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.
Anthem
Harry Chapin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She wasn't very smart,
But everything she said to him came strait from her heart.
Write a song about me,
Sing a song that's of my day,
Everybody special in there ordinary way.
Looking for an anthem,
He was looking for a song,
Looking for a melody singing brings the world along.
He was strumming his guitar,
He was searching their eyes,
If he can't find his anthem will he buy the compromise.
One child was brown and hungry,
One a red injun girl,
One child was black and angry,
One from the other half the world.
And as he heard their silent screams,
That they have sounded there for years,
It had been lost among the whispers,
And drowned out by their tears.
CHORUS
He kept looking for a story,
Looking for a plot.
He kept on looking in the wonder,
If he was blind or not.
All he found was bugle fragments,
That he'd left there in his youth.
But he never found the music,
To accompany the truth.
Now the old man had been young once,
The old man had been strong.
He once had a family, but they'd grown up and moved a long.
The old man told him loneliness, is what the years would bring,
But the old man couldn't tell him,
How to make the long years sing.
CHORUS
The song "Anthem" by Harry Chapin is a contemplative piece about a songwriter searching for inspiration, and ultimately, meaning in life. The opening lines describe a woman who is not conventionally attractive or intelligent, but she speaks from her heart. This sentiment is echoed in the next line, "everybody special in their ordinary way." These lines are an observation on the importance of honesty and authenticity over superficial qualities.
The chorus is a repeated refrain, with the songwriter searching for an anthem, a song that will bring the world along. He strums his guitar and searches the eyes of those around him for inspiration, but he worries that he will settle for a compromise if he can't find what he's looking for. The second verse introduces listeners to several children of different races and backgrounds, highlighting the idea that everyone has a story to tell. The children's silent screams go unheard and are lost among the vague whispers of society.
The final verse describes an old man who has lived a long and lonely life, unable to provide the songwriter with guidance on how to make the years sing. The song ends on the chorus, with the unanswered question of whether the songwriter finds his anthem or not. Overall, the song is a powerful examination of the search for meaning and the importance of authenticity in creating meaningful art.
Line by Line Meaning
She wasn't very pretty,
She didn't have conventional beauty,
She wasn't very smart,
She wasn't intellectually gifted,
But everything she said to him came straight from her heart.
Her words had a pure and genuine quality to them, as if they originated from deep within her soul.
Write a song about me,
The subject of the song requests the songwriter to compose a song about them.
Sing a song that's of my day,
The subject wants the song to be reflective of their current moment and time in life.
Everybody special in their ordinary way.
Every individual has unique qualities and characteristics that make them special and worthy of recognition, even in their seemingly ordinary traits.
Looking for an anthem,
The songwriter seeks to find a powerful and inspiring song or melody to represent a movement or idea.
He was looking for a song,
The songwriter desires to find a musical piece that encapsulates a specific message or feeling.
Looking for a melody singing brings the world along.
The songwriter hopes to create a tune that resonates with multiple individuals and unites them with a shared sentiment or experience.
He was strumming his guitar,
The songwriter was experimenting with musical chords and techniques on his guitar.
He was searching their eyes,
The songwriter observed the expressions and reactions of his audience to gauge their engagement and connection to his music.
If he can't find his anthem will he buy the compromise.
If the songwriter cannot find the perfect song, he may end up settling for a less-than-ideal musical piece that somewhat aligns with his message or intent.
One child was brown and hungry,
One child was impoverished and malnourished, with little access to food or resources.
One a red injun girl,
One girl was a Native American, possibly experiencing the injustices and hardships commonly imposed on this disadvantaged group.
One child was black and angry,
One child was filled with frustration and resentment, perhaps due to experiencing racism or other forms of discrimination.
One from the other half the world.
One child was from a distant and unknown place, experiencing a unique set of circumstances that differed from the others.
And as he heard their silent screams,
The songwriter became aware of the pain and suffering that these children silently endured.
That they have sounded there for years,
Their cries had persisted for a substantial amount of time, without any noticeable improvements or solutions.
It had been lost among the whispers,
The deep and profound issues that these children faced had become subdued and less noticeable over time.
And drowned out by their tears.
Their sorrow and despair overwhelmed their voices, making their pleas for help less audible.
He kept looking for a story,
The songwriter continued to search for real-life experiences and narratives that he could use to inspire his creative work.
Looking for a plot.
He sought a cohesive and engaging storyline that could form the foundation of his songwriting.
He kept on looking in the wonder,
He searched in awe and amazement at the variety and complexity of human experiences.
If he was blind or not.
He questioned his ability to perceive and understand the different perspectives of the world around him.
All he found was bugle fragments,
The songwriter only found incomplete or insufficient pieces of the puzzle to craft his musical story.
That he'd left there in his youth.
The remnants of inspiration and fragments of ideas were from his past, representing an earlier, more naive version of himself.
But he never found the music,
Despite searching for a long time, he was never able to find the perfect melody or tune that could complement his lyrics.
To accompany the truth.
He couldn't find a musical arrangement that properly supported and emphasized the messages and themes of his songwriting.
Now the old man had been young once,
The elderly person speaking to the songwriter had once been youthful and full of life.
The old man had been strong.
The man had once possessed physical and emotional strength that had faded over time.
He once had a family, but they'd grown up and moved along.
He had once had a sense of community and connection with his loved ones, but the passage of time and various life circumstances had pulled them apart.
The old man told him loneliness is what the years would bring,
The man attempted to warn the songwriter that the passage of time and various life events would lead to a sense of isolation and desolation.
But the old man couldn't tell him how to make the long years sing.
Despite recognizing the potential for loneliness in life, the older man had no clear answers or solutions to offer regarding how to overcome this feeling.
Looking for an anthem,
The songwriter is still searching for a powerful, universally relatable song or melody that can reverberate throughout humanity.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Just us
Absolutely love it, honestly didn't know this album existed. So glad I found it :)
Robby Kile
Thank you for posting this song. I lost the cassette that I had it on, and I missed this song very much!
Nicolatkd
I take it the Anthem wasn’t “YMCA”.