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"Mr. Tanner" by Harry Chapin

7/21/2015

 
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Background Photo by MirthGirl Photography
"Mr. Tanner"
Written by Harry Chapin
Mister Tanner was a cleaner 
From a town in the Midwest
And of all the cleaning shops around 

He'd made his the best
But he also was a baritone 

Who sang while hanging clothes
He practiced scales while pressing tails 

And sang at local shows
His friends and neighbors p
raised the voice 
That poured out from his throat
They said that he should use his gift 
Instead of cleaning coats

But music was his life

It was not his livelihood
And it made him feel so happy 

And it made him feel so good
And he sang from his heart 

And he sang from his soul
He did not know how well he sang

It just made him whole

His friends kept working on him 

To try music out full time
A big debut and rave reviews

A great career to climb
Finally they got to him

He would take the fling
A concert agent in New York 

Agreed to have him sing
And there were plane tickets, phone calls

Money spent to rent the hall
It took most of his savings 

But he gladly used them all

But music was his life

It was not his livelihood,
and it made him feel so happy 

And it made him feel so good
And he sang from his heart 

And he sang from his soul
He did not know how well he sang

It just made him whole

The evening came, he took the stage

His face set in a smile
And in the half-filled hall 

The critics sat watching on the aisle
But the concert was a blur to him

Spatters of applause
He did not know how well he sang

He only heard the flaws
But the critics were concise

It only took four lines
But no one could accuse them 

Of being over kind

(spoken) Mr. Martin Tanner, Baritone, of Dayton, Ohio made his Town Hall debut last night. He came well prepared, but unfortunately his presentation was not up to contemporary professional standards.
His voice lacks the range of tonal color necessary to make it consistently interesting.
(sung) Full time consideration 

Of another endeavor might be in order

He came home to Dayton 

And was questioned by his friends
Then he smiled and just said nothing 

And he never sang again
Excepting very late at night 

When the shop was dark and closed
He sang softly to himself 

As he sorted through the clothes

Music was his life

It was not his livelihood
And it made him feel so happy 

And it made him feel so good
And he sang from his heart 

And he sang from his soul
He did not know how well he sang

It just made him whole
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