One of the greatest songs ever. Harry was a genius storyteller and a true humanitarian who died way too young.

@emilyflotilla931

8 ай бұрын

Yes, he donated lots of $ to worthy causes.

@RicoCosta317

8 ай бұрын

@@emilyflotilla931 He also worked tirelessly trying to help eradicate world hunger, even testifying before Congress. He was actually on his way to a charity event for the cause when he died in that tragic auto accident. A true humanitarian.

Absolutely an S tier in the masterclass of story telling song writing. And the proof in the pudding is how much you had to say about everything in the song. Small note: pronounce Chay-pin, long A.

@jeanmc4213

7 ай бұрын

I think too that the sign of a master story teller is the fact that while the words are unfolding we get a picture painted in our minds. Both these guys had that experience here.

I was discussing masculinity with a young woman. I'm an older man now. She said that men are now more sensitive. I played this song for her. Here is a man dealing with disappointment. With himself, the other and life. This along with Croce's operator and fire and rain song we're all great male story telling. She was forced to rethink men not being sensitive based on this song. I told her there was more like this from this era. This is just an old man writing, but we seem to be in a world of young men bragging about what men have always done. F and fighting is nothing new. Tell me about the woman you love. Tell me about the things you overcame. Connect as human beings through music. That's enough from an old man. But I really do miss this life celebration music. If anyone is still making music like this then please feel free to correct me.

@joeday4293

8 ай бұрын

Men *used* to be sensitive enough to know when to examine or indulge their feelings, and when to clam up and be strong for the sake of the people around them. One of the hardest things any man can learn is the difference between the two, in times when everyone he loves is falling apart around him, and knowing that his falling apart right along with them would not help. Some people these days will tell you that "gendered language" like "man up" is passe, and that "manning up" is somehow antithetical to whatever it is they call "emotional labor." They don't understand that "manning up" IS emotional labor - you don't get to indulge in your emotions right now, because someone has to hold this family together, and it's you. You can cry later after the crisis has passed. Now is not the time - now is the time for a very peculiarly male form of emotional labor.

@kjmorley

8 ай бұрын

Reading your comment, and Suzanne by Leonard Cohen popped into my head. Could a man be any more sensitive than Leonard Cohen was?

@williamflawrence

8 ай бұрын

Harry Chapin did way too many fundraisers for charity and because of this (despite his huge sucess) was often broke. At one concert he said at the end he would treat everyone to breakfast for a 100 dollar donation. My sister and three others donated. After the concert ( in Scranton) He drove all of them to his house in upstate New York where he cooked and served them breakfast! He had someone drive everyone home. From what I've heard he did things like this all the time. He was the real deal. [ His name however is pronounced Chay-pin]

@michaelmccauley648

8 ай бұрын

From one old man to another, occasionally you can find modern singer-songwriters with this kind of depth. Jason Isbell, Josh Ritter, Richard Thompson (though not really modern day - he’s still touring) & Bruce Cockburn come to mind. But it’s getting tougher to find them on commercial media. We’re not the demographic being targeted these days.

@mikemilne

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for linking this artistically with Croce's "Operator", I meant to do that myself.

This one hits me deep in my soul, like Dan Fogelberg’s Same Old Lang Syne. Gets me every time.

@Drummingvulture

8 ай бұрын

Couldn't agree more.

@2869may

8 ай бұрын

Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up In Blue" and Dave Loggins "Please Come To Boston"

@Flowerchick1967-tq1vn

8 ай бұрын

Oh wow. Yes, same gut punch. Please Come to Boston - incredible.

@jdw5678

8 ай бұрын

Also Bob Seger's "Night Moves" -- "started humming a song from 1962" ...

@keith6485

8 ай бұрын

Same here.

Don't forget to listen to the second part of this great tale - surprisingly titled "Sequel." Harry Chapin was a storyteller in song par excellence. Another artist that left this mortal plane far too soon.

@noelheaton5098

8 ай бұрын

he was amazing.im lucky to hear him live.

@johnhalverson1133

8 ай бұрын

Yes definitely Sequel should be played immediately following Taxi to complete the story of Harry and Sue. Great music from a great storyteller.

@bjohn1027

8 ай бұрын

YES!!

@hklinker

8 ай бұрын

Thank you. I didn’t know there was a sequel.

@CadillacL

8 ай бұрын

Yes, gotta listen to “Sequel”.

Harry Chapin, Jim Croce, John Denver, James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, Cat Stevens, Dan Fogelberg, Don McLean, Billy Joel... the 1970s was the Golden Age of the singer/songwriter/storyteller genre. And his name is pronounced with a long-a: Rhymes with Vapin'.

@flubblert

8 ай бұрын

Paul Simon, Jackson Browne. Hello? 😏

@cindipossidento5688

7 ай бұрын

All amazing musicians …….. I love all of them !!!!! I saw Harry Chapin in Port Chester, NY. At least 2 times …. He was amazing !!!!!!

@rayalevesque

4 ай бұрын

Jesse Winchester, Yankee Lady

A brilliant song that, due to its length and complexity, benefited greatly from the emerging platform of FM radio. Coinciding with its release, Harry and his band performed it on the Tonight Show. The performance received so many positive phone calls, Johnny Carson brought them back the next night for an encore. This song makes an impact!

@Manageode

8 ай бұрын

I didn't know that!! It reminds me of how.much Johnny Carson fell in love with the appeal of Cyndi Lauper. The smartest dumb girl having fun.

@boblozaintherealworld3577

7 ай бұрын

I'll have to look that up that video.

Another man might have been angry, another man might have been hurt but another man never would’ve let her go. I stashed the bill in my shirt. Sooooo good.

Had Harry not passed so young, one can only imagine the songs he could have written. Such a great talent.

"I was gonna learn to fly" - there is an autobiographical note to that for Harry. Earlier in his life, Harry had been accepted as a cadet at the US Air Force Academy, but did not complete the course of study and get commissioned. The musical world will be forever grateful for that.

@rhinehold4268

7 ай бұрын

For a real autobiographical note... listen to "There Was Only One Choice" It is quite literally him writing an autobiography for his son.

I was fourteen when this song came out ,and at sixty five when I hear it I still feel like I just read a great novel or watched a classic film.

@ww7883

8 ай бұрын

No doubt. Use of dynamics, well-arranged, on point instrumentation, enviable lyrics, and all the memories that rise when hearing a tune 40 years later.

@ftlauderdaleborn1098

8 ай бұрын

I'm 67 and feel the same way. His albums are like books. The stories are wonderful!

@YTSlide

8 ай бұрын

I also was 14 when this song came out. My 14 year old brain couldn't quite comprehend what I was hearing. And this wasn't the type of music I liked. But by the time I hit my mid-20's, I could appreciate how amazing Chapin's songs are. Love seeing Andy and Alex listening and loving it!

One of the great songs of my 66 yrs. on this planet... Carly Simon's, "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be..." is also worth the experience.... Happy Holidays Guys!

@markharris5107

8 ай бұрын

I second this. My favorite Carly Simon song. Great story, great music.

@jowsmith1904

7 ай бұрын

really good song that one,impeccable writing too.

I feel so lucky to have seen Harry live way back in 1980 as a young teenager. The first date he and his band couldn’t make it for some reason and instead of just canceling the whole thing, Harry came back a couple of weeks later and played a 2-3 hour acoustic show all by himself for us. Not only was he a wonderful musician and one of the best songwriters ever, but he was a great human being and worked tirelessly fighting to end world hunger. His nonprofit Harry Chapin Food Banks still exist today, continuing his legacy.

@bullfrogger1208

8 ай бұрын

Saw him in the 70s in Tucson with ELO. Incredible evening. His brother Tom, opened the show. He was also a singer/writer.

A ballad of what might have been that makes me choke up every time I hear it. I'm 70 now and it always reminds me of the one that got away when I was a young man.....because I let her slip through my fingers and wasn't wise enough to realize what a truly remarkable woman she was. C'est la vie.

@bmailb

3 ай бұрын

I almost never hear this song without my face or at least me eyes getting wet. If i make it that far "I stashed the bill in my shirt" gets me.

We love & miss you Harry..He would be so proud to know that his "Harry Chapin Food Banks" feed/help more than 250,,000 per month & constantly increasing that.❤

It's Chay-pin. 😎 This takes you to a place a lot of us have experienced. Lost love and how you wanted your life to turn out and how it actually turned out. This song is an absolute gem.

A brilliant song by a brilliant singer/songwriter. This is THE best song about nostalgia, romance & regret I've heard & almost always makes me cry. BTW, the high voice in that beautiful middle section is his male cello player!... RIP Harry. Gone way too soon.

@markjo9626

8 ай бұрын

Male Bass Player. Big John Wallace

Now you have to hit W.O.L.D. by him. Another incredibly written song that tells a story!!

@rghilino6734

8 ай бұрын

A must listen from harry.

@ToddSloanIAAN

7 ай бұрын

And I am the morning DJ on WOLD d d d📀📀📀📀

@ToddSloanIAAN

7 ай бұрын

🧨 I am the morning DJ on WOLD

@Dallin456

Ай бұрын

And the tv show WKRP in Cincinnati was inspired by this song. Johnny the DJ is Harry.

Gentlemen I salute you! I’ve been lobbying and waiting for this song for a long time. Your reaction to this mini masterpiece didn’t disappoint. “Cats In the Cradle” is a great song, but, for me, “TAXI” is just next level. Thank you for reacting to this one. You’ve made this guy in his early 60’s very happy on a rainy afternoon in Texas.

@jpmnewyork

8 ай бұрын

Also, Harry did not write "Cats in the Cradle" -- his wife did.

@markjo9626

8 ай бұрын

@@jpmnewyork It was his wife's poem but no doubt a lot of the subtleties were Harry's Words

Harry Chapin has an excellent live album called Greatest Stories Live. His rapport and interactions with the audience is remarkable.

@suewilliamson5382

8 ай бұрын

Harry’s concerts were always great. I saw him perform many times and each performance offered something different. One of the first times I saw him was in Hartford, CT and his band was backed up by the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. What a show! I’ve seen him perform solo with his guitar in small venues and with his entire band in large venues. All were amazing 3 hours of wonderful music with no warm-up act. After the shows he would go into the lobby to sign autographs for anyone who purchased his shirts or other merchandise. A lot of the proceeds from the merchandise also went to charity.

@suewilliamson5382

8 ай бұрын

The song 30,000 pounds of bananas is a good example of his storytelling and audience involvement. Another example is “Circle “ his signature encore song.

@JackleenaO

7 ай бұрын

I scrolled through comments just to see if somebody mentioned "Greatest Stories Live!" Thank you! Lol. Phenomenal album I still have on vinyl!

"I stashed the bill in my shirt" This guy is one of the greats...

If you give this song a few more close listens throughout your lives, it just might grow into an "S-tier" piece of musical poetry for you. One of those songs that makes you feel memories you never had. It's storytelling at its finest-every word carefully crafted, along with the perfect instrumentation and vocals to accompany it. I lived near Harry on Long Island; he even came to our school and not only performed for us in the auditorium but also in some classrooms, including mine. He sat on my teacher's desk with his guitar-singing with as much passion as he would at a concert. Core memory for us kids. The shock of hearing that he was killed while driving to a benefit performance was surreal. Harry Chapin made a difference in the world, not only through his music, but through his activism and philanthropy. He continues to be sorely missed.

@patrick3926

8 ай бұрын

Agree 🎉

@suewilliamson5382

8 ай бұрын

Harry not only performed for charities he recruited other performers. I saw an interview once where someone said Harry never took “no” for an answer. Maybe was a “yes” and “no” was a maybe. Harry was also posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal for all his philanthropic work. We need more like him.

I've often wondered what other masterpieces we could've enjoyed had Harry Chapin, Jim Croce and John Denver lived longer lives.... This song is a solid S tier. Hands down. A classic in which you never get tired of hearing. RIP Harry Chapin...

I bought this album on it's release , I have listened to this song hundreds of times during my life . Andy , when you said " it gave me chills " , I got chills at the same time . I have felt those chills every time I have heard this beautiful song . That ability for two people separated by decades in age just proves how much of a timeless classic Harry Chapin has given to us .

Thank you for picking this one. Taxi is amazing, and that part about the $20 pay off with the “another man never would have let her go” hits like a sledgehammer, and I think hits many people about their high school loves lost. There is a massive epic catalog of Harry Chapin (pronounced chay-pin). WOLD, A Better Place To Be, Mister Tanner and Tangled Up Puppet are all great. Just avoid listening to him when depressed because he can make the Cure and Counting Crows seem cheerful.

@markjo9626

8 ай бұрын

A Better Place to be is another Masterpiece.

@rhinehold4268

7 ай бұрын

I always preferred listening to him while depressed because it sort of gave me a feeling of 'it's not just me, I'm not alone'. Which is maybe why the song 'Everybody's Lonely' hits so hard as well.

What a beautiful song. I've never heard it before and am welling up listening. What a poet he is ❤

@mattjohn4731

8 ай бұрын

Cool! I had heard it but had forgotten. So glad I clicked. It's quite moving. With the strings etc. Reminded me of songs by G Lightfoot, Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, Love, also Neil Young's self-titled debut had strings on a few. Also Beck's album Sea Change will get ya weeping 🤓🎻

@emilyflotilla931

8 ай бұрын

Welcome to the magical world of Harry Chapin!

@jddelvec1870

8 ай бұрын

There are so many great Harry Chapin songs please listen to his greatest hits -we lost a legend way too soon.

@eileen742

8 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for this info guys, very much appreciated. I've now downloaded numerous tracks from this great songwriter abd it's all down you the A&A subscribers. X

@ArielleNaMara

7 ай бұрын

Yes, Harry was a true poet, to be certain. It was such a shame that he was so suddenly and tragically lost. 😢 I was fortunate enough to have been able to see him perform live just a few weeks before he died.

"A Better Place To Be" 1000% you need to hear this one ❤❤❤❤

Harry was a great humanitarian, as well as a great singer/songwriter/storyteller. He lived in my town, supported the arts here, and also started a food bank that still bears/benefits from his name. The theater/bandshell in our park is named after him, which is the venue for our summer arts festival. He's buried up the road from me. People leave offerings at his gravesite, including....toy taxis.

It is amazing how you picture the entire song in your mind. S tier for me

I can understand why some may disagree, but I believe Harry Chapin just might be the best songwriter of all time

Harry was taken from us far too soon, killed in a fiery car crash on the Long Island Expressway in the early eighties, on his way to perform a free concert at Eisenhower Park. His VW rabbit crashed into a tractor trailer and burst into flames. It was believed he suffered a heart attack or something and lost control of his car. I remember the local news stories at the time. Was a terrible tragedy.

This song still hurts my heart even after all these years.

A&A, his song "Sequel", continues the story of Harry and Sue with them meeting again ten years later.

@SpiderMcGee

8 ай бұрын

Ir's good, almost as effective. Harry apparently was going to write a third part before he died.

@MrDarkMagnus

8 ай бұрын

This may be odd but I have purposely avoided the sequel. I don't want to know the next chapter.

@markjo9626

8 ай бұрын

It has been long enough sir.@@MrDarkMagnus

Never heard this track before, but what a song writer he was. One of my favourite songs by him is WOLD.

What really makes this song is the killer last words - I go flying so high when I'm stoned - It is then you feel the profound loss and sorrow of this man and of us all.

Isn’t it incredible how some people have the ability to create such mastery? World class musical poetry. I never get tired of listening to Harry perform this.

This song, along with Dan Folgelberg's Auld Lang Syne leaves me such a sense of longing and melancholy. Both incredible songs.

Thank you my friends...... About time.... At 70 I can still sing along with every word. Check out the live video, on your own time, You will be surprised by the vocals.

Harry, Gordon, Jim, Cat, Jackson..true songwriters

@sharkhawk23

8 ай бұрын

Steve. (Goodman)

@chrisjaybecker

8 ай бұрын

Nice list: I'd also add John Prine and Nick Drake for very different reasons.

@billherman7294

8 ай бұрын

@@chrisjaybecker You're absolutely correct, JP is one of my favs

@markjo9626

8 ай бұрын

Kris Kristofferson is right up there also.

The only song to ever be played two nights in a row (by popular demand) on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson

@troilusand

8 ай бұрын

Yes, amazing, especially in light of non-technology days, it was the flooding of phone calls and telegrams that made it happen. And kudos to Tonight Show in recognizing that.

@carolhoshall2206

8 ай бұрын

I read in TV Guide that Harry was going to be on Carson (well after my bed time), and I was not going to miss it - I was a big fan of “Taxi” and wanted to see it live. My parents were already asleep when I sneaked into the living room and watched him perform (with a cellist and maybe another musician - I don’t recall). I remember being surprised that the singer with the high voice was a man. I was sixteen at the time and yet I, now 67, still remember it vividly. Harry was a devoted humanitarian, gone far too soon.

@Mike-rk8px

8 ай бұрын

Those episodes are on KZread.

@Cboy2023

8 ай бұрын

@@Mike-rk8px i couldnt find

I had the unfortunate experience of showing up to the concert venue to see him perform, only to learn that he had died earlier that day. The outdoor stage was still set up and park police were announcing to those who were showing up that the show was cancelled. I had seen him in concert before and was well aware of his talent and impeccable storytelling ability. A fabulous songwriter who departed way too soon.

You must her Dan Fogelberg’s "Same Old Lang Syne". This time of year, it hits the radio waves ever since it came out in '81. This is so nice - thank you Gentlemen. OH and it's a *long A* in his name. Chaaaaaaaaaapin. lol ♥

The cityscape distorted by the rain on the glass. The thrill of recognition then ultimately resignation of time you cannot get back. It’s totally a movie scene

Another great Harry Chapin song to listen to is A Better Place to Be from his live album.

He played this song on Johnny Carson years ago and I think it was the debut of this song or very close to it. When he was done singing the audience gave him a standing ovation that seemed like it lasted for 5 minutes. The audience was so captivated by the sound and the lyrics and the story they just went crazy when he was done singing with that long deserved ovation! People seem to prefer cats in the cradle but this is my favorite Harry Chapin song!! The story is so tragic and emotional with the two of them accidentally meeting years later and not reaching their dreams of becoming someone!! Instead, just two average people, plus realizing that she was the love of his life and he screwed up and let her get away!!

@geoffreyfreebern9037

8 ай бұрын

and due to the audience response, Johnny had him back the next night - the first time he did that! I'm sure someone has mentioned it, but check-out the Sequel (which is the sequel to this story...10 years later).

@Mike-rk8px

8 ай бұрын

There are videos on KZread of Harry on the Tonight Show With Johnny Carson.

This is my favorite Harry Chapin song. Such a great story told so artfully and soulfully. He also did a sequel to this song. Also well-done.

That very last line, "I stashed the bill in my shirt," says so much.

This may be the best reaction you guys have ever done. I'm an older man and the song fits parts of my life. Thank you

For amazing ballads, there’s no one better than Harry Chapin. “A Better Place to Be” and “Mr. Tanner” are another two of his you should check out sometime.

@emilyflotilla931

8 ай бұрын

Mr Tanner...omg, I cry every time

@scottschumacher7926

8 ай бұрын

Mr. Tanner - definitely!

@scottschumacher7926

8 ай бұрын

@@emilyflotilla931 kzread.info/dash/bejne/moCoztiJeNy6hqg.html

Old Lang Syne, Dan Fogelberg A beautiful New Year’s Eve lament and a Reminiscence

All these years later and this song still gives me the chills when I hear it. You HAVE to do SEQUEL. Best follow up song ever!

Now you guys are going deep. I saw Harry at the Sahara in Lake Tahoe just months before he was tragically killed in a car crash. My God what a fantastic show! A celloist, an upright bass player, drums, and Harry. Such an intimate show.

@karehelene

8 ай бұрын

I saw him in concert also a few months before he died, but in Seattle. It was 1981 and I was pregnant with my first child. This was also the year the Indiana Jones movie Raiders of the Lost Ark was released.

@diane39istockphoto

8 ай бұрын

I got to see him once. He was an hour and a half starting but it was worth the wait. Great show.

@LJA46

8 ай бұрын

@@karehelene Ventriloquist Jay Johnson opened for him in Tahoe. Totally odd combination, but so good!

@michelekoop244

8 ай бұрын

He died in a car crash on the way to his concert on Long Island, NY. My friend had tickets to that concert and was on her way to go when we found out. Tragic.

@karehelene

8 ай бұрын

@@michelekoop244 so sad.

I had forgotten how amazing this one was. Wow. And the musical arrangement on this is so intricate and original.

Harry was the best. Imagine if we still had him around all these decades.

I feel like you wanted to give this an S tier rating and just felt your personal feelings were influencing you too much. Total S tier for most of us. This song finds a parking spot in your heart. When you randomly hear this 15 years from now you will smile and remember how amazing it was the first time you heard it. It will resonate forever.

His GREATEST STORIES LIVE is a must listen.

Its a S tier song

We both got what we asked for. Preach.

There's an age in men where this song really hits you harder than when you're younger. When you really listen to it then....it will ping you with a longing that only the perspective of a series of life disappointments can foster. Many of us never complain...and rarely acknowledge them...but you feel them. Deeply.

A song that is not for rating, just for enjoying. I came to Harry when he snuck W.O.L.D. onto the radio. So I bought his stuff. You can immerse yourself into any song and feel part of the story. Like the casual observer inside it. Had we not lost him so young I wonder what else he might have given us. I imagine a concept album of linked stories, to take us on our way to another place. Such an easy artist to listen to. But I am grateful for the stories he left us. And to you two. Thanks for the reminder of what it is like to come to new song and be taken by it. Have yourselves a great weekend. Be well.

Hi guys. It’s pronounced CHA (LONG A SOUND) PIN. Love you and love this tune.

Another 70's Classic. Beyond Harry's writing and singing was the unique musicianship. I feel it's a no-brainer S-Tier tune. RIP Harry.

For storytelling on a larger scale, Bruce Springsteen’s full “Nebraska “ album is a complete harrowing acoustic masterpiece

Lyrics [Verse 1] It was raining hard in Frisco I needed one more fare to make my night A lady up ahead waved to flag me down She got in at the light [Verse 2] Oh, where you going to, my lady blue It's a shame you ruined your gown in the rain She just looked out the window She said, "Sixteen Parkside Lane" [Verse 3] Something about her was familiar I could swear I seen her face before But she said, "I'm sure you're mistaken" And she didn't say anything more [Verse 4] It took a while, but she looked in the mirror Then she glanced at the license for my name A smile seemed to come to her slowly It was a sad smile just the same [Chorus] And she said, "How are you, Harry?" I said, "How are you, Sue? Through the too many miles and the too little smiles I still remember you" [Verse 5] It was somewhere in a fairy tale I used to take her home in my car We learned about love in the back of a Dodge The lesson hadn't gone too far [Chorus] You see, she was gonna be an actress And I was gonna learn to fly She took off to find the footlights I took off to find the sky [Post-Chorus] Oh, I've got something inside me To drive a princess blind There's a wild man wizard He's hiding in me, illuminating my mind Oh, I've got something inside me Not what my life's about 'Cause I've been letting my outside tide me Over 'til my time (Over 'til my time) runs out [Bridge] Baby's so high that she's skying Yes she's flying, afraid to fall I'll tell you why baby's crying 'Cause she's dying, aren't we all? [Verse 6] There was not much more for us to talk about Whatever we had once was gone So I turned my cab into the driveway Past the gate and the fine-trimmed lawns [Verse 7] And she said, "We must get together" But I knew it'd never be arranged Then she hand me twenty dollars for a two-fifty fare She said, "Harry, keep the change" [Verse 8] Well, another man might have been angry And another man might have been hurt But another man never would have let her go I stashed the bill in my shirt [Chorus] And she walked away in silence It's strange how you never know But we'd both gotten what we'd asked for Such a long, long time ago [Verse 9] You see, she was gonna be an actress And I was gonna learn to fly She took off to find the footlights I took off for the sky [Chorus] And here she's acting happy Inside her handsome home And me, I'm flying in my taxi Taking tips and getting stoned I go flying so high when I'm stoned

Chapin could teach a Master Class in story telling in a song.

Harry wrote a sequel to Taxi on his last album. It was as though he knew he was leaving this world as he had thank you’s to everyone. ❤️RIP Harry.

There was a magic about Harry Chapin live that videos of his live performances couldn't capture.. I was able to see him 3-4 times and was always amazed. When I was young and better looking I did a couple of his songs in my set. If I could recommend: Better Place to Be Mr. Tanner Sniper (Intense and disturbing song)

@jackweber6273

8 ай бұрын

Yes I seen him also,, he opened for Cheech and Chong

@armadillotoe

8 ай бұрын

@@jackweber6273 I saw him with his band once, and when he began raising money to feed the hungry by himself. He said he didn't want to impose his cause on his band.

That he uses his real name, means it's a true story. It's pronounced Chape-an. Try 30,000 Pounds of Bananas, the live version. Great song.

“I wanna learn a love song” another great story from Harry. Harry was friends with my father. I remember telling him that Harry had died when I saw it on the news.

Fun facts for you guys. Harry went to the Air Force Academy back in the early 60's. Like many he quit in his freshman year and was told by a USAF officer, "You will never be a success if you leave here." Harry told that story every year he came to the Academy for a concert which he loved to do. Oh, he would also point out that he then paid more in tips then that officer made in pay.

S tier, guys. It's Chāpin, BTW. People (major artists) live and die and fail to write/produce anything this good

Great choice! This is by far my favorite narrative song of all time. You’ll be surprised by the beautiful countertenor falsetto vocals in the bridge section of the song, sung by Chaplin’s bassist John Wallace. Two S-tier ratings are highly likely. Can’t wait for your reactions!

@karehelene

8 ай бұрын

O Holy Night is my favorite Christmas Carol due to Harry Chapin and John Wallace. John sang it in the background of Mr. Tanner.

@MrNormaltoo

8 ай бұрын

whatever they gave it has surely grown to an S by now.

Taxi was inspired by a former girlfriend named Clare. Harry met Clare while they were both camp counselors in the 60's. She went on to marry a wealthy man who her family approved of over Harry. In 1980 Harry wrote the song "Sequel" just before his death. It began with the last two lines of “Taxi” and reunited Harry and Sue. He’s now a successful musician; her marriage has ended, and she’s lost her comfortable life, but is truly happy for the first time. I don't think Harry ever stopped loving Clare his whole life. Chapin died in 1981 in a crash on the Long Island Expressway. He was 38.

@BGinRS

2 ай бұрын

I lived on LI and remember the day he died. We couldn't believe it.

I gotta say, it is great to see two young men like yourself appreciate the music of Harry Chapin. Loved this song since I first heard and back in the 70s, the only way to grab lyrics was to listen. Back then, I never really knew what the high pitched voice was saying. Once I did, as a much older man, I have to admit, I found the "Cause she's dying, aren't we all" to be very moving. Keep rocking Men! Baby's so high that she's skying Yes she's flying, afraid to fall I'll tell you why baby's crying 'Cause she's dying, aren't we all

Wonderful singer/songwriter/storyteller! Singer/songwriter Suggestion of the Day: Chuck E's in Love - Rikki Lee Jones. Such a gorgeous jazzy voice and too cool for school. Don't we need more women on the channel?!?

Greatest storyteller in music history. Glad you guys are back to Harry, again.

My favorite line is: "I stuffed the bill in my shirt." It contains all the bittersweet regret and acceptance of what his life has become. I think the anger is more directed at himself for having to need such a hefty tip, no matter the source. Regret and reality converge to rob him of any self-righteousness. He almost whispers it as though he could somehow convince himself that it never happened, as though his shame had no power to move him. Harry was a rare commodity. His legacy will last forever.

What a beautiful song. So glad you got the opportunity to hear it....

"Mr Tanner" and "A Better Place to Be" are also a couple songs that'll hit you hard in the feels... For something lighter, his song "Circle" of of his Greatest Stories Live album is really nice. Oh, and for pronunciation (the way I've always heard it) is a long A in Chapin.

S-plus all day. Listened to it for 49 years now still hits hard.

@avlisk

8 ай бұрын

With a half century of memories and "what-might-have-beens", it hits harder every year.

“He stuffed the bill in his shirt.” A beautiful image showing that in the end, he had no pride or self-respect and was resigned to getting stoned in his cab. His dreams died when he let her go.

If you listen to this song and aren’t blown away…the storytelling alone!! I remember hearing this for the first time as a teenager and was like yoooo WTF??? Brilliant that’s the only word for it…I grew up on Long Island where Harry lived and tragically died. It was a incredibly sad day

Harry is one of the best singer/ story tellers ever. Check out '30'000 pounds of bananas' and Made in America. Both are songs about real events.

I love this song Alot. A similar artist is Kenny Rankin "In The Name Of Love". His voice is the most underrated voice ever he can do some wild things with his voice he was the opening act and good friends of Gorge Carlin .

@foxandscout

8 ай бұрын

In the Name Of Love; and EVERY song on that album -Silver Morning- is excellent. Both his songs and his covers. Beautiful voice, beautiful guitar. I was fortunate to see him, but only once. NYC The Bottom Line. I’ve seen many great shows there; if I wasn’t so poor I would have gone to many more. They’ve been releasing their shows and a few years ago they released Rankin live.

@lynne5322

8 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for mentioning Kenny Rankin. Such a gorgeous, unique talent. I miss him.

One of the best singer-songwriters. I got a chance to see him and his brother, Tom, in a small, intimate setting in which the two of them simply played acoustic guitars and sang. Amazing. This was not long before he was killed in the accident.

Sorry, but this is definitely S-tier. A true classic, heart-rending song from one of the best singer-songwriters ever.

Been waiting on this one for a long time. Hit A Better Place to Be or W.O.L.D. next for more masterful storytelling and all the right feels.

@ralphtaylor9751

8 ай бұрын

Sniper for the deep psycological interpretation is my favorite

@chrishelbling3879

8 ай бұрын

W.O.L.D.

I’ve been listening to this song since it was released. Still hits hard.

This is what your polls are for. And she said "How are you, Harry?" and I said "How are you, Sue? A simple story, perfectly told.

If you're gonna do Chapin, you have to hear "A Better Place To Be". It touches my soul every time.

Wow Andy is on it early today. 😊

Can't wait. Harry Chapin was a Master Storyteller. So many good songs and many were just too long for the radio. He received a Congressional Gold Medal for his work to fight Hunger. I was fortunate enough to see him in concert 3 times, the last just a few months before he died unexpectedly and far too young. Some other songs well worth listening to - W.O.L.D., A Better Place to Be, Shooting Star, Dance Band on the Titanic, 30,000 Pounds of Bananas, Sequel (the Sequel to the song today Taxi) ... many more. His Album The Gold Medal Collection. A lot of his songs involved social commentary and can be disturbing as well as thought provoking, ie. Sniper and other Love Songs, Flowers are Red, Why Do Little Girls

I was lucky enough to have seen Harry Chapin at Rutgers University in NJ, I think it was 1976 because I was still in high school. When he did this song the auditorium was silently awed until the song was over, then everyone went wild. Amazing concert from an amazing musician who was sadly taken away from us too soon. I remember hearing that he died in a car accident and I was devastated 💔

You can't go wrong with Harry Chapin. This, in my humble opinion, is certainly an S tier song. Harry Chapin was a master storyteller.

This is one of my favorite reactions from you two--good job, guys. So many compositional elements in this song aside from the incomparable lyrics. One thing, the last name is pronounced CHAY-pin. This was out when the folkie singer/songwriter stuff was big, contemporary with Jim Croce, James Taylor, Jackson Brown, Dan Fogleburg and several others--not to mention Bob Dylan.

Other just as impactful songs by Harry include A Better Place to Be and Mr. Tanner.

To me, this is S all the way. After years of not having heard this song, I still remembered all the words. It’s right up there with Jim Croce’s Operator for telling a powerful story through music and lyrics.

In every song he wrote, Harry always told a great story. This was one of many. Cat's In the Cradle, Circle, Dreams Go By, Dance Band on the Titanic, Bluesman, the list goes on and on. Thaks for re-visiting one of the masters of music.

Dobie Gray- Drift Away

Love your reactions…But, what more does this song need to be rated ‘S’?!?!