Remembering Harry

[Jim in Chattanooga, TN]

I was driving back from North Carolina this morning and popped a homemade tape of Harry Chapin's music into my car cassette player and then realized that today (7/16) is the 26th anniversary of Harry Chapin' death. Must have been fate...

Being from Long Island, Harry Chapin and his music has special meaning for me. He was genuine and real -- listed in the phone book and drove a Volkswagen Beetle -- a great family man and champion for charitable causes and playing at my high school for simply the price of a canned good made us love him even more.

And was there ever a more powerful father and son song than "Cat's In The Cradle"?

Rest In Peace, Harry. You are remembered and missed!

[GodSistah]

Thanks for bringing this great artist to our rememberance, Jim!

Rest in Heavenly Peace, Harry!

:)

~Andrea~

[Bryan]

I think my first exposure to Harry (probably true for many people) was W-O-L-D. I remember thinking "now that sounds different, I like it"....same thing I thought when I first heard Janis and Joni Mitchell. And there was "Taxi" -- great song.

[Jim in Chattanooga, TN]

No one could weave a story better than Harry Chapin. In fact, while listening to my tape today, I though of Janis and Joni Mitchell and their ability to write great songs. I can really relate to "W*O*L*D" since I went into broadcasting but some of his other profilic, gentler songs still bring tears to my eyes: "Better Place To Be", "Stranger With The Melodies", and the song Harry once said in an interview he considered to be his best composition, "Corey's Coming".

Thanks for joining me in remembering him.

[Darlene]

For years, since 1988 I have been looking for this song. Who would know that I would "on the 26th Anniversary of his death" find my song and it's writer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noVC5Jt2Gu8

Flowers Are Red
(Spoken)Your son marches to the beat of a different drummer, comma.
(Spoken)But don't worry,
(Spoken)We'll have him joining the parade by the end of the term

The little boy went first day of school
He got some crayons and started to draw
He put colors all over the paper
For colors was what he saw
And the teacher said.. What you doin' young man
I'm paintin' flowers he said
She said... It's not the time for art young man
And anyway flowers are green and red
There's a time for everything young man
And a way it should be done
You've got to show concern for everyone else
For you're not the only one

And she said...
Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than they way they always have been seen

But the little boy said...
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one

Well the teacher said.. You're sassy
There's ways that things should be
And you'll paint flowers the way they are
So repeat after me.....

And she said...
Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than they way they always have been seen

But the little boy said...
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one

The teacher put him in a corner
She said.. It's for your own good..
And you won't come out 'til you get it right
And are responding like you should
Well finally he got lonely
Frightened thoughts filled his head
And he went up to the teacher
And this is what he said.. and he said

Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen

Time went by like it always does
And they moved to another town
And the little boy went to another school
And this is what he found
The teacher there was smilin'
She said...Painting should be fun
And there are so many colors in a flower
So let's use every one

But that little boy painted flowers
In neat rows of green and red
And when the teacher asked him why
This is what he said.. and he said

Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen.

But there still must be a way to have our children say . . .

There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one

Thank You Harry and Peace,
Darlene

[Jim in Chattanooga, TN]

Hey Dar,

When I saw Harry perform "Flowers Are Red" in concert, he said it was inspired by a friend who had moved from one neighborhood to another and how inconsistent the educational system is in this country. All his songs have a story, but this one really resonates with what children learn (or don't learn) depending on where they live. It's off his "Living Room Suite" album, by the way.

[Rickster]

Jim, I saw Harry Chapin perform At Vassar College years ago. I'll never forget...in the middle of his concert, they evacuated everyone from the building due to a bomb scare. Harry was gracious enough to bring his guitar outside on the front steps to finish his concert! He was great!

[Jim in Chattanooga, TN]

I saw Harry three times in concert. Once at my high school...solo. Once at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. I went to a college friend's house in Maryland for Thanksgiving and we heard that Harry was appearing. We spontaneously went. Made the weekend.

The last time I saw him was in Dayton, Ohio in 1980. I met him after the show. He was in the lobby of the auditorium. I had brought a big poster of him with each of the albums he had released under his picture. He signed it and shook my hand. His song "Mr. Tanner" is about a tailor from Dayton. Of course, he sung it that night and brought the house down.

Didn't realize that in a year and a half he'd be gone.

[Dar]

I saw Harry once in concert years and years ago. He signed albums and his book of poetry and was very sweet. I still love to listen to his Greatest Stories Live album.