In the mid 1970s, Chapin focused on social activism, including raising money to combat hunger in the United States and co-founding the organization World Hunger Year, before returning to music with On the Road to Kingdom Come. He also released a book of poetry, Looking...Seeing, in 1977.
His fellow Long Islanders loved him for his support of local artists, as well. He and his wife Sandy raised funds for the Performing Arts Foundation, a now-defunct local theatre group. They also supported the Long Island Ballet. The band shell at Huntington's Hecksher Park is named for Harry Chapin.
Chapin died on July 16, 1981 in an automobile accident on the Long Island Expressway at the age of 38. He was headed west from Huntington Bay, where he lived with his wife and three children, to perform a concert in Eisenhower Park in Nassau County when his car was struck by a truck. An autopsy showed that he had suffered a heart attack, but it could not be determined whether that occurred before or after the collision. Supermarkets General, the owner of the truck, paid $12 million in the ensuing litigation.
A Better Place
Harry Chapin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the place just opened up
And the little man came in so fast
And he started at his cups
And the broad who served the whiskey
She was a big old friendly girl
She tried to fight her empty nights
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?"
The little man just sat there
Like he'd never heard a sound
The waitress, she gave out with a cough
And actin' 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 that waitress this story
I am the midnight watchman
Down at Miller's Tool and Die
And I watch the metal rustin'
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
You see, she was so damned beautiful
She could warm a winter frost
But she looked long past lonely
And well now I, I was 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
But I was tongued-tied like a school boy
I stammered out some words
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
That's all right with me
'Cause I know I'm goin' nowhere
And anywhere's a better place to be
Anywhere's a better place to be"
When 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 shone 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
"Shh, I know just how you feel"
"And if you want to come here with me
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 place to be"
Well, the mornin' came so swiftly
I held her in my arms
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 a paper bag
To find that she was gone
She'd left a six word letter
Sayin', "It's time that I moved on"
You know that waitress took her bar rag
And she wiped it across her eyes
And as she spoke her voice came out
As somethin' 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 emptiness
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 I know we both have been so lonely"
"And if you want me to come with you
That's alright 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 tells the story of a “midnight watchman” working at a factory near a bar and his encounter with a lonely waitress. The little man enters the bar and orders a drink while the waitress tries to ease his mood with small talk. The man then confesses to the waitress that he met a beautiful woman but things didn’t go as he planned. He tells her the story of how he met the woman while having lunch at the diner and how he is “lost” because of her. He decides to take her to his room at the boarding house but she leaves a note the following morning saying that “it’s time that I moved on.” The waitress sympathizes with the man’s story and reveals that she also experiences loneliness and wishes for a companion.
The song explores the themes of loneliness, unrequited love, and the search for meaning of life. The characters in the song struggle to find a place where they belong and try to find comfort in other people’s company. The little man and the waitress both feel the emptiness of their lives and long to find someone who understands them. However, the song ends on a hopeful note as they both decide that “anywhere’s a better place to be” if they have each other.
Line by Line Meaning
It was an early mornin' bar room
The story begins in a bar room early in the morning
And the place just opened up
The bar had just opened for the day
And the little man came in so fast
A hurried man entered the bar quickly
And he started at his cups
He immediately began drinking
And the broad who served the whiskey
The female bartender who served the whiskey
She was a big old friendly girl
The bartender was a kind and friendly woman
She tried to fight her empty nights
She attempted to overcome her loneliness
By smilin' at the world
By putting on a smile for everyone
And she said, 'Hey bub
She greeted the man and said, 'Hey'
It's been awhile since you been around
Noticing his absence, she mentioned that he hadn't been there for a while
Where the hell you been hidin'?
Curiously asking where he had been hiding
And why you look so down?'
Wondering why he appeared sad
The little man just sat there
The man remained seated without responding
Like he'd never heard a sound
He seemed to be ignoring everything around him
The waitress, she gave out with a cough
The waitress coughed
And actin' not the least put off, she spoke once again
Unaffected by his silence, she spoke again
She said, 'I don't want to bother you
She expressed her concern about bothering him
Consider it's understood
She wanted him to know that she understood
I know I'm not no beauty queen
She acknowledged that she wasn't a beauty queen
But I sure can listen good'
She emphasized her ability to be a good listener
And the little man took his drink in his hand
The man took hold of his drink
And he raised it to his lips
He lifted the glass to his mouth
He took a couple of sips
He drank a few sips from the glass
And he told that waitress this story
The man proceeded to share his story with the waitress
I am the midnight watchman
He revealed his occupation as a watchman working at night
Down at Miller's Tool and Die
Specifically, he worked at Miller's Tool and Die company
And I watch the metal rustin'
He observed the metal rust over time
I watch the time go by
His job involved monitoring the passing of time
A week ago at the diner, I stopped to get a bite
One week prior, he ate at a diner
And this here lovely lady
He encountered a beautiful woman at the diner
She sat two seats from my right
She was seated two seats to his right
And Lord, Lord, Lord she was alright
He expresses admiration for her beauty
You see, she was so damned beautiful
He emphasizes how incredibly beautiful she was
She could warm a winter frost
Her beauty had the ability to bring warmth even in the coldest of winters
But she looked long past lonely
Despite her beauty, she appeared deeply lonely
And well now I, I was lost
He felt lost and unsure of what to do
Now I'm not much of a mover
He admits to not being smooth or skilled at courting
Or a pick-'em-up easy guy
He clarifies that he's not the type who easily charms others
But I decided to glide on over and give her one good try
Despite his lack of confidence, he chose to approach her and make an effort
And Lord, Lord, Lord she was worth a try
He believed she was worth the risk of trying to win her over
But I was tongued-tied like a school boy
He became speechless and nervous like an inexperienced young boy
I stammered out some words
He struggled to speak coherently
It did not seem to matter much
His words appeared to have little impact
'Cause I don't think she heard
He doesn't believe she paid attention to what he said
She just looked clear on through me
She seemed to see right through him
To a space back in my head
She saw the emptiness within him
And it shamed me into silence
Feeling embarrassed, he became quiet
As quietly she said
She spoke softly
"If you want me to come with you
She offered to go with him
That's all right with me
She expressed her willingness to accompany him
'Cause I know I'm goin' nowhere
She didn't have any specific destination or purpose in life
And anywhere's a better place to be
She believed that being anywhere else would be preferable to her current situation
Anywhere's a better place to be
She reiterated her belief that anywhere would be better
When I drove her to my boarding house
He took her to his boarding house
And I took her up to my room
They went up to his room together
And I went to turn on the only light
He attempted to switch on the light to brighten the room
To brighten up the gloom
In order to make the atmosphere more cheerful
But she said, 'Please leave the light off
She requested that he keep the light off
Oh, I don't mind the dark'
She was comfortable being in the dark
And as her clothes all tumbled 'round her
As she undressed and her clothes fell to the ground
I could hear my heart
His heart began to race with excitement
The moonlight shone upon her
The moonlight illuminated her body
As she lay back in my bed
As she reclined on his bed
It was the kind of scene I only
This situation was something he had only imagined
Had imagined in my head
He had fantasized about a moment like this
I just could not believe it
He found it hard to believe that this was actually happening
To think that she was real
He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that she was truly there
And as I tried to tell her, she said
While he attempted to express his feelings, she interrupted
'Shh, I know just how you feel'
She comforted him, assuring him that she understood his emotions
"And if you want to come here with me
She offered him the chance to be with her
That's all right with me
She had no objections to him joining her
'Cause I've been, oh, so lonely
She revealed that she had been deeply lonely as well
Lovin' someone is a better way to be
She believed that experiencing love would improve their lives
Anywhere's a better place to be
Similar to before, she reiterated that being anywhere else would be better
Well, the mornin' came so swiftly
Morning arrived quickly
I held her in my arms
He embraced her
She slept like a baby
She slept peacefully
Snug and safe from harm
Feeling protected and secure
I did not want to share her
He didn't want to let her go
Or dare to break the mood
He was afraid to ruin the peaceful atmosphere
So, before she woke I went out
To prevent waking her, he left the room
To buy us both some food
He went to purchase food for them both
I came back with a paper bag
He returned with a bag made of paper
To find that she was gone
Upon his return, he discovered that she had left
She'd left a six word letter
She left behind a letter consisting of only six words
Sayin', 'It's time that I moved on'
The letter expressed her decision to move on with her life
You know that waitress took her bar rag
The waitress grabbed her bar rag
And she wiped it across her eyes
She wiped her eyes with the bar rag
And as she spoke her voice came out
Her voice trembled as she spoke
As somethin' like a sigh
Her voice resembled a sigh
She said, 'I wish that I was beautiful
Expressing her insecurity, she wished she was beautiful
Or that you were halfway blind
She wished he wouldn't judge her appearance
And I wish I weren't so god-damned fat
She lamented her weight, wishing she wasn't overweight
I wish that you were mine'
She yearned for him to be hers
'And I wish that you'd come with me
She wished for him to accompany her
When I leave for home
She wanted him to go with her when she returned home
For we both know all about emptiness
They both understood the feeling of emptiness
And livin' all alone'
They both experienced the loneliness of living alone
And the little man
Referring to himself
Looked at the empty glass in his hand
He examined the empty glass he held
And he smiled a crooked grin
He smiled with a slightly lopsided grin
He said, 'I guess I'm out of gin
He realized he had run out of gin
And I know we both have been so lonely'
He acknowledged their shared loneliness
'And if you want me to come with you
He offered to go with her
That's alright with me
He expressed his agreement with her suggestion
'Cause I know I'm goin' nowhere
He understood that he had no particular destination or purpose
And anywhere's a better place to be'
He believed that anywhere would be better than his current situation
Contributed by Carson B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.