Harry Chapin - Taxi video free download


1,359,025
Duration: 06:44
Uploaded: 2011/07/12

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\

Comments

8 years ago

louTube920

Why did he have to die so young? He was one of the best song writers ever, bar none. Just imagine what else he would have contributed if would have still been alive today.

8 years ago

Quasarville Nights

Both in lyrics and sound, the most cinematic song I ever heard

8 years ago

larry robertson

I go flying so high....

8 years ago

ted norton

Is there an instrumental track of this in existence ? I would kill to hear it.

8 years ago

ted norton

the story is actually detracting from one of the most stunning arrangements ever to grace a top 40 hit. Really listen to the music instead of his voice. It's a mind fuck.

8 years ago

Rudy Ramirez

YES.........

8 years ago

Mike Smith

I really don't like "Cat's In The Cradle", but this, to me is much more musically creative, and if you close your eyes and listen, you'll see a short movie in your mind.

9 years ago

fishr mann

my theme song for 1972

9 years ago

roger Horner

Best ever! Just like jim, make it big was to much! Butt live on forever!!!!!!

9 years ago

Al Locke

So haunting...never heard anything like it when it came out.

9 years ago

noel norman

One of the greatest songs ever

9 years ago

David Scott

Classic, sad, and sad.

9 years ago

Ben Smith

I was lucky enough to see him play in the 70s in Scranton and yes about that 30,000 lbs of bananas too..Great man and I miss his work...God Bless You Harry the world is a little less balanced without you!

9 years ago

michael stanich

used to be a cabbie and miss it very much every time I hear this song. R.I.P Harry from a cabbie

9 years ago

Angel Mist

Oh my how I love this song! He never got the credit he deserved when he was alive!

9 years ago

a1orski

I drove a limo in the mid 70's in Chicago.We'd hang at O'Hare and pot was one of our deal makers.Times have really changed.Recently I was at the UI in Champaign to pick up my grand daughter and was fined 200 bucks for smoking a cigarette on campus(no building in sight!).But soon medicinal marijuana OK.Pot legal,tobacco illegal-go figure.

9 years ago

msms2535

well, this is a great story. The only problem is how tedious it is. I would have gotten out and walked long before that 20 dollar tip.

9 years ago

connie clayton

Love this song

9 years ago

Dennis Menace

Another great singer/song writer gone to soon!

9 years ago

Mark Ogle

I've heard this song THOUSANDS of times... never once turned to a different channel. What a MASTERPIECE. Really theres NOTHING like it. Its mot my favorite song, but its special in a special way. A movie, never made, plays in my head when I hear it. It's a sad movie, just the same.

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