Jennings, Waylon - Macarthur Park (Revisited) Lyrics

Love this song and have searched for the most perfect version forever. Finally!

This is awful, but it did well for him on the charts.

I asked myself, "How can a pure country singer, arguably the greatest male country voice of all time, turn a song that's as lush, rangy, and as complex as MacArthur Park, and make it a country song?" The answer: Never, ever, underestimate Waylon Jennings. Damn...somehow he did it. What did he hear, assuming it's the original Richard Harris version? The process on this song would make for a great documentary. A small group of people believe in the song and take on the powerful Nashville establishment...I'd pay decent money to see all that.

Ralph Mooney.

Like it!

That's one heck of a masculine version of this music.

when a legend song is honored by a legend artist

Two things to say: (1) Waylon Jennings voice is so powerful it does not look like to be human but a force of nature; (2) MacArthur Park is such an amazing song it can be sung from any musical style, from Country to Disco and beyond.

Just-for-fun play this back-to-back with Donna Summer's 1978 disco version! Hard-to-believe it's the same song...!

As a Donna Summer loyalist fan, I never realized how many other artists recorded this song. This is pretty cool. I'm also a country fan, but never heard this from Waylong Jenning. I need to check out Glen Campbell's version.

It's funny. The Donna Summer version is one of my favorite songs, but I had no idea this rendition existed. I love it.

Trust Waylon to pull off the best version of one of the worst songs ever written.

Long live the legend! RIP waymore!

The older he got the better his voice!

Ugh. This is scratchy af /: There’s better copies out there.

Dan Nájera That’s Vinyl, the clicks and pops are indicative of that.

Once again, musically  speaking, this is  the act  of a  God.

Funny you said God !!! I know that you are right !!! Sincecmy Mama passed this has not left me for the last two weeks straight . I know that Gid is speaking something prophetically to me , just not sure what it is . Blessings and Thank you for letting God use you !!!

I never knew this version existed! Waylon puts a great spin on it!

...that is a example, that Waylon did the songs special...

This song is so sad but I love it. Waylon is a legend.

Outstanding!

I was young and then I was old....what the hell went wrong

Old men playing checkers by the trees.....Or in my case paying 42 game with dominoes

Reminds me of a time when life was easier than it is today

Makes chills at times""

I just read a JimmyWebb interview. Webb said Waylon did 3 versions on this song.
Beside this & Kimberly's, anyone know about the 3rd version?

no, I would love to hear it, though. This version is incredible!

JUST INCREDIBLE

♥️XXXOOOXXX♥️

This... This is true art.

A lot of singers have sang this song and some of them have sang it pretty good but Waylon sang it like he stole it right out from under songwriter Jimmy Webb's nose. Waylon owned it when he sang it! And this is just Waylon's 2nd version that he recorded of the song.

He originally recorded MacArthur Park with the backup group The Kimberly's in 1969 which won Jennings his 1st Grammy award. he later recorded it again heard here with his band The Waylors which is an entirely different recordings (sans The Kimberlys) which is why this one is called, 'MacArthur Park (revisited)'.

The 1969 version features the lead vocal of one of the Kimberly sisters Verna or Vera (who were twins married to twin brothers who made up the male part of the group) singing what's known as the 'bridge' portion of the sing which begins at approximately the half-way point of the recording begining with the lyric, "There will be another song for me, for I will sing it - There will be another dream for me someone will bring it. I will drink the wine while it is warm and never let you catch me looking in the sun. And after all the loves of my life, after all the loves of my life you'll still be the one. I will take my life into my hands and I will use it, I will win the worship in their eyes and I will lose it. I will have the things that I desire and my passion flow like rivers through the sky and after all the loves of my life Oh, after all the loves of my life I'll be thinking of you, and wondering why." - After which Waylon returns with the group for the climax of the song in the final verse ending with "Oh, no, no, oh, no...." as the song trails off into the end.

ChristianFreeman
Webb had no talent for getting across the blues musically even though he had a great blues idea here. It makes me think he dealt with depression by “self medicating” off the streets, if you know what I mean. Why else would he insert that inappropriate stoner jazz bit out of nowhere? Cutting that silly sequence out was essential for a version to finally be taken seriously.

the six people who disliked this are those with no taste in good music

Who cares what or why it's saying... listen to the range of his gorgeous voice !

"Waylon Reads The Phone Book" - still gold. Good point.

The One and Only ;-)

Amazing version. His voice very soothing. Love Donna Summers version as well

i like this version , i didn't knew it until now

Nashville gave him a pretty hard time over this recording....but he did it his way and WOW...GORGEOUS

brprettybaby His way was the only way, right? Worked out superb, kick my own ass wondering why didn’t I listen to Waylon growing up, FML

Nashville has been cruel to many musicians that did not fit into their very narrow view of music. This is a great rendition. When Nashville disapproves a musician I usually like the musician. The pedal steel on this song is brilliant.

brings back many a good memory driving with my father in the old 66 ford F150 with this song playing on the 8 track lost him in Dec 2012 to brain cancer , bring tears to my eyes late at night when all are sleeping . I was at the house when he past but never got to tell my old man my friend good by , I had to take care of my mom and sister and make calls to the family , so I come here and relive my memory back when we he would take me fishing and that was almost 40 years ago but feels like yesterday. ok thank you for posting this great song

thanks, I lost my Dad in 2005 and I still wish he could walk through the door.

I hear ya, guys - it's painful. I lost my wonderful dad in 2016. Life hits us with a lot of unexpected feelings..

Ronald Dawson:  Lost my Father in '93:  I loved that man....I would think thoughts and he would say them and visa versa:  never have that recipe again.Had a wonderful woman that I just didn't have the courage to love with all my being.....this song brings that back, too.Can't explain the importance of holding onto the ones you love like there is no tomorrow....because there may very well be no tomorrow.

Out of all the singers that have done this song (and there are alot) It was Waylon who won a Grammy for this song

+penny miller AND HE SO DESERVED IT!!!!

Cutting out that stupidly inappropriate psychedelic bit and mellowing the tone made all the difference. The symbolism is impossible to take seriously otherwise.

@Elder Millennial I've been told the song is actually about him drunkenly mistaking his oven for a toilet and urinating on Terry Jennings birthday cake.

@Ary Dabirnia he is just covering a song, actually covering his own cover

@Travis Nunnally I like my story.

No one can sing this song like Jennings.. He's my favorite crazy person. Oh NO!!!! Someone left my brain out in the rain.....old senile lady

Mary Macka. don't think so Baby.

One of Waylon's best

craigenputtock, that's your opinion and you're welcome to it.  But your opinion is stupid.  Sinatra would have to stand on a stepladder to kiss Waylon Jennings' ass.

A masterpiece.

I've loved this song for so long. It's tangled with different means and metaphors mixed with heart felt feelings. Words of loss and love and , "I'll never have that recipe again..... there will be another song for me and I will sing it, There  will be another dream for me someone will bring it. I will taste the wine while its warm and never let you catch me looking at the sun.  After all the loves of my life, after all the loves of my life youll still be the one......After all the loves of my life, after all the loves of my life Ill still be alone and wondering why.....  "    So awesome!!

This is beautiful 

I uased to have this album, back in high school and I have always loved this song

I HATE this catastrophe of a song. But I sure do LOVE how Waylon sings it. He gives it a dignity it doesn't deserve.

Catastrophe of a song? To each his own, I suppose.

Catastrophe ?. ..don't be silly.

The song is very abstract. Nothing wrong with that! You either love it or you hate it!

Sinatra was a hack.

you're wrong. That is all......

i think this is awesome

This is bad Ass! Amanda, however is my fav. Waylon song.

this is a horrible version. Sinatra did it best, so far. Only, Sinatra should have done the whole thing .. oh well. ...

craigenputtock So horrible that he’s the only one I recall getting an award for singing it. GTFO

craigenputtock that’s because it’s Richard Harris’s song!

This is number one on my Desert Island Discs, always moves top tears. Brilliant

Great version on this difficult song but my favourite versions are by Glenn Campbell and Tony Christie they just take the song and sing it true and stong in the original key

Just the Best Ever.....Nobody can sing this Better than Waylon..OOOHHH NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! Beautiful....Thank you so much for sharing this album....All the songs are GREAT...but then again it is WAYLON!!! .... TC...Marianne

Yeah ive always thought it was pretty.......:)

This is well done yet I think Glen Campbell's 2002 concert version is the ultimate best !

This is the definitive version of this song. White soul.

WAYLON IS THE MAN! IN MY OPINION THats the best voice i've ever HEARD!

Your record is in better shape than mine.