [E] _ _
I hear you singing in the wire.
[D] _ Hear these [A] suspensions?
_ _ [D] _ _ [Em] _ _ [Bm] I can hear you through the wire.
W-H-I [A]-N-A, okay.
_ _ I'm [Am] _ _ a Wichita [E] _ lineman.
_ _ _ [A] _
They're still on the [F] line. _ _ _
_ [C] _ _ _ [A] _ _ _ _
The little electronic pulse.
_ I don't [B] like it.
It's about telephones and technology and stuff.
This guy's a telephone repair guy.
_ [C] _ _ _ _
[D] I know you're a little [C] small-ish.
Hey, Sean.
_ _ [G] But [B] it don't look [Am] like rain.
[G] _ _ And if [Em] it snows, that's a good sign.
[A] Phone never sends a [E] string. _ _ _ _ _ _
[D] Then he starts talking about this voice.
_ And I need you more than want you. _ _ _
I need you more than want you?
Isn't that almost like a diss?
_ _ _ _ _ And then [A] he says, _ and I want you for all time.
For all time.
Oh, [F#] and holy, he must really need her then.
_ [C] _ I'm a Wichita _ [E] lineman.
_ _ [A] _ They're still on the [F] line.
_ _ _ _ [E] _ _ _ _
_ [F] _ _ [F] _ _ _ _ [D]
Okay, now roll back to the beginning of the lyrics, and I'm trying to sing this the right way, okay.
So, it's [F#] as if anybody, _ _ [G#] anyone that you see, a guy, you know, working on construction,
you know, maybe he's got the _ _ soul of a, the vision of a Thomas Hart Benton,
maybe a commercial fisherman, you know, with his heavy [Bm] gear, has the spirit of a John Steinbeck,
and maybe a guy climbing up a telephone pole _ has the _ spirit of a Samuel Barber.
And that's what this song did for me.
_ [D] _ _ I am the [C] light of [C] all the town here.
_ _ [G] _ _
And I drive the [A] main _ road,
_ _ [G] Searching the sun for [E] another.
[A] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [E] I hear you singing in the [Em] wire.
_ [D] _ _ _ _
I can hear you through the [A] wire. _ _
_ [Am] _ _ In the Wichita [E] liners.
_ _ _ _ _ [A] _ _ [D] _
_ [F] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[E] _ _ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _
_ _ _ [D] I know I need a small [C] vacation,
_ _ _ [G] _ _
But it don't look [Am] like rain.
[D] _ _
And if [Em] it snows that breakdown south, [A] whatever it may _ _ _ [E] _
be,
_ Then I need you more _ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _
than I want you for [A] all time. _ _
_ [Am] _ And the Wichita _ [B] _
[E] liners _ _ _ _ [D] are still [A] on the [F] line.
_ _ _ _ _ [Am] _
_ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ _
_ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Dm] _
_ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
_ [A] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ _ _ [N] It's _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [B] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
truly a pleasure to be here for a man I can call my friend.
Please welcome the 2003 Johnny Mercer Award recipient, Mr.
Jimmy Ray. _ _ _ _ _
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