About The Song
“MacArthur Park” is a song performed by Waylon Jennings, released in 1969 as a single on RCA Victor, later included on the album Country-Folk. Written by Jimmy Webb in 1967, the song was originally recorded by Richard Harris in 1968, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Jennings’ country version peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart on May 24, 1969, and charted for 10 weeks. The 6:28 track explores surreal imagery and lost love, with lyrics like: “MacArthur Park is melting in the dark / All the sweet, green icing flowing down.”
Jennings recorded the song in 1969 at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, produced by Chet Atkins and Waylon Jennings. The session featured The Waylors, with Ralph Mooney on steel guitar, Floyd Cramer on piano, and Richie Albright on drums, alongside a string section arranged by Bergen White. The arrangement blends country elements with orchestral touches, incorporating Mooney’s steel guitar, strings, and Jennings’ emotive vocals, creating a dramatic interpretation. The album Country-Folk, a collaboration with The Kimberlys, reached No. 39 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and sold over 100,000 copies by 1970, per RIAA records.
The song’s selection came as Jennings sought to experiment with unconventional material, drawn to Webb’s poetic lyrics and the challenge of adapting a pop-orchestral piece to country. Recorded during a transitional period for Jennings, it showcased his willingness to push boundaries within Nashville’s traditional framework. In a 1969 interview with Country Music magazine, Jennings said: “It’s a strange song, but I wanted to see what I could do with it.” The track gained exposure through its inclusion in the 1969 television special Country Music Showcase, aired on CBS, featuring a live performance.
Covers of the song include Harris’ 1968 original and a 1978 disco version by Donna Summer, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Jennings’ rendition inspired later covers, such as a 1970 version by Glen Campbell on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Album, per SecondHandSongs. A live performance from a 1970 Grand Ole Opry appearance was released on the 2008 album Waylon Live: The Lost Nashville Sessions. The song appeared in the 1971 film The Last Movie, used in a reflective scene, and in a 2018 episode of This Is Us, featured during an emotional flashback.
Jennings occasionally included “MacArthur Park” in his live sets, notably at the 1969 Dripping Springs Reunion in Texas, where it intrigued audiences. A 1978 duet with Willie Nelson was released on the album Waylon & Willie. The song was performed at the 1976 Willie Nelson Fourth of July Picnic in Gonzales, Texas, and featured in a 2020 documentary, Waylon Jennings: Experimental Outlaw, aired on PBS, exploring his genre-defying choices. The track remains a unique piece in Jennings’ catalog, often noted for its bold ambition.
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Lyric
MacArthur Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don’t think that I can take it
‘Cause it took so long to bake it
And I’ll never have that recipe again, oh noI recall the yellow cotton dress
Foaming like a wave on the ground around your knees
The birds, like tender babies in your hands
And the old men playing checkers by the treesMacArthur Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don’t think that I can take it
‘Cause it took so long to bake it
And I’ll never have that recipe again, oh noThere 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 at the sunMacArthur Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don’t think that I can take it
‘Cause it took so long to bake it
And I’ll never have that recipe again, oh no