"Taxi" - Harry Chapin, with some personal tie-ins...
Last edited Sun Feb 15, 2026, 12:46 AM - Edit history (1)
This was always my favorite Harry Chapin song--- 'Cat's in the Cradle' notwithstanding---
possibly because it mirrored my fantasies about my first love---
but in my case, I was learning to fly when I met her before my 17th birthday----
and lost interest in it while I was with her. I never got back to it...
probably just as well, I didn't seem to be very good at it, except in my fantasies----
I was pretty close to solo-ing after 20-some dual training hours,
doing a lot of "touch and go" landings at the end---
I recall one instance where my flight instructor said
"you're going to land it yourself this time, even if you break the landing gear off!" LOL
and I did do it that time, without breaking the landing gear off---
but winter set in, I had some hesitance about continuing lessons through the winter,
due to my first experiences with winter driving in an automobile,
and besides that, I was falling in love with this girl--
who also entertained fantasies about becoming an actress!
Little did I suspect at that time, that I would much later work many years
as a taxi driver.... but this song was a favorite of mine before that ever happened!
(There's a certain poetry in that, related to this song---
I'd forgotten it, but youtube served it up to remind me!)
Lyrics:
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
She said, "16 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
(bridge
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 'til 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 20 dollars for a 2.50 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
(OF COURSE, I did plenty of 'getting stoned'----
but I almost never did it 'at work')
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Harry F. Chapin
Taxi lyrics © Story Songs Ltd., Story Songs, Ltd.
= new reply since forum marked as read
He gave a concert at my college my junior year there! I was an officer in the student organization that put it on, and after the show, I got to drive him to the airport! It was a truly delightful and MEMORABLE trip. We had a great conversation about college life, and being a traveling singer. I don't have enough superlatives to describe it. And three years later, he was tragically taken from us! 
RIP, Harry - - 
- - I will never forget you, or your music, or your kindness toward this poor college student. In my memory, you will live forever. - -
