Tag: San Francisco

It Was Rainin’ Hard in ‘Frisco

toy taxi One of the best songs set in San Francisco is Harry Chapin‘s “Taxi.”  The song is one of those great story songs.

In “Taxi,” Harry Chapin was able to take a long compelling tale and wrap it into a song you can listen to again and again.

“Taxi” and Initial Reactions

“Taxi” is about lost chances and lost loves. When you hear that first line setting the song in San Francisco you know you are in for a great ride from a master storyteller as shown in this Soundstage performance.

The song originally appeared on Chapin’s 1972 album Heads and Tales, but I first got to know the song from hearing my sister play the album Greatest Stories Live (1976) over and and over and over again (especially the song about bananas). I have another friend in Cleveland who loves the song too.

But not everyone loved the song when it was released. Ben Gerson noted in a Rolling Stone magazine review, “The opening melody is merely banal, but more seriously, Harry doesn’t know how to construct a story.” But the song survived the review to become beloved by many Harry Chapin fans.

Inspiration for the Song

“Taxi” begins with rain falling on the streets of San Francisco.  Yet, the story about Harry and Sue was inspired by a real event in New York.  Chapin, who briefly attended the United States Air Force Academy and did have an interest in flying, revealed that there was some truth to the story in “Taxi,” although it is not all true.

Chapin never drove a taxi, but the song was inspired by an encounter with old lover when he went to get a taxi license. As Chapin later explained on a 1980 concert program, “I set into New York City to sign up for a hack license. On the way I meet an old girlfriend who has married money instead of becoming an actress, and I contemplate the irony of ‘flying in my taxi.'”

Skying?

I have often wondered about some of the words in the falsetto segment, sung on the recording by John Wallace. Wikipedia reports the verse as the following, noting that “skying” is an obscure slang word for going around naked along the lines of what later became called “streaking.”

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…

“Sequel”

The tale in “Taxi” is perfect as it is, but Chapin later returned to the characters in “Sequel,” bringing them together for a reunion of sorts. Again, the song begins in San Francisco where “Taxi” left us and takes us on a journey with a somewhat more happy ending.

“Sequel” features Harry’s return to San Francisco where he goes looking for Sue. Check out “Sequel”:

“Sequel” ends with the line, “I guess only time will tell,” making us wonder what happened to Harry and Sue. Unfortunately, we will never get a third song about them. In 1981, Harry Chapin died near exit 40 on the Long Island Expressway when he crashed with a tractor-trailer truck, perhaps after he had a heart attack while driving.

In 1987, Chapin was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his work on social issues, including his work raising awareness about hunger around the world. Today, the Harry Chapin Foundation continues his good work.

And that is the story behind the song.

What do you think of “Taxi” and “Sequel”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair

    scott mckenzie san francisco Scott McKenzie, who sang “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair),” passed away on August 18, 2012. McKenzie, who was 73, had been living with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disease that affects the nervous system.

    McKenzie’s most famous song as a singer was “San Francisco,” which was released in May 1967 in honor of the upcoming Monterey Pop Festival.  The song and became an instant hit.

    John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas wrote the song, but McKenzie had inspired him to write it.  Phillips and McKenzie had been childhood friends and played music together.  McKenzie, who was born Philip Wallach Blondheim III on January 10, 1939, got his stage name after John Phillips’ daughter, the future actress Mackenzie Phillips.

    As Monterey was preparing for the festival and concerned about the large crowds, the song was written as a plea to make the event a peaceful one.  Ultimately, the event was both peaceful and successful.

    The song, of course became a song for a generation and went far beyond that festival. Wikipedia notes that the song became an anthem for young people during Czechoslovakia’s 1968 Prague Spring uprising. The song has appeared in movies such as Forrest Gump (1994) and has been covered by a number of artists.

    Note that the song subtitle “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in your Hair)” differs from the line used in the song, “Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.”

    McKenzie’s Life After “San Francisco”

    McKenzie’s website states that after the song was a hit, “Scott ‘dropped out’ in the late 60’s. In 1970 he moved to Joshua Tree, a California desert town near Palm Springs.”

    He then lived in Virginia Beach, Virginia for a decade before touring as part of The Mamas & the Papas into the 1990s. In 1988, he co-wrote the Beach Boys hit “Kokomo” with John Phillips, Mike Love and Terry Melcher.

    McKenzie performed off and on until recently, and he recorded “Gone to Sea” in 2009. He had been in and out of the hospital since 2010 and he likely had a heart attack earlier this month. He asked to leave the hospital and died at home . . . in another California city, Los Angeles.

    RIP.

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