Re-Creation Remixed: Faye Webster Performs "By the Time I Get to Phoenix"

One of the most covered tracks in history, “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” is a classic piece of Americana that shows how songwriting is at its best when there’s a story to be told.

Originally penned by the legendary Jimmy Webb about a man contemplating leaving his lover, the similarly legendary Glen Campbell took it to the top of the charts — and won two Grammy Awards — with his 1967 version that led his album of the same name.

And it was this version that led Atlanta-based musician Faye Webster to choose the song to perform in Fender’s latest edition of the Re-Creation Remixed video series.

“Glen Campbell was so inspirational to me for so long,” Webster said. “I really like that song because it’s so descriptive, which I really appreciate in songwriting. It literally goes through the day of him leaving somebody. It’s so specific.”

With an Acoustasonic Player Telecaster in hand, Webster played “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” alone on a neon-lit stage, putting the spotlight on the plaintive lyrics Webb weaved so long ago. It provided the perfect palette for the Acoustasonic Player Telecaster’s acoustic settings, where Webster’s feel shone through.

Webster continued her brief set with with the single “Better Distractions,” a standout from her 2021 album, I Know I’m Funny haha, which has already landed on several best-of lists for the year. “Better Distractions” proved to be an excellent closer, as it is also a narrative about everyday life.

“It’s really a song out of boredom, but i feel like those are the kind of moments that people don’t really talk about or sing about because they don’t cross their mind as something important,” she said. “It was just me singing thoughts out loud instead of me sitting down preparing to write a song.”

Watch Webster in this edition of Re-Creation Remixed, and click here to shop the Acoustasonic Player Telecaster.