Taxi
Composer(s): Harry Chapin
Performer(s): Harry Chapin



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, and said 
"Sixteen 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

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 'till 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 twenty dollars 
For a two fifty 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