Man oh man...it has always been one of my favorites. The height of the story-song folk -pop age. A lovely, dense lyric to boot. I can listen to it daily. Not too fond of the "Sequel" however.
And who remembers the TV movie from the mid 70's with Martin Sheen, wasn't that based on the song?
Oh yes, that is a great song! I didn't watch the youtube video you linked, but I know the song from his "Greatest Stories: Live" album! Did you know that he wrote a follow-up song to that, a sequel to "Taxi" that is on his "Sequel" album, one of the last that he wrote!
My favorite song of his though, has got to be "A Better Place To Be" and from the Greatest Hits: Live album. What a fantastic version of such a solemn song!
I was a kid, probably 14-15 years old when I borrowed my brother-in-laws cassette of that album, and instantly fell in love with his storytelling! He is sorely missed!
Edit: Sorry Mike, I didn't read your post and saw your comments about "Sequel" until after I posted mine!
I can't claim to share everyone else's love for Chapin's "Taxi", but seeing as this is a thread of '70s music appreciation, I thought I'd piggyback my own admiration for Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine." That string section is, as Josh Mitchell might say, "killer."
We now return you to Harry Chapin's Taxi, already in progress.
I can't claim to share everyone else's love for Chapin's "Taxi", but seeing as this is a thread of '70s music appreciation, I thought I'd piggyback my own admiration for Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine." That string section is, as Josh Mitchell might say, "killer."
We now return you to Harry Chapin's Taxi, already in progress.
Another song I've been listening to obsessively is "Sister Golden Hair" by the group America, best known for their used-to-be-all-over-radio hit, "A Horse with No Name." Both songs give me that "Proustian Rush" of childhood. "Sister Golden Hair"--the first song I remember hearing that used the word "depressed" in the lyrics--is about that baby boomer staple, the commitment phobe , but the musicality of the song is what brings back all those denim bellbottom memories. The opening George Harrison-esque guitar opening does it every time, so to speak.
Taxi- let me say i liked the song both as music and very good lyrics but to be honest to me it holds a sad sought of suicide feeling in it by it's end, at least very downridden, since Taxi driver came out with the great Robert Deniro, i and others just can't separate the 2.there is some obvious common thoughts with that song and movie.
I never forgot on a late sunday night when a radio station played Taxi, then Macarthur Park, then American pie, all in order, a station probably couldn't do that in prime time?
, but the musicality of the song is what brings back all those denim bellbottom memories. The opening George Harrison-esque guitar opening does it every time, so to speak.