Harry Chapin - Taxi Video

The well famed, (I feel over-rated in-comparison to some of his other songs) Taxi, In original form

The best live version I'm aware of:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAyhh5sEbrk

"I saw Harry Chapin and his band perform this song live on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. The audience gave them a thunderous, standing ovation. Carson was so impressed he invited Chapin back the next night for an? encore. One of the great story-song writers." -Reddalestew

-----

"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."

/Lyrics from The Harry Chapin Archive at Harrychapin.com\

Excellent!! ?
Excellent!! ?

I've listened to ...
I've listened to this cd for years, and honestly I think I like the sequel much more. Yet, all his songs touch? me..

One of the ...
One of the greattest song stories of all-time which is now? 40 years old A TRUE CLASSIC!!!

We miss? you our ...
We miss? you our fellow Long Islander!! R.I.P. man

A great track from ...
A great track from Harry Chapin! This? was a featured track on "American Top 40 - The '70s" (from May 6th, 1972), & was the #29 song. R.I.P., Harry.

agreed?
agreed?

We love you Harry?
We love you Harry?

Harry Chapin; Truly ...
Harry Chapin; Truly one of the best song? writers EVER...... If not thee best!

I? agree
I? agree

the World lost so ...
the World lost so much when he died in 1981..... It still? makes me sad when I think about it. Thanks for posting. RIP Harry

I love? this song. ...
I love? this song. I always will. I could never consider it over-rated, ever.

Thanks for posting, ...
Thanks for posting, man, but I'm starting to cry like a? b*tch. I guess I better look up Nirvana's "I Hate Myself and Want To Die", which is actually less sad, believe it or not! Cheers... Buzz Cartier

Thank you for your ...
Thank you for your service, Lou! I've known, and performed for, many Viet Nam? vets. Since you are 59, I would think that you are amongst the youngest as the "conflict" ended almost 40 years ago. I agree that this song, and Harry Chapin, were superb. Thanks again for your service! Cheers... Buzz Cartier

He actually died on ...
He actually died on the LIE (Long Island Expressway), which is a highway on Long Island, NY, east of NYC. I don't think that there are any turnpikes on Long Island. Many of the roads on Long Island are "expressways", which's silly because there's always traffic. Look for "Ode to Harry" by the band MOD. They mentioned the LIE, and it appears that he did indeed have his accident there. I couldn't? look this up in the 80's when the song came out, but it appears to be the case. Cheers... Buzz Cartier

Ex? gf with the ...
Ex? gf with the same name as the one in the song. Yup.

im a 59 year old ...
im a 59 year old nam vet? love rock n roll so whats new but i beblive that no one could write like harry not dylan young lennon all good but harry had this unbeliveable gift i miis what could have been but thank you harry for the music and of course peace and love .

I smile at the fact ...
I smile at the fact there is only 1 dislike but its a sad smile just? the same :/

yeah right? He had ...
yeah right? He had an affair with Karen Carpenter and she's the result good one lol

... a caught the ...
... a caught the cab? coming home last night in the pouring rain, i couldn't help but think of this song, ... too many miles, too little smiles

Yes, I remember ...
Yes, I remember that set of shows. I was just a kid but Mr. Chapin seemed like the voice of reason. I feel his early death? in the VW on that turnpike altered a major part of history for this country, because people were starting to listen to him and he was getting very political. what a great heart. what a great loss. make a special categorie for this entertainer. One that includes several wonderful talents all blended into a performance you could barely ignore. one forever.

30? THOUSAND pounds ...
30? THOUSAND pounds of bannanas:)

I'd have to worry ...
I'd have to worry about a guy who DIDN'T dredge up? sad memories when he heard this song.

the best song? of ...
the best song? of lost love ever made

Reminds me of a? ...
Reminds me of a? place called Forest Park Springfield MA, where several friends & I would hang out and......... "I go fly-ing so high...when I'm stoned." This is a wonderful tune, indeed!

One of those songs ...
One of those songs that keep popping into my head.? Great song. Aravoth

No, he wasn't.?
No, he wasn't.?

The sign of a ...
The sign of a great? story teller.

This song could ...
This song could easily make? me cry....

,,no? way,,lol,,,
,,no? way,,lol,,,

lord i miss music ...
lord i miss music and lyrics like this song,,harry died about the same time that john lennon did,,both were great at? weaving a song into a story,,