The song is about a man - whether it be Charles Whitman or your next door neighbor - who has no understanding of what life is. He has spent his entire life being ignored, shut out, and left alone because there was "something creepy about him."
He exists only within his own mind. In fact, he has no idea of whether or not he exists - which is the premise of the song. His "conversation" with the town is the only way left to him to prove his existence. "Am I?" he asks with his rifles.
As people lie dying on the streets below him, he finds his answer - that his actions have consequence ("Reality poured from her face..."), that he has made an impact on the world, that indeed, he exists. And, as he dies on the catwalk, he realizes that he will continue to exist as he goes down in history. Perhaps that was his semi-deranged plan from the beginning.
Harry Chapin was a master storyteller. If only we had artists like him today.
The song is about a man - whether it be Charles Whitman or your next door neighbor - who has no understanding of what life is. He has spent his entire life being ignored, shut out, and left alone because there was "something creepy about him."
He exists only within his own mind. In fact, he has no idea of whether or not he exists - which is the premise of the song. His "conversation" with the town is the only way left to him to prove his existence. "Am I?" he asks with his rifles.
As people lie dying on the streets below him, he finds his answer - that his actions have consequence ("Reality poured from her face..."), that he has made an impact on the world, that indeed, he exists. And, as he dies on the catwalk, he realizes that he will continue to exist as he goes down in history. Perhaps that was his semi-deranged plan from the beginning.
Harry Chapin was a master storyteller. If only we had artists like him today.