A Better Place To Be
Chapin Harry Lyrics
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And the place just opened up.
And the little man come in so fast and
Started at his cup.
And the broad who served the whiskey
She was a big old friendly girl.
And she tried to fight her empty nights
By smilin' at the world.
And she said "Hey Bub, It's been awhile
Since you been around.
Where the hell you been hidin'?
And why you look so down ?"
But the little man just sat there like he'd never heard a sound.
The waitress she gave out with a cough,
And acting not the least put off,
She spoke once again.
She said, "I don't want to bother you,
Consider it's understood.
I know I'm not no beauty queen,
But I sure can listen good."
And the little man took his drink in his hand
And he raised it to his lips.
He took a couple of sips.
And he told the waitress this story.
"I am the midnight watchman down at Miller's Tool and Die.
And I watch the metal rusting, and I watch the time go by.
A week ago at the diner I stopped to get a bite.
And this here lovely lady she sat two seats from my right.
And Lord, Lord, Lord she was alright.
"Well, she was so damned beautiful she could warm a winter's frost.
But she was long past lonely, and well nigh kinda lost.
Now I'm not much of a mover, or a pick-em-up easy guy,
But I decided to glide on over, and give her one good try.
And Lord, Lord, Lord she was worth a try.
"I was Tongued-tied like a school boy, and I stammered out some words.
But it did not seem to matter much, 'cause I don't think she heard.
She just looked clear on through me to a space back in my head.
And it shamed me into silence, as quietly she said,
'If you want me to come with you, then that's all right with me.
Cause I know I'm going nowhere, and anywhere's a better place to be.
Anywhere's a better place to be.'
"I drove her to my boarding house, and I took her up to my room.
And I went to turn on the only light to brighten up the gloom.
But she said, 'Please leave the light off, Oh I don't mind the dark.'
And as her clothes all tumbled 'round her, I could hear my heart.
The moonlight shown upon her as she lay back in my bed.
It was the kind of scene I only had imagined in my head.
I just could not believe it, to think that she was real.
And as I tried to tell her she said 'Shhh.. I know just how you feel.
And if you want to come here with me, then that's all right with me.
'Cause I've been oh so lonely, lovin' someone is a better way to be.
Anywhere's a better way to be.'
"The morning came so swiftly as I held her in my arms.
But she slept like a baby, snug and safe from harm.
I did not want to share her or dare to break the mood,
So before she woke I went out to buy us both some food.
"I came back with my paper bag, to find that she was gone.
She'd left a six word letter saying 'It's time that I moved on.'"
The waitress took her bar rag, and she wiped it across her eyes.
And as she spoke her voice came out as something like a sigh.
She said "I wish that I was beautiful, or that you were halfway blind.
And I wish I weren't so god-damned fat, I wish that you were mine.
And I wish that you'd come with me, when I leave for home.
For we both know all about loneliness, and livin' all alone."
And the little man,
Looked at the empty glass in his hand.
And he smiled a crooked grin,
He said, " I guess I'm out of gin.
And know we both have been so lonely.
And if you want me to come with you, then that's all right with me.
'Cause I know I'm goin' nowhere and anywhere's a better place to be."
The song "A Better Place To Be" by Harry Chapin is a melancholic tale of two lonely people finding solace in each other's company for a brief moment before being separated again. The story starts in a bar when a little man walks in and is asked by the waitress why he looks so down. He then proceeds to tell her a story about him being a watchman and meeting a beautiful but lonely woman at a diner. They hit it off and go back to his room where they spend the night together. However, when he returns from buying breakfast, he finds that she has left him a six-word letter and has moved on.
The song is a poignant reflection on loneliness and the fleeting moments of happiness that people can experience, even in the most unexpected places. The little man and the waitress both share a deep sense of loneliness and isolation, and they connect over their shared experience. The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery that paints a picture of the characters' emotions and their surroundings. The song is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there can be moments of hope and light that can help people find a better place to be.
Line by Line Meaning
It was an early morning bar room,
The story begins in a bar that has just opened in the morning
And the place just opened up.
The bar had just opened for business
And the little man come in so fast and
A man quickly walks into the bar
Started at his cup.
The man begins to drink from his cup
And the broad who served the whiskey
The female bartender who served whiskey
She was a big old friendly girl.
She was a friendly larger woman
And she tried to fight her empty nights
She tries to overcome her loneliness
By smilin' at the world.
She tries to be optimistic by smiling at the world
And she said "Hey Bub, It's been awhile
The bartender greets the man and asks why he looks down
Since you been around.
Asking where he has been
Where the hell you been hidin'? And why you look so down ?"
Asking why he looks sad and where he has been hiding
But the little man just sat there like he'd never heard a sound.
The man does not respond and remains silent
The waitress she gave out with a cough,
The waitress coughs
And acting not the least put off,
She continues to speak without any hesitation
She spoke once again.
The waitress speaks again
She said, "I don't want to bother you,
The waitress does not want to trouble the man
Consider it's understood.
She assumes he understands that she is not trying to be intrusive
I know I'm not no beauty queen,
She acknowledges she is not particularly beautiful
But I sure can listen good."
But she can listen well and is a good listener
And the little man took his drink in his hand
The man takes a sip from his cup
And he raised it to his lips.
The man raises the cup to his mouth
He took a couple of sips.
The man takes a few sips from his cup
And he told the waitress this story.
The man begins to tell the waitress a story
"I am the midnight watchman down at Miller's Tool and Die.
The man works as a midnight watchman at a factory
And I watch the metal rusting, and I watch the time go by.
The man watches the metal rusting as time passes by
A week ago at the diner I stopped to get a bite.
The man went to a diner last week to get some food
And this here lovely lady she sat two seats from my right.
He saw a beautiful woman sitting two seats to his right
And Lord, Lord, Lord she was alright.
He was impressed by how beautiful she was
"Well, she was so damned beautiful she could warm a winter's frost.
He emphasizes again how beautiful the woman was
But she was long past lonely, and well nigh kinda lost.
But she was very lonely and lost
Now I'm not much of a mover, or a pick-em-up easy guy,
He isn't necessarily confident or capable when it comes to talking to women
But I decided to glide on over, and give her one good try.
But he decided to make an attempt and speak to her
And Lord, Lord, Lord she was worth a try.
He has no regrets about trying to speak to her because she was so beautiful
"I was Tongued-tied like a school boy, and I stammered out some words.
He was nervous and had trouble speaking to her
But it did not seem to matter much, 'cause I don't think she heard.
He thinks she did not hear what he said due to being preoccupied with something else
She just looked clear on through me to a space back in my head.
She appeared to look through him, lost in thought
And it shamed me into silence, as quietly she said,
He felt embarrassed and silent as she spoke
'If you want me to come with you, then that's all right with me.
She agreed to go with him
Cause I know I'm going nowhere, and anywhere's a better place to be.
She agrees to go with him because she feels lost and anywhere seems better than being alone
Anywhere's a better place to be.'"
Reiterating that any place is better than being alone
"I drove her to my boarding house, and I took her up to my room.
He took her to his boarding house and to his room upstairs
And I went to turn on the only light to brighten up the gloom.
He goes to turn on the light to brighten up the room
But she said, 'Please leave the light off, Oh I don't mind the dark.'
She asks him to leave the light off as she doesn't mind the dark
And as her clothes all tumbled 'round her, I could hear my heart.
He is taken aback by her shedding her clothes and his heart races
The moonlight shown upon her as she lay back in my bed.
The moonlight shone upon her as she lay in his bed
It was the kind of scene I only had imagined in my head.
He never believed this kind of thing would happen to him
I just could not believe it, to think that she was real.
He doubted the reality of his situation
And as I tried to tell her she said 'Shhh.. I know just how you feel.
He tries to express his feelings to her but she interrupts him, knowing what he wants to say
And if you want to come here with me, then that's all right with me.
She reassures him that everything is alright and he can stay with her
'Cause I've been oh so lonely, lovin' someone is a better way to be.
She admits to being lonely and states that loving someone is better than being alone
Anywhere's a better way to be.'"
Reiterating that any place is better than being alone
"The morning came so swiftly as I held her in my arms.
Time seemed to pass quickly with her in his arms
But she slept like a baby, snug and safe from harm.
She slept soundly and safely in his arms
I did not want to share her or dare to break the mood,
He didn't want to ruin the peaceful moment
So before she woke I went out to buy us both some food.
He left to buy some food before she woke up
"I came back with my paper bag, to find that she was gone.
When he returned, she had left
She'd left a six word letter saying 'It's time that I moved on.'"
She left him a note saying that she had to move on
The waitress took her bar rag, and she wiped it across her eyes.
The waitress wipes tears from her eyes with a rag
And as she spoke her voice came out as something like a sigh.
She speaks almost in a sad, longing tone
She said "I wish that I was beautiful, or that you were halfway blind.
She wishes she were more attractive or that he would like her regardless
And I wish I weren't so god-damned fat, I wish that you were mine.
She wishes she wasn't overweight and wishes they were together
And I wish that you'd come with me, when I leave for home.
She wants him to come with her when she goes home
For we both know all about loneliness, and livin' all alone."
They both understand living a lonely life
And the little man,
The man she had been speaking to
Looked at the empty glass in his hand.
He looks at his now-empty glass
And he smiled a crooked grin,
He smiles slightly
He said, "I guess I'm out of gin.
He realizes he's out of gin
And know we both have been so lonely.
He acknowledges that they have both been lonely
And if you want me to come with you, then that's all right with me.
He offers to go with her if she wants him to
'Cause I know I'm goin' nowhere and anywhere's a better place to be."
He agrees that anywhere is better than where he currently is
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HARRY F. CHAPIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Scotanthony1
jack crawford
Jack,
Harry truly was a genius! I remember my Mother exposing me to his music at an early age in my life. Even though I was young, I really took to him!
I remember us going to the local Youth Fair to see Harry and his brother perform; just the two of them, playing acoustic guitars!
I was very excited to see him and didn't understand at that time what a rare treat I was being afforded.
His music still affects me to this day, as I haven't listened to it now in quite a while, but was reminiscing a bit with it and was immediately brought back to the time when songs actually had meaning... instead of today's trash that appeals to the worst in a person.
Mark R. Elsis
Harry Chapin
One Of The Greatest Men On Earth
December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981
While waiting outside of Colden Auditorium at Queens College, after a canceled concert, I met and had a few words with the man who was to have given the concert. In my eyes, one of the greatest men on Earth.
He was a dedicated humanitarian who fought to end world hunger. He was the co-founder of World Hunger Year or WHY, now known as WhyHunger, a wonderful and efficient non-profit that is still helping feed hungry people today. He was instrumental in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger in 1977.
He was a man that was posthumously awarded the highest civilian award in the United States, the Congressional Gold Medal. He was a man who performed benefit concerts for hundreds of worthy organizations during his career. He was a man who raised more than 3,000,000 USD for those in need in the last six years of his life. He was a man that donated to charitable causes an estimated 33% of the revenues from his indefatigable schedule of 200 plus concerts performed each year.
Besides his tireless humanitarian work, he was an accomplished and creative renaissance man that during his life was nominated for the following illustrious awards: Oscar, Grammy, Peabody, Emmy, and Tony.
He was a man that I was lucky enough to have seen in concert a handful of times between 1975 and 1980. He is a man that I still miss today.
His name was Harry Chapin.
by Mark R. Elsis
https://EarthNewspaper.com/HarryChapin
Brian Ruschman
This is one of the best songs ever written. I don’t know how many hundred times I’ve listened to it, but I can say that it gets better each time. Oh Harry, we need you back.
Fighting incorrect stereotypes
A true definition of a bard. Shame talent like this doesn’t get recognized anymore.
Edward Hoehn
we really do
JourneyBrook
So miss his style and story telling. Now days it just formula and same lines then repeat.
Jack Thomas
The greatest ever
T
He never left moe....relax, live right and you'll see him again to chat
michelle shereck
This is Harry's Masterpiece...The line "She was so damn beautiful that she could warm a winter frost" just caught my heart so perfectly... I have been there and I could feel the emotion so easily...How I miss this guy!!!!
T
Your correct....what a tune
Frank Seifert
The best song ever
Heronimus Hertz
I told Harry it was my favorite of his. And, that "it sucks." We had a good laugh over that.