Glen Campbell – Gentle on My Mind

About the song

“Gentle on My Mind” is a timeless ballad that transcends genre and resonates with listeners across generations. Originally written and recorded by John Hartford in 1967, the song gained widespread recognition through Glen Campbell’s version later that same year. The song’s lyrics paint a vivid picture of a drifter traveling the backroads, reminiscing about a lost love.

Hartford, inspired by the film “Doctor Zhivago” and his own experiences, crafted a song rich in imagery. It’s a “word movie,” as he described it, taking listeners on a journey through the narrator’s memories. The unconventional structure, with its lack of a traditional chorus and use of “hard to sing” words, adds to the song’s unique charm.

Despite Hartford’s initial recording, it was Campbell’s rendition that propelled “Gentle on My Mind” to stardom. Campbell’s version, featuring iconic session musicians like The Wrecking Crew, captured the essence of the song’s melancholic beauty and sweeping landscapes. This success not only established Campbell as a crossover artist but also allowed Hartford to pursue songwriting full-time.

The song’s influence extends far beyond the initial recordings. “Gentle on My Mind” has been covered by a diverse range of artists, including Dean Martin, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley. It has been translated into multiple languages and continues to be a radio favorite, becoming the second-most-played song in the US behind only “Yesterday” by The Beatles.

“Gentle on My Mind” is more than just a song; it’s a cultural touchstone. It evokes a sense of nostalgia for a simpler time and the freedom of the open road. Its enduring popularity is a testament to the power of storytelling and the universal emotions it captures.

Video

Lyrics

It’s knowing that your door is always open
And your path is free to walk
That makes me tend to leave my sleeping bag
Rolled up and stashed behind your couch
And it’s knowing I’m not shackled
By forgotten words and bonds
And the ink stains that are dried upon some line

That keeps you in the backroads
By the rivers of my memory
That keeps you ever gentle on my mind

It’s not clinging to the rocks and ivy
Planted on their columns now that bind me
Or something that somebody said
Because they thought we fit together walking
It’s just knowing that the world will not be cursing
Or forgiving when I walk along some railroad track and find

That you’re moving on the backroads
By the rivers of my memory
And for hours you’re just gentle on my mind

Though the wheat fields and the clothes lines
And the junkyards and the highways come between us
And some other woman’s cryin’ to her mother
‘Cause she turned and I was gone
I still might run in silence tears of joy might stain my face
And the summer sun might burn me ’til I’m blind

But not to where I cannot see
You walkin’ on the backroads
By the rivers flowing gentle on my mind

I dip my cup of soup back from a gurglin’
Cracklin’ caldron in some train yard
My beard a roughening coal pile,
And a dirty hat pulled low across my face
Through cupped hands ’round the tin can
I pretend to hold you to my breast and find

That you’re waiting from the backroads
By the rivers of my memories
Ever smilin’ ever gentle on my mind