Harry Chapin - I Wanna Learn a Love Song
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- "I come fresh from the street,
fast on my feet, kind a lean and lazy;
not much meat on my bones, and a whole lot alone,
and more than a little bit crazy.
The old six string was all I had
to keep my belly still,
and for each full hour lesson I gave
I got a crisp ten dollar bill.
She was married for seven years
to a concrete castle king.
She said she wanted to learn to play the guitar
and to hear her children sing.
So I'd show up about once a week
in my faded tight-legged jeans
with a backlog full of hobo stories
and dilapidated dreams.
She said, "I wanna learn a love song full of happy things."
She said, "I wanna learn a love song; won't you let me hear you sing?"
She said, "I wanna learn a love song, I wanna hear you play."
She said, "I wanna learn a love song before you go away."
So I tried to teach her a couple of chords
and an easy melody;
but it always turned out she'd rather listen
to my guitar and me.
I could hear her old man laughing in the den,
playing stud poker with the boys
while I sang so soft in the living room,
to scared to make much noise.
I came one week and the den was dark
and she met me at the door.
And we sat on the couch and we sang and talked
till I could not sing no more.
The silence kept on building,
her eyes grew much too wide;
and I could her both of our heartbeats,
but there was no place to hide.
She said, "I wanna learn a love song full of happy things."
She said, "I wanna learn a love song; won't you let me hear you sing?"
She said, "I wanna learn a love song, I wanna hear you play."
She said, "I wanna learn a love song before you go away."
Well, I guess you know what happened,
God, I never been so clean.
Yes, I feel like I'm working in a Hollywood movie
or living out a good bad dream.
And all them pinup girls in that tinsel world
never touched me like she can;
it took another man's wife in the real world life
to make this boy a man.
She said, "I wanna learn a love song full of happy things."
She said, "I wanna learn a love song; won't you let me hear you sing?"
She said, "I wanna learn a love song, I wanna hear you play."
She said, "I wanna learn a love song before you go away."
I guess you know I stayed."
/Lyrics From The Harry Chapin Archive at Harrychapin.com\
I think more people should get into Harry Chapin
I met Harry Chapin in a Detroit Airport. He was late arriving for his flight, l was so suprized to see him, all l could say...."How are ya Harry!"...he smiled and said......Late!.....he made my day!
His songs are the best stories!!!
No what I hate is when people ask me who's your favorite singer singwriter band etc. And I say Harry Chapin and they say oh the cats and the cratle guy and I'm like he's so so so much more then that
So true!
Same with me and Van Morrison. Everyone cites Brown Eyed Girl, a great tune, but if you don't get Van... do yourself a favor and listen to Astral Weeks several times and you will begin to understand.
This is the CD my mom would put on when it was time to clean the house, i know every song and have a few favorites myself. Good music doesn't know time, it just knows how to make you feel
+nimhspal23 his song sounds soo awesome on Vinyl
omg its one of my house keeping albums too. my kids kniw 30,000 pounds of bananas from road trips.
nimhspal23 same thing my mom Use to play this cd doing whatever just passing the time doing things around the house
Run for president...
That is correct... you got delt a good hand with a mom who liked good music
Saw harry many years ago. I will never forget the day we lost him. I was so pleased that I did get a nice hug to remember. I also gave to his world hunger program. What a great man!
I cried like a baby.
The great thing about Harry was that he delivered personable awesome music without all the usual hype that accompanied many musicians. It was all from his heart and soul! He was also a great humanitarian!
One of the greats of any time. I wish everybody could hear his music. The way he song it changed how I view music still today. Not putting down "Taxi" but he was so much more then the 1 song people know him by. He didn't just give his music into his concerts; he gave all of himself. He was, what he was, on and off stage, He was what we used to say "all together"
I believe a lot of us guitarist can tell similar stories...but not as well as Harry could. We miss you Mr. Chapin!!!.
Harry Chapin
One Of The Greatest Men On Earth
December 7, 1942 - July 16, 1981
While waiting outside of Colden Auditorium at Queens College, after a canceled concert, I met and had a few words with the man who was to have given the concert. In my eyes, one of the greatest men on Earth.
He was a dedicated humanitarian who fought to end world hunger. He was the co-founder of World Hunger Year or WHY, now known as WhyHunger, a wonderful and efficient non-profit that is still helping feed hungry people today. He was instrumental in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger in 1977.
He was a man that was posthumously awarded the highest civilian award in the United States, the Congressional Gold Medal. He was a man who performed benefit concerts for hundreds of worthy organizations during his career. He was a man who raised more than 3,000,000 USD for those in need in the last six years of his life. He was a man that donated to charitable causes an estimated 33% of the revenues from his indefatigable schedule of 200 plus concerts performed each year.
Besides his tireless humanitarian work, he was an accomplished and creative renaissance man that during his life was nominated for the following illustrious awards: Oscar, Grammy, Peabody, Emmy, and Tony.
He was a man that I was lucky enough to have seen in concert a handful of times between 1975 and 1980. He is a man that I still miss today.
His name was Harry Chapin.
by Mark R. Elsis
earthnewspaper.com/harrychapin
I never realized he had so much accolade
I grew up with this album, and fell in love with his music at an early age. Love this song.
Harry is the best storyteller
I remember my dad playing this live album in our house as background music when the family gathered following my grandmothers funeral almost 30 years ago.
One of the greatest singer songwriters ever!! We missed out sooo many stories and great music with him passing at 38, very sad..." IT TOOK ANOTHER MAN S LIFE IN THE REAL WORLD LIFE, TO MAKE THIS BOY A MAN." Song writing perfection....!
It's another man's WIFE, not LIFE, just so you know.
Yes..typo
I got turned on to the live album (vinyl) in 1985 working as a gentile farmhand on a kibbutz.
Love the fact that he changes the lyrics to "corny" and "horny" in this live version! You can hear the humor in his voice at he sings it. Thanks for posting!
My brother Dave turned me on to him when I was about 8, great artist
You had a wise brother
This is the best version by far.
+Michael Vinson by far, indeed
This is definitely the best version, and honestly the only one that should count
Agreed! It’s the best for sure
Real music. Great music. The world could use a guy like Harry. Wish I could have known him
Love is mussic
Best version of the song by far
I can't hear his voice without thinking of my Dad
Same 😊😢 my dad listened to him when I was little and the played the tons of 🍌 bananas song for us kids😂. I love this song 💓
The absolute best story teller
what an Icon of Music .... this is about meeting his wife. I agree with all of you other fans, great story teller RIP H
One of the greatest artists of our time!
All time!
when I hear Harry he makes my day. .music.
Never got too see Harry play live was dead when I was young anyways ever since the first time I heard this album have loved his music since. But the thing I love most about him was his philosophy of helping others basically he would play 2 concerts 1 for himself and the other for charity. When you look at the world today wouldn't it be much better if there were more Harrys and less Joe Waltons ( founder of Walmart worth 100 billion when he died money too charities zero)
+john d fitzgerald sorta true. SAM walton was the founder of wal mart and was actually, pretty philanthropic. that said, his kids sit on all the money their dad made. sam gave away hundreds of millions of $
i stand corrected thank you
Great humanitarian
good and bad memories But i have to say we both still listen to this wonderful voice.
One of my favorite live albums. Thanks for posting :)
GENIUS PURE GENIUS
nice music....my heart just listen..
Hi Nancy!
Genius
Miami 1979
Man, I remember singing along with that as a kid and gettin' my butt torn up for singing that line! LOL! I had no idea what it meant, just knew I loved this song.
I feel like I'm living in a holly wood movie or living in a good bad dream
probably be a better president than than the current choices.
Love this
amazing
Just two comments:
"You can always count on the cheap seats"
and although about another song:
"Harry... It sucks"
I just laughed out loud lol
"So I'd show up about once a week
in my faded tight-legged jeans
with a backlog full of hobo stories
and dilapidated dreams".
Until I read these lyrics, right now, I would have sworn this stanza ended with "...and a lot of faded dreams". Which would have fit perfectly really, and the way I always sing it. So next time I sing this I guess I'll have to change it.
** "TAXI" Original Manuscript. ** THE AUCTION ON THIS VERY-SPECIAL ITEM ENDS @ 7PM EST TONIGHT! (June 18th, 2020) - PRICELESS FOR ANY HARRY CHAPIN FAN. ---- It breaks my heart to have to part with it, but I am auctioning a special piece of history for any Harry Chapin fan -- a hand-annotated typed working draft of the lyrics for 'TAXI,' with Harry's changes written in ballpoint and pencil throughout the manuscript. It's also accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Sandy Chapin.
As a huge fan of Harry and "Taxi" I've played the song hundreds of times during my live shows and purchased the manuscript from Harry's estate 5 years ago. The best part of the experience was getting to speak to Sandy Chapin. Priceless for any fan of the man himself. To see images and perhaps place a bid, click here:
rrauction.com/preview_itemdetail.cfm?IN=9199
PS - This item was donated by Sandy Chapin solely to support Long Island Cares, a food bank that supplies 600 pantries and food kitchens with food and emergency relief. --- 100% of the proceeds from my winning bid of this item, when I originally obtained it, went to support Long Island Cares.
rrauction.com/preview_itemdetail.cfm?IN=9199
first two lines slightly altered........
"SongsofHarry" Your lyrics for the first verse aren't even close. You need to re-listen to them.
I now realize this is an alternate version of the first couple lines of this song. Harry re-wrote this first part and toned it down. Just watched a concert of his in New Jersey, from 78. It was a political fundraiser. Anyway, he sang the lyrics the way you have them posted here.