It was just after dark when the truck started down the hill that leads into Scranton, Pennsylvania
November 22, 2011 7:08 PM Subscribe
You may be familiar with the song, and you may even know that it was based on a true story... But if you're only familiar with the original recording (or even the best-known version from Greatest Stories Live), you may not know that Harry Chapin's epic trucker song 30,000 Pounds Of Bananas actually had not three but FOUR endings. Now you can hear them all.
...not to mention an arm or two....
posted by Confess, Fletch at 7:20 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Confess, Fletch at 7:20 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]
Thanks, hippybear, I'm the sort of music fan that hooks into certain albums, and tends to miss songs that aren't on those compilations.. This was one I missed!
Reminds me a bit of that traditional thanksgiving story song.
posted by tomswift at 7:24 PM on November 22, 2011
Reminds me a bit of that traditional thanksgiving story song.
posted by tomswift at 7:24 PM on November 22, 2011
tomswift: if you're a fan of the story song genre, you can't go wrong with Harry Chapin. I recommend starting with the aforementioned Greatest Stories Live album and going from there. He was a master of his craft, and I still stand in awe of his creations.
posted by hippybear at 7:26 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by hippybear at 7:26 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
Extra trivia points: while not considered a direct parody, Weird Al's "Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota" was musically based on "Bananas".
posted by oneswellfoop at 7:31 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by oneswellfoop at 7:31 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]
I spent a lot of hours listening to "on the road to kingdom come"...
You know, I think I got a bit pissed off at the artists back then that had the audacity to die just when they were doing wonderful music... I have a hard time forgiving Chapin, and Croce, and Joplin, and Hendricks, and...the list is a bit too long.
posted by tomswift at 7:36 PM on November 22, 2011 [4 favorites]
You know, I think I got a bit pissed off at the artists back then that had the audacity to die just when they were doing wonderful music... I have a hard time forgiving Chapin, and Croce, and Joplin, and Hendricks, and...the list is a bit too long.
posted by tomswift at 7:36 PM on November 22, 2011 [4 favorites]
Since the Bottom Line performance you linked to happened years after the performance on the "Greatest Hits Live", it was clear that he was adding to it as he went along, and had he not died of a heart attack/auto accident in '81, by now we would have at least 20 endings and that one song would be longer than the rest of his concert and there would be nothing wrong with that.
posted by oneswellfoop at 7:47 PM on November 22, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by oneswellfoop at 7:47 PM on November 22, 2011 [3 favorites]
If there is an afterlife, I seriously hope I will finally get to learn why my high school boyfriend put this song on the "romantic" mix tape he made for me. It is my one wish. DO YOU HEAR ME, GOD(S)?
posted by argonauta at 8:03 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by argonauta at 8:03 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]
That was the most played album in our house growing up. A pretty amazing live album. The 8-Track was in the car.
Our Dog was named Mr. Tanner.
posted by Ironmouth at 8:42 PM on November 22, 2011 [4 favorites]
Our Dog was named Mr. Tanner.
posted by Ironmouth at 8:42 PM on November 22, 2011 [4 favorites]
One night coming home from visiting a friend in Rochester, NY, I was driving south on I-81 (came down to 17, turned at Binghamton to go south on 81, to 380 and then to 80 to home.
It was January, the road was in shitty condition from the weather, and as I crested a hill I saw a big truck go by me at what I thought was an unsafe speed considering the weather conditions.
And then I realized... it was THAT hill. Scranton lay before me, and it was the hill in 30,000 Pounds of Bananas.
No idea what happened - 380 veered off before reaching the bottom - but I probably would have heard about it if the truck went out of control, I think.
posted by mephron at 10:15 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]
It was January, the road was in shitty condition from the weather, and as I crested a hill I saw a big truck go by me at what I thought was an unsafe speed considering the weather conditions.
And then I realized... it was THAT hill. Scranton lay before me, and it was the hill in 30,000 Pounds of Bananas.
No idea what happened - 380 veered off before reaching the bottom - but I probably would have heard about it if the truck went out of control, I think.
posted by mephron at 10:15 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]
Greatest Stories Live was one of the first, like, ten albums I ever owned (gifted by adult family members when I got my first CD player). I loved it. I don't know where it's gone, and I guess I'd better find out. Thanks for this post.
posted by librarina at 10:58 PM on November 22, 2011
posted by librarina at 10:58 PM on November 22, 2011
.
posted by mikelieman at 1:51 AM on November 23, 2011
posted by mikelieman at 1:51 AM on November 23, 2011
Harry Chapin is so cool that Kurt Vonnegut stole "Cat's Cradle" from him and traveled backward in time eleven years to publish it.
posted by twoleftfeet at 1:59 AM on November 23, 2011
posted by twoleftfeet at 1:59 AM on November 23, 2011
Greatest Stories is indeed a compilation of some of the greatest stories and best storytelling ever. Harry Chapin was a master storyteller. When he died, it was the first time I'd ever seen my dad cry. The only two pop-culture figures I really feel a deep pang for are Harry Chapin and Douglas Adams, mostly because I mourn all of the untold stories they took with them.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:08 AM on November 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by DarlingBri at 2:08 AM on November 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
I was lucky enough to see Harry Chapin perform a bunch of times. Norfolk, Virginia was a place he enjoyed playing, and it was always a stop on his tours. He got the biggest kick out of leading the crowd in the chant "We don't drink, we don't smoke, Norfolk, Norfolk!" (You have to pronounce Norfolk correctly for it to work.)
Besides being a great storyteller, he was, truly, a master showman, too. He was funny and personable and really enjoyed playing a room. Plus he had a talented band. And a cello.
Too soon gone.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 3:25 AM on November 23, 2011
Besides being a great storyteller, he was, truly, a master showman, too. He was funny and personable and really enjoyed playing a room. Plus he had a talented band. And a cello.
Too soon gone.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 3:25 AM on November 23, 2011
benny andajetz: You have to pronounce Norfolk correctly for it to work.
with all due respect, you have to pronounce it like someone from anywhere but coastal virginia for it to work. if you pronounce it correctly, the line would have to be changed to something like, "We don't drink, we don't upchuck ..."
posted by msconduct at 5:10 AM on November 23, 2011
with all due respect, you have to pronounce it like someone from anywhere but coastal virginia for it to work. if you pronounce it correctly, the line would have to be changed to something like, "We don't drink, we don't upchuck ..."
posted by msconduct at 5:10 AM on November 23, 2011
whoops. sorry about not closing the italic tag. heh. moar coffee!
posted by msconduct at 5:24 AM on November 23, 2011
posted by msconduct at 5:24 AM on November 23, 2011
I was introduced to Harry Chapin by my dad, who remains a big fan. I'm kind of torn in my personal appraisal of his work, because some of it just seems overtly sentimental and manipulative. He was extremely gifted at crafting sad stories in music, but all those songs do is end up reminding you that life is suffering. Mr. Tanner gets the one thing that makes him happy stomped, the taxi driver gets reminded that he's a colossal underachiever as his dignity is shredded before him, and Harry Crane and his new wife don't seem to be headed anywhere pleasant. I can find my own existential angst without Harry crafting it for me.
However, I still like the songs because Chapin was so gifted at his craft. Most importantly, he wrote a song that's largely overlooked despite it being a masterful allegory, so incredibly deft that I don't know why it isn't more celebrated:
"The Rock." Superficially, it's about a person living in town that has a neighboring mountain with a huge boulder resting precariously at the top. The protagonist has become aware that the rock is about to finally roll down the mountain and crush the town. He tells his mother; she tells him he's overreacting. He tells his professor in class, and his professor calls him a crank. He tells the town officials; they call him crazy and ignore him. He decides that he has to stop the rock himself if no one will help him. While he's visiting the mountaintop the rock starts to move and, desperate to do something, the protagonist throws himself under the rock and stops it.
No one knows about his sacrifice. The townspeople hear a commotion, but when they go out to look the rock doesn't look like it moved. They don't even care about the protagonist's absence because he'd been written off as crazy. However, "high up on the mountain when the wind is hitting it/If you're watching very closely, the rock slips a little bit."
When you see our political and industrial leaders cynically acting in self interest and then claiming it's for our own good, don't you wonder why the people around you won't just look and see that denial is going to destroy us? Have you ever wondered why people think you're overreacting to our political realities when it's obvious what's wrong? Have you ever wondered if you'd throw yourself under the rock if it came to that?
RIP, Harry.
posted by Mayor Curley at 5:32 AM on November 23, 2011 [6 favorites]
However, I still like the songs because Chapin was so gifted at his craft. Most importantly, he wrote a song that's largely overlooked despite it being a masterful allegory, so incredibly deft that I don't know why it isn't more celebrated:
"The Rock." Superficially, it's about a person living in town that has a neighboring mountain with a huge boulder resting precariously at the top. The protagonist has become aware that the rock is about to finally roll down the mountain and crush the town. He tells his mother; she tells him he's overreacting. He tells his professor in class, and his professor calls him a crank. He tells the town officials; they call him crazy and ignore him. He decides that he has to stop the rock himself if no one will help him. While he's visiting the mountaintop the rock starts to move and, desperate to do something, the protagonist throws himself under the rock and stops it.
No one knows about his sacrifice. The townspeople hear a commotion, but when they go out to look the rock doesn't look like it moved. They don't even care about the protagonist's absence because he'd been written off as crazy. However, "high up on the mountain when the wind is hitting it/If you're watching very closely, the rock slips a little bit."
When you see our political and industrial leaders cynically acting in self interest and then claiming it's for our own good, don't you wonder why the people around you won't just look and see that denial is going to destroy us? Have you ever wondered why people think you're overreacting to our political realities when it's obvious what's wrong? Have you ever wondered if you'd throw yourself under the rock if it came to that?
RIP, Harry.
posted by Mayor Curley at 5:32 AM on November 23, 2011 [6 favorites]
Harry Chapin is so cool that Kurt Vonnegut stole "Cat's Cradle" from him and traveled backward in time eleven years to publish it.
Okay, I apologize for probable obtuseness, but this reads like a sarcastic suggestion that it was instead stolen by Chapin from Vonnegut since Vonnegut's was eleven years earlier. Is that the suggestion? Because I don't think these two things have anything to do with each other besides having titles based on the same kids' game.
posted by Linda_Holmes at 6:08 AM on November 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
Okay, I apologize for probable obtuseness, but this reads like a sarcastic suggestion that it was instead stolen by Chapin from Vonnegut since Vonnegut's was eleven years earlier. Is that the suggestion? Because I don't think these two things have anything to do with each other besides having titles based on the same kids' game.
posted by Linda_Holmes at 6:08 AM on November 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
My college roommate introduced me to Harry Chapin. "Mr. Tanner" & "Flowers Are Red" break my heart every time I hear them.
And as for Norfolk, it's properly pronounce "Naw frik" by the natives and almost natives.
posted by bluesapphires at 6:09 AM on November 23, 2011
And as for Norfolk, it's properly pronounce "Naw frik" by the natives and almost natives.
posted by bluesapphires at 6:09 AM on November 23, 2011
the taxi driver gets reminded that he's a colossal underachiever as his dignity is shredded before him
I hate to get all Paul Harvey on you, but you should listen to Sequel.
And now you know... the rest of the story.
posted by hippybear at 6:47 AM on November 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
I hate to get all Paul Harvey on you, but you should listen to Sequel.
And now you know... the rest of the story.
posted by hippybear at 6:47 AM on November 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
I hate to get all Paul Harvey on you, but you should listen to Sequel.
"Sequel" never happened. It doesn't exist. It's for everyone's good, like stopping the Clash canon at "Combat Rock" instead of "Cut the Crap."
posted by Mayor Curley at 7:57 AM on November 23, 2011
"Sequel" never happened. It doesn't exist. It's for everyone's good, like stopping the Clash canon at "Combat Rock" instead of "Cut the Crap."
posted by Mayor Curley at 7:57 AM on November 23, 2011
"Okay, I apologize for probable obtuseness, but this reads like a sarcastic suggestion that it was instead stolen by Chapin from Vonnegut since Vonnegut's was eleven years earlier. Is that the suggestion? Because I don't think these two things have anything to do with each other besides having titles based on the same kids' game."
(Slowly wakes up... sees fresh "kid's snow" on the ground that fell overnight... distant freeway traffic muted into silence by the white blanket... stretches... gets up... pushed feet into LL Bean sheppskin slippers... pushes baby duck-down duvet aside... eases into kitchen to fire up the ol' Tassimo... takes first sip and starts looking around for something to get angry at... TV news is all over forced shutdowns of various Occupy camps... continuing unrest in Tahrir Square, but I don't live anywhere close to Egypt so no big deal... maybe I'll check out MeFi... WHAT THE HELL'S THIS??? A TIME-TRAVEL JOKE??? ABOUT KURT VONNEGUT??!!... JESUS H FRACKIN' CHRIST!!... OOOO... THAT JUST MAKES ME SO... SO... GODDAM IT!!... WHERE"S THE SPITTOON???... WFT WHY IS THE LAPTOP TAKING SO LONG TO BOOT UP "POST REPLY"???! OK HERE WE GO... "THIS READS LIKE A SARCASTIC SUGGESTION..." That'll show 'im. YEAH... TALK!!! DAMMIT... HOW DARE YOU MAKE A FRICKIN' JOKE... A JOKE!!! ABOUT KURT GOD-CALLS-ME-GOD VONNEGUT???... [pant pant] OK, where did all the coffee go?)
PS... Apology accepted.
posted by Mike D at 7:58 AM on November 23, 2011
(Slowly wakes up... sees fresh "kid's snow" on the ground that fell overnight... distant freeway traffic muted into silence by the white blanket... stretches... gets up... pushed feet into LL Bean sheppskin slippers... pushes baby duck-down duvet aside... eases into kitchen to fire up the ol' Tassimo... takes first sip and starts looking around for something to get angry at... TV news is all over forced shutdowns of various Occupy camps... continuing unrest in Tahrir Square, but I don't live anywhere close to Egypt so no big deal... maybe I'll check out MeFi... WHAT THE HELL'S THIS??? A TIME-TRAVEL JOKE??? ABOUT KURT VONNEGUT??!!... JESUS H FRACKIN' CHRIST!!... OOOO... THAT JUST MAKES ME SO... SO... GODDAM IT!!... WHERE"S THE SPITTOON???... WFT WHY IS THE LAPTOP TAKING SO LONG TO BOOT UP "POST REPLY"???! OK HERE WE GO... "THIS READS LIKE A SARCASTIC SUGGESTION..." That'll show 'im. YEAH... TALK!!! DAMMIT... HOW DARE YOU MAKE A FRICKIN' JOKE... A JOKE!!! ABOUT KURT GOD-CALLS-ME-GOD VONNEGUT???... [pant pant] OK, where did all the coffee go?)
PS... Apology accepted.
posted by Mike D at 7:58 AM on November 23, 2011
Mike D, I think we are in agreement that seeking something to get angry about is not a great idea. Beyond that, I think common ground will be elusive. Happy Thanksgiving.
posted by Linda_Holmes at 8:16 AM on November 23, 2011
posted by Linda_Holmes at 8:16 AM on November 23, 2011
"He did not know how well he sang, he only heard the flaws" is probably one of the truest lines ever written about being a musician.
(Awesome post. Count me in the "introduced at a young age to Harry by my dad and uncle" camp. Wore out my cassette of "Greatest Stories Live" growing up.)
posted by zap rowsdower at 8:36 AM on November 23, 2011
(Awesome post. Count me in the "introduced at a young age to Harry by my dad and uncle" camp. Wore out my cassette of "Greatest Stories Live" growing up.)
posted by zap rowsdower at 8:36 AM on November 23, 2011
And as for Norfolk, it's properly pronounce "Naw frik" by the natives and almost natives.
Sidetrack, but I am a native. Most natives pronounce it Nawfuck, but there are lots of variations. The one thing it definitely isn't is Norfoalk.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 9:19 AM on November 23, 2011
Sidetrack, but I am a native. Most natives pronounce it Nawfuck, but there are lots of variations. The one thing it definitely isn't is Norfoalk.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 9:19 AM on November 23, 2011
Going to college out in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania (not quite the same ring to it) we got to hear quite a bit of Harry Chapin. For those of us who had only heard "Cats in the cradle" we were floored.
Also, despite never having visited, riden through, or flown over Scranton, Pennsylvania... we all knew where it was.
posted by Slackermagee at 10:17 AM on November 23, 2011
Also, despite never having visited, riden through, or flown over Scranton, Pennsylvania... we all knew where it was.
posted by Slackermagee at 10:17 AM on November 23, 2011
One more thing about Harry Chapin. Before I went to work as his Assistant/Sidekick, I listened to "Sweet" Dick Whittington on the radio every morning. And he liked to have guests on in the 9-10AM hour, anybody who'd come on to plug something at an almost-L.A. radio station. And when I heard he was having Harry Chapin on, I made sure I taped it because I'd be in school. Harry had already put out "WOLD", I was an aspiring disc jockey and Dick had already made jokes about it being the story of HIS life. Anyway, the interview went well, not jokey, and at one point Harry said "I've just finished writing a new song, maybe you'd like to hear it..." and he picked up a guitar he'd brought to the studio and sang "Cats in the Cradle" for the first time on the radio ANYWHERE. It was incredibly moving, and the jokester DJ just left a few seconds of dead air after which he moaned "Gawd, ohhhh, gawd, stop the show, I gotta call my kid!" (Which I later learned from him was what he actually did the minute he was off the air). The cassette I made of that broadcast was one of my most treasured possessions, but was lost with a whole box of tapes before I ever got equipment to transfer it to mp3. DAMN.
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:56 PM on November 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:56 PM on November 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
Buddy Holly and Harry Chapin, would love to visit the alternative universe where they didn't die early.
But they split,
So I got lit.
posted by Elmore at 4:23 PM on November 26, 2011
But they split,
So I got lit.
posted by Elmore at 4:23 PM on November 26, 2011
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My dad used to play Harry Chapin cassettes all the time when he and I were on long road trips. When I was in high school, this was a song that we'd both sing along with - maybe the only one we would sing along with. Good times, good times.
posted by Joey Michaels at 7:20 PM on November 22, 2011