"MacArthur Park"--Its Meaning and Popularity

After the Breakup

Is "MacArthur Park" making a comeback? When I heard it again last week, it must have been the third time in little over a month. I never knew, till recently, that it was written by the gifted Jimmy Webb (Wichita Lineman, Galveston, and oh so many more).

The song was famous for its unconventional, over-the-top dramatic delivery and puzzling imagery. "Someone left the cake out in the rain, I don't think that I can take it..." Some say its emotional intensity is the big draw, others suggest its avant-garde arrangement contributed to it outside-of-time longevity. Perhaps a little context helps, too. Released in 1968,  actor Richard Harris delivers the vocals.

Here is a little background on the song.

The Story Behind the Song’s Lyrics

At its core, "MacArthur Park" is a reflection on love, loss, and the passing of time. The song's protagonist reminisces about a past romantic relationship, using the setting of MacArthur Park in Los Angeles as a metaphorical backdrop for these emotions. The park itself was a significant place for Webb, who spent time there with his former girlfriend, Susan Ronstadt, and much of the song’s lyrics were inspired by their breakup.

The lyrics of "MacArthur Park" are notably surreal and symbolic, evoking vivid images that some listeners find confusing. The “cake” is often interpreted as a metaphor for the relationship, representing something that was carefully constructed but ultimately fell apart due to circumstances beyond control. These dreamlike metaphors have invited diverse interpretations, from existential musings on time and decay to more straightforward allusions to the loss of love.

"MacArthur Park" Stood Out

Musically, "MacArthur Park" was unlike anything on the radio at the time. Clocking in at over seven minutes, the song breaks the standard pop song format, with multiple sections that ebb and flow like a symphonic suite. Its orchestration includes strings, brass, and choir-like vocals, giving it an epic, cinematic quality. Jimmy Webb, who was already known for writing hits for artists like Glen Campbell, pushed the boundaries of what could be done in pop music, blending elements of classical music with contemporary pop. This experimentation gave "MacArthur Park" an edge that set it apart from anythng else we were hearing on the radio at the time.

The length and complexity of the song were initially viewed as risks by industry professionals. However, Webb’s ambition paid off, as the song's structure helped capture the emotional turbulence of its lyrics. Richard Harris's performance also contributed to its uniqueness. Harris, primarily known as an actor, approached the song with a theatrical sensibility, delivering Webb’s strange and poetic lyrics with a dramatic flair. When you watch the video below it's almost like a one-act one man play, immersive and almost operatic in its delivery. 

Cultural Context: Why "MacArthur Park" Became Popular

The song’s release in 1968 came during a time of significant cultural upheaval. The late 1960s were marked by experimentation in art, music, and lifestyle. Psychedelia, long-form music compositions, and abstract lyricism were becoming more common, with artists like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and The Doors pushing the boundaries of what rock and pop could achieve. In this environment, listeners were more open to songs that broke traditional molds, and "MacArthur Park" found an audience willing to embrace its eccentricities.

Furthermore, its themes of heartbreak and nostalgia resonated with listeners. At a time when the world was experiencing political and social changes, personal reflections on loss and life's impermanence struck a chord. Though many critics at the time found the lyrics overly dramatic or even nonsensical, the public response was overwhelmingly positive, and the song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

The song’s legacy was further cemented by subsequent cover versions, most notably Donna Summer’s 1978 disco rendition, which brought "MacArthur Park" to a new generation of listeners and became a dance-floor hit.  Ah, but what Jimmy Webb hath wrought is best expressed in this Richard Harris performance.

While some of Webb's songs are happy, such as "Up, Up and Away", he (Webb) has said that "The territory I tend to inhabit is that sort of 'crushed lonely hearts' thing. The first part of a relationship is usually that white-hot centre when all the happy songs come. When that's gone it can be devastating, and that's when the sorrowful songs come." 
--Ellen, Mark (September 16, 2016). "Jimmy Webb: I deal in crushed lonely hearts"
Thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved August 7, 2019.

Related Link

Jimmy Webb and the Wichita Lineman