Written near the tail end of the Vietnam era,  a song about Galveston, Texas, by Jimmy Webb and sung by Glen Campbell became a certified gold record.  The lyrics tell the story of a soldier in combat reminiscing about his girlfriend and hometown back in Texas.  The song was very controversial at the time because it contained the lyrics “While I watch the cannons flashing…I clean my gun and dream of Galveston” and “I am so afraid of dying”.

Supposedly written about the Spanish American War, the theme of a young man coming to terms with death in war can be applied to any time period. Many perceived the tune as a Vietnam War protest song,  especially when the video featured Campbell wearing a military uniform and driving an army truck. This song has made the Country Music TV list of one of their top ten country songs of all time and it reached the top of the Billboard charts in 1969.

Filed under: History, Houston, Texas by Stephen : No Comments »