harry chapin (1942-1981) will always have a place in my heart. first introduced to the distinguished troubador by friends and counselors at scatico in the summer of 1993, i have returned to the album greatest stories live time and again ever since. one such time was this past friday night, when i wanna learn a love song, recently added to my ipod nano, came up in the 'shuffle songs' mode. (click on the link to hear the song.)

in this post, im not gonna go on about why chapin is so classy; suffice it to say, id make a long, effective, poignant case. i am simply going to trumpet the above-mentioned track, as evidence that chapin was a master live performer/expert songwriter. i recommend listening to the song itself (again, via the link), but the following transcript of the first minute of it proves my pt. i dont know when/where the concert was, but it doesnt really matter; the scene is timeless, universally emotive:

we hear the sound of in-between-songs applause at a concert, then a couple of guitar-tuning chords, indicating a song is about to begin.
male voice from the crowd: do it for nancy!
harry chapin: oh? for nancy?
multiple voices: yeah!
harry chapin: this is for nancy...i never did it to nancy, so i'll do it for her.
raucous laughing and applause.
harry chapin: a-one, a-two - chuckling - a-one, two, three, four...

his rejoinder was so off-the-cuff, chapin himself couldn't stifle a laugh. and you can hear how much the audience loves him. and then the song begins with such effortless chords, and the opening lyrics are so great:

I come fresh from the street, fast on my feet
Kinda crass and corny
Not much meat on my bones, and a whole lot alone
And more than a little bit horny
The old six-string was all I had
To keep my belly still
And for each full hour lesson I gave
I got a crisp ten dollar bill

every time i hear that sequence, no matter where i am in my life, it gets me psyched. chapin really was a novelist wrapped in a musician's soul.

here's to people who inspire.