American Life in Song: Jimmy Webb’s Wichita Lineman

How can a song capture a moment in American history?

Author and journalist Dylan Jones, who has a specific interest in songwriting and pop culture, sits down with Rachel Felder to talk about patriotism through song, using Jimmy Webb’s song “Wichita Lineman” as a case study. Dylan Jones’ luminous excavation of the song offers a portal into a defining moment of American cultural history. The sound of Wichita Lineman was the sound of ecstatic solitude—but then its hero was the quintessential loner. It is the first philosophical country song: a heartbreaking torch ballad still celebrated for its mercurial songwriting genius 50 years later. Jones and Felder will explores the legacy of a record that has entertained, perplexed, and haunted millions for over half a century. What is it about certain American-born songs that continue to fascinate and seduce listeners?