Taxi - 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