Harry Chapin

"We were the kids that made America famous. The kind of kids that long since drove our parents to dispair. We were lazy long hairs dropping out, lost confused, and copping out. Convinced our futures were in doubt and trying not to care."

"This commitment to end world hunger, and my music and story songs, are ways of dealing with the world as I see it. Im playing 200 concerts per year-- half of them benefits-- all of them attempts at getting across the footlights to people I would enjoy spending time with in non-concert situations. And over the past 4 years of musical fun, millions of dollars have been raised for things I believe in. Telling stories of our time, building a lasting body of work, new songs, new records, new audiences, new challenges, and still that painfully exciting process of growth that can make ones life into a richly woven tapestry."

"I went to sleep with the hope that made America famous. I had the kind of a dream that maybe theyre still trying to teach in school. Of the America that made America famous...and Of the people who just might understand That how together yes we can Create a country better than The one we have made of this land, We have a choice to make each man who dares to dream, reaching out his hand A prophet or just a crazy God damn Dreamer of a fool."

"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 Id show up about once a week in my faded tight-legged jeans with a backlog full of hobo stories and dilapidated dreams."

"He was dancing to some music No one else had ever heard Hed speak in unknown languages She would translate every word And then when the world was laughing At his castles in the sky Shed hold him in her body Till he once again could fly."

"She said, "I wanna learn a love song full of happy things." She said, "I wanna learn a love song; wont 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."

"Mr. Martin Tanner, a baritone, of Dayton, Ohio made his Town Hall debut last night. He came well prepared, but unfortunately his presentation was not up to contemporary professional standards. His voice lacks the range of tonal color necessary to make it consistently interesting. Full time consideration of another endeavor might be in order."

"And we would play together, like fine musicians should, And it would sound like music, and the music would sound good. But in real life Im stuck with that same old formula, me and my monophonic symphony, six string orchestra."

"He was picking speed as the city spread its twinkling lights below him. But he paid no heed as the shivering thoughts of the nights delights went through him. His foot nudged the brakes to slow him down. But the pedal floored easy without a sound. He said "Christ!" It was funny how he had named the only man who could save him now. He was trapped inside a dead-end hellslide, riding on his fear-hunched back was every one of those yellow green Im telling you thirty thousand pounds of bananas. Yes, there were thirty thousand pounds of bananas."

"Im in the Dance Band on the Titanic Singing "Nearer my God to thee" and the icebergs on the starboard bow Wont you dance with me?"

"There are lessons to life That the lovers got to learn There are corners out there You know theyre waitin somewhere And youve got to be prepared to turn There are callouses that come That the lovers got to earn In the years of your youth You cant be fire proof You know youve got to get burned."

"She sings the songs without words Songs that sailors, and blind men, and beggars have heard She knows more of love than the poets can say And her eyes are for something that wont go away."