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.
What Made America Famous?
Harry Chapin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The churches full and the kids all gone to hell.
Six traffic lights and seven cops and all the streets kept clean.
The supermarket and the drug store and the bars all doing well.
They were the folks that made America famous.
The local fire department stocked with shorthaired volunteers.
And on Saturday night while America boozes
The lawyer and the grocer seeing their dreams
Come to life on the movie screens
While the plumber hopes that he won't be seen
As he tries to hide his fears and he wipes away his tears.
But something's burning somewhere. Does anybody care?
We were the kids that made America famous.
The kind of kids that long since drove our parents to despair.
We were lazy long hairs dropping out, lost confused, and copping out.
Convinced our futures were in doubt and trying not to care.
We lived in the house that made America famous.
It was a rundown slum, the shame of all the decent folks in town.
We hippies and some welfare cases,
Crowded families with coal black faces,
Cramped inside some cracked old boards,
The best that we all could afford
But still too nice for the rich landlord
To tear it down, and we could hear the sound
Of something burning somewhere. Is anybody there?
We all lived the life that made America famous.
The cops would make a point to shadow us around our town.
And we "love children" put a swastika on the bright red firehouse door.
America, the beautiful, it makes a body proud.
And then came the night that made America famous.
Was it carelessness or someone's sick idea of a joke?
In the tinderbox trap that we hippies lived in, someone struck a spark.
At first I thought I was dreaming,
Then I saw the first flames gleaming
And heard the sound of children screaming
Coming through the smoke. That's when the horror broke.
Something's burning somewhere. Does anybody care?
It was the fire that made America famous.
The sirens wailed and the firemen stumbled sleepy from their homes.
And the plumber yelled: "Come on let's go!"
But they saw what was burning and said: "Take it slow,
Let 'em sweat a little, they'll never know
And besides, we just cleaned the chrome."
Said the plumber: "Then I'm going alone."
He rolled on up in the fire truck
And raised the ladder to the ledge
Where me and my girl and a couple of kids
Were clinging like bats to the edge.
We staggered to salvation,
Collapsed on the street.
And I never thought that a fat man's face
Would ever look so sweet.
I shook his hand in the scene that made America famous
And a smile from the heart that made America great
We spent the rest of that night in the home of a man I'd never known before.
It's funny when you get that close, it's kind of hard to hate.
I went to sleep with the hope that made America famous.
I had the kind of a dream that maybe they're still trying to teach in school.
Of the America that made America famous... and
Of the people who just might understand
That how together, yes we can
Create a country better than
The one we have made of this land,
We have a choice to make each man
who dares to dream, reaching out his hand
A prophet or just a crazy God damn
Dreamer of a fool - yes a crazy fool
There's something burning somewhere.
Does anybody care?
Is anybody there?
Is anybody there?
The song What Made America Famous? by Harry Chapin depicts the life and struggles of people living in a small town in America, which gained notoriety due to a fire that broke out in a rundown slum occupied by hippies, welfare cases, and cramped families. The town had six traffic lights, seven cops, churches, supermarkets, drug stores, and bars doing well. The local fire department had shorthaired volunteers who showed dirty movies on Saturday nights while the lawyer and the grocer saw their dreams come to life on the movie screens. The kids were going to hell, and the long-haired lazy youths were dropping out, lost and copping out, convinced that their futures were in doubt, and trying not to care.
The fire that broke out in the poverty-stricken neighborhood was so intense that the cops had to shadow the hippies living in the slums. The firemen were drunk and did not respond to the fire immediately. It was the plumber who rolled up in the fire truck and raised the ladder to the fourth floor, where Harry Chapin and his girlfriend and a couple of kids were clinging to the edge. When they were rescued, they spent the rest of the night with a man they did not know, realizing that it is challenging to hate someone when you get to know them.
Line by Line Meaning
It was the town that made America famous.
This town has become famous in popular culture and is well-known for its churches, kids who are rebelling, the cleanliness of the streets, the success of its businesses such as the supermarket, drug store and bars, and the police force that monitors these colorful developments.
We were the kids that made America famous.
We are the generation that have distanced ourselves from traditional views and our parents' way of thinking through our recklessness, confusion, and disinterest, causing them to feel hopeless about our futures.
We lived in the house that made America famous.
Our dwelling, a dilapidated slum, was the abode for hippies and those on welfare, crowded in small spaces with broken boards, otherwise unacceptable for affluent landlords to tear down despite being ashamed of us. We could even hear the sound of something burning nearby, without anyone taking notice.
We all lived the life that made America famous.
We all had to cope with being constantly followed by the cops, and being labeled as 'love children' for decorating the firehouse door with a swastika. Nonetheless, America, a place sincerely held as beautiful, even if through biased eyes, makes us feel proud to be American.
And then came the night that made America famous.
The night of the fire clearly became infamous in American history, leaving behind disturbing questions such as whether it was a heinous act or just a careless mistake.
Something's burning somewhere. Does anybody care?
This repeated phrase implies a sense of urgency and importance being ignored by the people, pointing to potential dangers or crises that the country may face. The question is directed to anyone who is willing to take up the responsibility of a bystander - to care and to take action.
It was the fire that made America famous.
The fire left a strong mark in American history, causing the hurried commotion of sirens and panicked firemen. Even within all the chaos, people still had the leisure to make careless decisions, such as delaying to put out the flames, instead 'cleaning the chrome' or letting others 'sweat a little.'
He rolled on up in the fire truck and raised the ladder to the ledge.
The plumber arrived at the scene and without any hesitation, climbed up the fire truck's ladder to save those who were trapped, clinging to the edge.
I shook his hand in the scene that made America famous.
In the midst of the chaos, the artist shakes the plumber's hand in deep gratitude, for he was their savior. It is a scene that caused a national stir, and will undoubtedly be etched into the country's cultural memory.
I went to sleep with the hope that made America famous.
The artist goes to sleep with a newfound hope and reminiscent dream, contemplating the opportunity and possibility of developing a country better than the current one. It highlights the importance of progressive momentum, and the power of dreaming - both good and bad - in a country that values the freedom of creativity.
There's something burning somewhere. Does anybody care? Is anybody there?
This final repetition is a poignant and insistent argument, positing that there are always potential crises and dangers in any society, but the question is whether anyone cares enough or is there to address those issues, and as a result, leaving someone to ask in desperation, 'is anybody there?'
Contributed by Julian V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Ilselovesall
Really? Which of the lyrics exactly? Maybe these "We all lived the life that made America famous
The cops would make a point to shadow us around our town
And we "love children" put a swastika on the bright red firehouse door
America, the beautiful, it makes a body proud"
Or maybe these lines "It was the fire that made America famous
The sirens wailed and the firemen stumbled sleepy from their homes
And the plumber yelled: "Come on let's go!"
But they saw what was burning and said: "Take it slow
Let 'em sweat a little, they'll never know
And besides, we just cleaned the chrome."
Said the plumber: "Then I'm going alone.""
Sounds like Harry found the USA nothing but disgusting
@theceltbeserk1
Reading the Lyrics while listening and this song just brought me to tears. In my office. At work. First time I have heard this Chapin song.
"It's funny when you get that close it's kind of hard to hate."
Look what Social Media is doing to us.
@patboyle8734
Love Harry.Lucky I saw him in 79
@patboyle8734
I wore out this album.Still do.
@stemikger
There will never be another Harry Chapin. I was lucky enough to see him do a solo show at St. John's University in Staten Island when I was a kid. I still remember how awesome it was. We were all asked to bring cans of food for the hungry!!
@Jetset906
Singer/Songwriters, like Harry Chapin, take you on a journey each time.
@robbykile565
This is one of my favorite songs. I simply love the beauty of a man moving beyond his prejudices to see that beneath it all, we are all people. Nothing is more important than that. Thanks to Harry for making this song
@robbykile565
I was born after Harry's death, but my father introduced me to his music, and I fell in love. This song is one of my favorites. Every time I need to get a quote, I typically use the bit about "We have the choice to make each man who dares to dream, reaching out his hand a prophet or just a crazy damn dreamer of a fool". I don't know what I would do if I had never heard any of Harry's music. He was a blessing to the world. If only he had been around longer to write more music.
@gailpritchard7491
exactly i quote him all the time
@johncannon669
Same here. I was born right after he passed. But my father was the same way. Sadly I lost my father this February of 2022.
@Jonas-lj8ul
You get it, dude.