Most people have heard of Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman,” recorded by Glen Campbell. And during the massive recent ice storm, the importance of linemen has been on many folks’ minds.
But the famous song from 1968 probably doesn’t make much sense to those who are not baby boomers. What the heck is he talking about when he says, “I hear you singing in the wire, I can hear you through the whine”?
Before there were cell phones, satellites, and buried fiber-optic lines, telephone lines were attached to the same wooden poles as electrical lines. Historically, early telephone lines often hung from their own heavily loaded poles in cities. As the song states, telephone linemen would go around “searching in the sun for another overload.”
Because telephone lines were analog and unencrypted, they were essentially open electrical circuits. A lineman working on a pole simply had to attach their handset to hear live calls. He wouldn’t do this to spy on anyone; he was just making sure the lines were working. However, he often knew who was talking to whom and could hear what they were saying, especially in smaller towns.
While the meaning of the song is still up for interpretation, it appears that this hard-working blue-collar lineman’s job is keeping him away from the one he loves. And the unpredictable weather makes getting time off even more elusive. He can even hear his girl singing as he checks the phone lines, but he can’t be with her. To me, this makes this song extra heartbreaking.
Because of this, “Wichita Lineman” may be one of the best blue-collar anthems of all time.
Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and TikTok.
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