Salem, Oregon has the nickname of Cherry City, which stems from a history of growing and processing fruit since the mid-1800s. Apples, strawberries, loganberries and more were produced, but it was cherries that really captured the imagination. The city’s first Cherry Fair was in 1903, and Salem was given the title “Cherry City of the World” in 1907 during the annual Pacific Coast Association of Nurserymen convention.
There aren’t as many fruit orchards as there once were, but Salem is also known for its spectacular cherry blossoms that bloom on the Oregon Capitol Mall during early spring. They are in peak bloom right now, so we drove over last weekend to get pictures. It’s the time of year that a lot of people visit and do the same thing. It was raining, so Lisa stayed in the car, but Aria and I spent some time walking around:
Lisa works in a government building a couple blocks away so she sees these every day, but it was my first springtime visit to the grounds since 2004 — the year we met!
One of my favorites songs is Jimmy Webb’s Wichita Lineman, which I remember hearing on the radio as a kid. Glen Campbell recorded and released the song in 1968, and it peaked at number three on the Billboard pop chart and went to number one on the Billboard country and adult contemporary charts. It has been covered a bunch of times by various artists, and in April 2011, Rolling Stone named it one of the 500 greatest songs of all time, coming in at 195. Not bad for a tune that wasn’t finished as it was being recorded!
There is a timeless quality to Wichita Lineman. Billy Joel once called it “a simple song about an ordinary man thinking extraordinary thoughts.” It’s easy to imagine a man in the middle of nowhere on a pole, checking a telephone line. He contemplates needing a vacation but is hamstrung by unpredictable weather that affects his job. His mind wanders to the love of his life, whom he yearns for. Yet, he stays on the line in this lonely environment. Musically, there’s no real home chord, so the song wanders, not unlike the lineman himself, both physically and mentally. There’s a beautiful wistfulness to the melody.
I was able to find and buy the sheet music online and started working on the song around Christmas. The music is bare bones and having heard the recorded version and a live version Campbell did in 2001 with the South Dakota Symphony, I wanted to emulate as much as I could with the ukulele. Trevor was very encouraging with this and helped in some areas. Other parts, such as the introduction and the bridge, I figured out by ear and made work in the key the sheet music was written.
I’m posting the lyrics here because they add context to the way I play the song:
I am a lineman for the county And I drive the main roads Searching in the sun for another overload I hear you singing in the wire I can hear you through the whine And the Wichita lineman is still on the line
I know I need a small vacation But it don’t look like rain And if it snows that stretch down south won’t ever stand the strain And I need you more than want you And I want you for all time And the Wichita lineman is still on the line
This took a lot of time to work up, and I’m pleased with the result. It’s one of my favorite songs to play:
I’m switching gears on my next piece, which will be a pretty Hawaiian song. Time to go practice, but I have to restring first!
While I haven’t written a lot about my ukulele playing since the holidays, other than a nod to World Ukulele Day, it’s been busy in the music room. A lot of practicing, occasional swearing and some big smiles! Turns out a string instrument is a little more difficult to play than the piano. Trevor, my teacher, points out this is because it’s not just about playing the correct notes. It’s about getting the tension right on the fretboard while playing those notes. Learning is a process, and while I still tend to play the instrument more than play the music, there has been a great deal of improvement after first picking up the ukulele last spring.
Since Christmas I’ve been working on new material for my repertoire. During the holiday season I bought sheet music for the Jimmy Webb song that Glen Campbell made a hit, Wichita Lineman. It has come along nicely and is almost ready for a YouTube performance.
I also received a Hawaiian songs ukulele book for Christmas and jumped into learning one of my favorite hapa haole songs, Hanalei Moon. This has been a bit difficult with a combination of strumming and finger picking. I’m getting close, but the tune still needs polishing.
Besides learning songs and doing scales, I’ve also begun finger independence exercises with my fretting hand. It’s not particularly enjoyable, but over a long period of time it should help my ring finger and little finger operate alone without taking other fingers with them. (Seriously, see how difficult it is to move these two fingers independently on your own hand!)
Back to the music room for more practice. I hope to have Wichita Lineman posted later this month.
