View Full Version : Taxi by Harry Chapin
vanlutz
05-10-2007, 10:12 PM
Does anyone remember this song? If you do, do you know the terrible secret this song holds?
It might be best if you included the lyrics.
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.
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, and said
"Sixteen Parkside Lane".
Something about her was familiar
I could swear I'd seen her face before,
But she said, "I'm sure you're mistaken"
And she didn't say anything more.
It took a while, but she looked in the mirror,
And she glanced at the license for my name.
A smile seemed to come to her slowly,
It was a sad smile, just the same.
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."
It was somewhere in a fairy tale,
I used to take her home in my car.
We learned about love in the back of the Dodge,
The lesson hadn't gone too far.
You see, she was gonna be an actress,
And I was gonna learn to fly.
She took off to find the footlights,
And I took off to find the sky.
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 'till my time, runs out.
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.
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.
And she said we must get together,
But I knew it'd never be arranged.
And she handed me twenty dollars,
For a two fifty fare, she said
"Harry, keep the change."
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.
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.
You see, she was gonna be an actress
And I was gonna learn to fly.
She took off to find the footlights,
And I took off for the sky.
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.
it doesn't help:confused:
Despare
05-11-2007, 09:11 AM
As far as songs about taxi driver's goI prefer Stepehen Lynch's Taxi Driver .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QThjNB4Fi48
vanlutz
05-11-2007, 10:59 AM
It's not in the lyrics, it's in the recording. It killed me when I found out.
If you know the song, there's a beautiful woman singing in the background. Well...
Chapin was good.....but nobody could sing Taxi like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBWOmHUvKBw
It's not in the lyrics, it's in the recording. It killed me when I found out.
If you know the song, there's a beautiful woman singing in the background. Well...
Ok....you've pique my curiosity...i've been all over google and can't find anything on the background singer.......what gives?
vanlutz
05-11-2007, 02:39 PM
That beautiful woman singing in the background is a MAN.
The STE
05-11-2007, 04:01 PM
I like that song
That beautiful woman singing in the background is a MAN.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v259/rockinmule/Smart20Guy20Surprised.gif
I like that song
His songs were like little storys......this one is very touching.
A child arrived just the other day,
He came to the world in the usual way.
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay.
He learned to walk while I was away.
And he was talking 'fore I knew it, and as he grew,
He'd say, "I'm gonna be like you, dad.
You know I'm gonna be like you."
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."
My son turned ten just the other day.
He said, "Thanks for the ball, dad, come on let's play.
Can you teach me to throw?" I said, "Not today,
I got a lot to do." He said, "That's ok."
And he walked away, but his smile never dimmed,
Said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah.
You know I'm gonna be like him."
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."
Well, he came from college just the other day,
So much like a man I just had to say,
"Son, I'm proud of you. Can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head, and he said with a smile,
"What I'd really like, dad, is to borrow the car keys.
See you later. Can I have them please?"
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."
I've long since retired and my son's moved away.
I called him up just the other day.
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind."
He said, "I'd love to, dad, if I could find the time.
You see, my new job's a hassle, and the kid's got the flu,
But it's sure nice talking to you, dad.
It's been sure nice talking to you."
And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me,
He'd grown up just like me.
My boy was just like me.
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."
The STE
05-11-2007, 09:38 PM
I like "Better Place to Be." I've often been accused of having "old people taste in music."
I like "Better Place to Be." I've often been accused of having "old people taste in music."
You're definitely an "old soul". Do you believe in reincarnation?......i'm thinking William Howard Taft.
wait.....did you just call me old!?!
vanlutz
05-12-2007, 07:01 AM
Harry had a lot of good songs, but Taxi was my favorite. Cats in the Cradle is his most famous.
My sister was at the show he suppose to do the night he died.
I worked in a warehouse that was once a theatre that Harry was part owner of. The owner of the gym next door couldn't stand Harry, because he was such a terrible driver. Harry would constantly hit these antique cars the owner drove. it was a shame but not very shocking when he was killed in an accident.
The STE
05-12-2007, 08:59 AM
You're definitely an "old soul". Do you believe in reincarnation?......i'm thinking William Howard Taft.
wait.....did you just call me old!?!
No, a couple people I went to high school with and I think someone who at least used to post here called you old.