Harry Chapin Sings MR. TANNER Live

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Chapin Hamilton Places Tanner
bearznorthCATHY
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  • Views: 487
  • Added: 30-Mar-07

"Mister Tanner was a cleaner from a town in the Midwest.
And of all the cleaning shops around he'd made his the best.
But he also was a baritone who sang while hanging clothes.
He practiced scales while pressing tails and sang at local shows.
His friends and neighbors praised the voice that poured out from his throat.
They said that he should use his gift instead of cleaning coats.

But music was his life, it was not his livelihood,
and it made him feel so happy and it made him feel so good.
And he sang from his heart and he sang from his soul.
He did not know how well he sang; It just made him whole.

His friends kept working on him to try music out full time.
A big debut and rave reviews, a great career to climb.
Finally they got to him, he would take the fling.
A concert agent in New York agreed to have him sing.
And there were plane tickets, phone calls, money spent to rent the hall.
It took most of his savings but he gladly used them all.

But music was his life, it was not his livelihood,
and it made him feel so happy and it made him feel so good.
And he sang from his heart and he sang from his soul.
He did not know how well he sang; It just made him whole.

The evening came, he took the stage, his face set in a smile.
And in the half filled hall the critics sat watching on the aisle.
But the concert was a blur to him, spatters of applause.
He did not know how well he sang, he only heard the flaws.
But the critics were concise, it only took four lines.
But no one could accuse them of being over kind.

(spoken) Mr. Martin Tanner, 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.
(sung) Full time consideration of another endeavor might be in order.

He came home to Dayton and was questioned by his friends.
Then he smiled and just said nothing and he never sang again,
excepting very late at night when the shop was dark and closed.
He sang softly to himself as he sorted through the clothes.
Music was his life, it was not his livelihood,
and it made him feel so happy and it made him feel so good.
And he sang from his heart and he sang from his soul.
He did not know how well he sang; It just made him whole."

  1. Categories: People & Stories
Comments on

Harry Chapin Sings MR. TANNER Live

25 Comments | Add Comment
  • i love harry chapin ...

    i love harry chapin to death my father played with him he said he was a great man

    By zipppityblu65a [Affiliate User] 1201114298 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Thank you ...

    Thank you bearznorthcathy -- I always loved this song...I really got into Chapin in 1990 when I was 21. This and "A Better Place To Be" are still up there as my favorite songs.

    By danastev924 [Affiliate User] 1201031290 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • is the best H.C. ...

    is the best H.C. ever?beautiful....

    By erma1972 [Affiliate User] 1200623914 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • MAH BRO BOBBY IS A ...

    MAH BRO BOBBY IS A NOOB.

    By JohnGordT [Affiliate User] 1199802553 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • The perfect chaser ...

    The perfect chaser for "Mr. Tanner"

    Search YouTube on:

    Paul Potts Britain's Got Talent

    By ksmith55555 [Affiliate User] 1198674751 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • i guess to get all ...

    i guess to get all the footage ya had to be there huh, well im sad i wasnt.

    By wee1man111 [Affiliate User] 1198632597 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Harry was a genius. ...

    Harry was a genius. Think of the great songs we missed out on with is tragic passing in 1981.

    By RobGoth100 [Affiliate User] 1197965656 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • since 1970 when i ...

    since 1970 when i recieved my first harry chapin heads and tails album ive have idolized this man, and his humanitarian causes. I still play his music so often i know most of his songs by heart.
    it feels so good to to watch this video and brings such wonderful memories of him. thank you for sharing

    By mrskeenu [Affiliate User] 1197687854 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • harry was the ...

    harry was the greatest folk singer of the 20th century - he sang about things we all know and feel!

    By crh1117 [Affiliate User] 1197409366 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • ..hmm, ok, it looks ...

    ..hmm, ok, it looks like Paul Potts wasn't quite the "amateur" he was portrayed to be:

    google

    sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/article237614.ece

    By tttar [Affiliate User] 1197404034 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • I've loved this ...

    I've loved this song for years, and thought I'd look it up after seeing this video. Same theme in real life, with a happy ending:

    watch?v=1k08yxu57NA

    or search for the title on YT: Paul sings Nessun Dorma high quality video/sound

    Harry Chapin would have loved this guy.

    By tttar [Affiliate User] 1197399445 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Great man, I saw ...

    Great man, I saw him live about fout times. They were all benefits.

    By Paminator [Affiliate User] 1197373277 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Wow omgdness. any ...

    Wow omgdness. any videos of sandy singing with harry? What made america famous is my favvvv.

    By wee1man111 [Affiliate User] 1197120544 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Harry! wow! what a ...

    Harry! wow! what a horrible loss. Thanks for posting let's keep his music legacy alive for future generations. He truly was one of the greats!! My boys are 7 and have been fans since they can remember and walk around singing Harry's songs. A teacher recently pointed out to me that in 15 yrs of teaching she had never had two students so in tune with the vast variety of music out there and was surprised to hear them singing Harry!! : )

    By viperverona [Affiliate User] 1196987605 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Where did you get ...

    Where did you get all your footage? I just bought a live album from a show he did in LA but its not as good as the ones you've posted. On another note, how many artists are BETTER when they're heard live? Harry was the man.

    By elgecko84 [Affiliate User] 1196688664 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • We still miss you ...

    We still miss you Harry!!!!

    By jbstonesfan [Affiliate User] 1196325692 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • amen.

    amen.

    By mykasoda [Affiliate User] 1196187571 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Big John Wallace!!

    Big John Wallace!!

    By qbbvtb [Affiliate User] 1195772278 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • that bassist is so ...

    that bassist is so damn talented, falsetto and baritone all in one.

    By PianoDan18 [Affiliate User] 1195489576 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • great video one of ...

    great video one of my favorite songs =)

    By gannymaster [Affiliate User] 1194834119 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Nobody makes music ...

    Nobody makes music like this anymore. Harry was taken from the world too soon. He is pure genius and is true and from the heart. Nobody can replace this man.

    He is sorely missed. Thank God we have his musical legacy and these few videos.

    By bonzelite [Affiliate User] 1194055798 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • This one always ...

    This one always makes me tear up a little. Thanks for posting it.

    By MIT1369 [Affiliate User] 1194048751 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • This is probably my ...

    This is probably my favorite of his songs. I wish the quality is better, but it is so hard to find them in video anymore. Thank you for sharing!

    By amusing1 [Affiliate User] 1193440341 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • 3 words, this is ...

    3 words, this is music.

    By devilmaycry1112 [Affiliate User] 1193407076 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • my motto is like ...

    my motto is like that=)
    Work like you dont need the money,
    Loe like you have never been hurt,
    Sing like no one is listening,
    Dance like no one is watching!

    By phoenix420weed [Affiliate User] 1192722626 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
25 Comments | Add Comment
 
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