Ask someone about great anti-war songs of the Vietnam Era and you will invariably get a return of several great and memorable songs: Country Joe’s “Feel Like I’m Fixing To Die Rag,” Edwin Starr’s “War,” and the Plastic Ono Band’s “Give Peace a Chance” are among the best. “Blowing in the Wind” doesn’t count because it came out in 1962 before there really was much of a war to protest, and “Ohio” and “For What It’s Worth,” while fantastic songs, are actually more about domestic unrest than about ending the war. Typically left out of the pantheon is Glen Campbell’s 1969 hit, “Galveston.”

You have to be quick to realize that “Galveston” has any relation to Vietnam. The war is mentioned only tangentially within the context of a song about a young man missing his girlfriend.

Galveston, oh Galveston
I still hear your sea winds blowing
I still see her dark eyes glowing
She was 21
When I left Galveston

Galveston, oh Galveston
I still hear your sea waves crashing
While I watch the cannons flashing
I clean my gun
And dream of Galveston

I still see her standing by the water
Standing there looking out to sea
And is she waiting there for me?
On the beach where we used to run

Galveston, oh Galveston
I am so afraid of dying
Before I dry the tears she’s crying
Before I watch your sea birds flying in the sun
At Galveston, at Galveston

While some perceived the song as a “patriotic” statement, composer Jimmy Webb was adamant about it being an anti-war song. To me, it is neither. It’s a song that speaks to a common human condition: being away from home and missing a loved one. Anyone who has been away at school, or even on something as prosaic as a business trip, has known this emotion. And our singer does not express any social or political opinions about the war. One day he’s on the beach with his girlfriend, the next day he’s at a fire base in God Knows Where. It doesn’t make sense – does anything make sense when you are 21? – and he doesn’t want to die before he can get back to her.

The video has not aged well. Neither the soldier nor his girlfriend are 21 years old, and neither has the air of innocence of the characters in the song. But the song itself remains relevant: young men and women are still sent off to strange places where they clean their weapons, see the flash of artillery, and miss those who remain at home.

Personal Note: Several years ago, I was fortunate to see a solo performance by Jimmy Webb. The most memorable part of the show was not the beautiful music, but the long, rambling, funny stories that Webb told about the songs and the people he befriended along the way. After the show, he was at the merch table to sell his CD’s, sign autographs, and chat. As I was standing there, someone asked about the Beatles. Jimmy replied that John and Paul were difficult to get close to, but that “George was a very sweet man.” That struck me as one of the nicest things that someone could say about another person. Then he looked at me and said, “You have a very interesting face. You should be in the movies.” I’m still trying to figure that one out.