Harry Chapin - Why Do Little Girls

On July 16, 1981, singer/songwriter/humanitarian Harry Chapin died of a massive heart attack on the Long Island Expressway en route to yet another benefit concert. He was 38.

Harry's music spoke of universal longings of love, hate, and loneliness, underlined by the all too human need to try and understand the turmoils of the world around us, even within our own families.

His more famous songs, such as "Cat's In The Cradle" and "Taxi", are well represented on YouTube, I'd like to try and fill in some of the blanks. My first attempt at this, hope I made Harry proud, his music meant a great deal to me.

None of this belongs to me. If you see something of yours you'd like removed, just say the word.

Thanks to his family for keeping his spirit alive, please visit for more info:

http://harrychapinmusic.com
http://www.harrychapinfoundation.org
http://www.whyhunger.org
http://www.harrychapinfoodbank.org

From the final pic, Harry's epitaph:

Oh if a man tried
To take his time on earth
And prove before he died
What one man's life could be worth
Well I wonder what would happen to this world

From Harry's "I Wonder What Would Happen To This World"

Roy Lichtenstein paintings
http://life.com

Lyrics:

Why Do Little Girls
written and performed by Harry Chapin
from the album "Living Room Suite" (1978)

Why did the little girls grow crooked
While the little boys grew tall
The boys were taught to tumble
And the girls told not to fall
The girls answered the telephones
The boys answered the calls
That's why little girls grew crooked
While the little boys grew tall

Why did the little girls grow crippled
While the little boys grew strong
The boys allowed to come of age
The girls just come along
The girls were told sing harmonies
While the boys could all sing songs
That's why the little girls grew crippled
While the little boys grew strong

Why did the little girls come broken
While the little boys came whole
And the little boys all were set aflame
And the girls told fan the coals
The boys were told to be themselves
The girls were told play roles
That's why little girls came broken
While the little boys came whole

Why were the little girls made frightened
To be just what they are
The boys were told to ask themselves
How high, how far
The girls were told to reach the shelves
While the boys were reaching stars
That's why little girls were frightened
To be just what they are

And still they bled for us all
As the moon rode the sky
They carried our seed
When our need ran high
And they fed all our children
In the night as they cried
Womankind wept
As mankind died

Why were the little girls left hurtin'
When all the boys were done
And then left there in the moonlight
When the boys went to meet the sun
And when the girls were open
Why had the little boys all won?
That's why little girls were hurtin'
When all the boys were done

Why did the little girls grow crooked
While the little boys grew tall
It's maybe 'cause the little boys
Didn't ever have to grow up at all

Where are the little girls?
Where are the little girls?
They all grew crooked and crippled
We left them broken
We made them frightened
They all are hurtin'
Where are the little girls?
Where are the little girls?
You know they're crooked, crippled, frightened, broken, hurtin'
Where are the little girls?
Yeah, the little girls
Where are the little girls?

Category:

Music

Tags:

• harry
• chapin
• music
• 1970s
• 1978
• girls
• women

[maidenmetal1]

Thank you so much for posting this my best friends hippy parents used to play it for us in high school and now that I have a son and daughter of my own I will play it for them, as I teach them BOTH to reach for the stars...

[TinyDancer500]

@maidenmetal1 Bless all the hippy parents! Sounds like a lesson learned and passed on, though, so bless you and your kids, too :-)

[dmreichman100]

OMG!! At 4:43 there is a pic of all four reasons I ever learned to play guitar and write songs; Jim Croce, James Taylor, Harry Chapin and John Denver, all in the same pic. Unbelieveable. The Dream Team of singer / songwriters (albeit not including the piano players, Billy Joel & Elton John). But OMG...Thank you so very much. I am truly moved.

[TinyDancer500]

@dmreichman100 Forgive the delay, been offline a while. I'm sure they probably met, but, alas, that's not Jim Croce in the pic, it's Gordon Lightfoot, the Canadian guitar god :-) An outstanding songwriter, too. Points for the Elton and Billy ref, I heartily agree. I hope the song and pics are still inspiring!

[MrStrman]

Wow! Great video! Thanks!

[TinyDancer500]

@MrStrman You're welcome! :-) And thank *you*, so glad people are enjoying this obscure Harry tune.

[niceguy9418]

Wonderful job! This is one of my favorite Chapin songs! And it's one that no one really knows, so I'm very impressed to find it! Good job on the stills!

[booknplays]

The world would be a better place if more people had a heart like Harry's. He was taken much too soon. So many songs never written and we are the poorer for it.

[MrKawa74]

Harry will LIVE forever through his lyrics, his music transcends all ages. Harry reaching the potential that we only can dream, thank you God for gracing use with Harry, even for a short while. Why do all the Gifted leave use so soon. Harry's song never get old . He warms the Heart. Thanks for Posting ..

[TheFlameforTrouble]

this song is just so much about the way that it is there is so much truth in the words and the song itself it was his voice and just him at his best

[TinyDancer500]

@donjohn8 Thanks! I was quite pleased with the image I found for the "Why did the little girls come broken" line (1:20), dead chuffed, I was :-) And the Crooked House (3:40) near the end.

[donjohn8]

Excellent photographic selections!