The Jimmy Webb Songwriting Technique That Every Creative Should Ponder

Even the best rely on time as much as magic

by the author

Jimmy Webb is one of the best songwriters of his generation and while he might not be a household name, many of his songs are.

This is in part due to the fact that his biggest hits were performed by other artists.

The most famous of all is Up, Up and Away by the Fifth Dimension. Not only was it a huge hit for the Fifth Dimension, it became a standard soundtrack for airline commercials across the globe.

This ad is likely the first time I heard the song:

It was also one of my mum’s favourite songs and she would routinely sing it around the house.

My personal favourite is By The Time I Get To Phoenix.

Recorded by artists ranging from Isaac Hayes to Frank Sinatra, it’s Glen Campbell’s version that is cemented in my imagination.

His countrified version is a perfect road trip song, something you get to do a lot of in…