Gentle on My Mind - Glen Campbell

Gentle on My Mind / Glen Campbell (1967) 

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 rustling, cold towel, 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

 Glen Campbell은 1938년 4월 22일에

미국 아칸소 주 딜라이트에서

태어난 Glen Campbell(글렌 캠벨)은

5살때 부친이 사다준 기타를 배우면서

음악에 관심을 갖기 시작했으며

가수가 되겠다는 결심을 했다고 하는데

한 때 가수가 되기위해 가출해 숱한 고생속에서

집념을 불사르기도 했던 인물이다.

또한 Glen Campbell은 고교 시절부터

Western Wranglers(웨스턴 랭글러즈)라는

그룹을 조직해 활동하였으나
1960년초에는 그들과 함께 로스 엔젤레스로 진출하여

유명 컨츄리 스타들의 레코딩을 돕는 세션맨으로 활약했다.

이렇게 세션맨으로 활약하면서

유명 컨츄리 스타들과 친분을 두텁게 하였던

Glen Campbell은 한 때
The Beach Boys(비치 보이스)의 멤버로

활동도 했으나 자신과는 음악성의
차이가 있다는 생각으로

스스로 탈퇴하고 솔로로 활약하기 시작했다.