Mr. Tanner
Encyclopedia
"Mr. Tanner" is a song by Harry Chapin
from his 1974 album, Short Stories. Big John Wallace
plays Mr. Tanner by singing the chorus to "O Holy Night
" in the background to the song's chorus.
, Ohio
who has a gift for singing. His friends try to talk him into becoming a singer because of his beautiful voice, until he finally agrees and uses most of his savings to travel to New York City and sing in a show. He holds a concert only to get panned by critics
. He returns home and never sings again, except for only to himself when he sorts through the clothes at night.
. The singer, Martin Tubridy, performed twice, once in 1971 and once in 1972 and his performances were panned. It is unclear which article was the basis for the song of Mr. Tanner, as it seems both reviews are used in the vocal part in Mr. Tanner.
Harry Chapin
Harry Forster Chapin was an American singer-songwriter best known in particular for his folk rock songs including "Taxi", "W*O*L*D", and the number-one hit "Cat's in the Cradle". Chapin was also a dedicated humanitarian who fought to end world hunger; he was a key player in the creation of the...
from his 1974 album, Short Stories. Big John Wallace
John Wallace (musician)
"Big" John Wallace was a bassist and backup singer for singer-songwriter Harry Chapin. John gained membership to Harry's band by responding to an ad placed in the Village Voice in 1971...
plays Mr. Tanner by singing the chorus to "O Holy Night
O Holy Night
"O Holy Night" is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" by Placide Cappeau , a wine merchant and poet, who had been asked by a parish priest to write a Christmas poem...
" in the background to the song's chorus.
Story
The song tells the story of Martin Tanner, a local launderer from DaytonDayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
who has a gift for singing. His friends try to talk him into becoming a singer because of his beautiful voice, until he finally agrees and uses most of his savings to travel to New York City and sing in a show. He holds a concert only to get panned by critics
Review
A review is an evaluation of a publication, a product or a service, such as a movie , video game, musical composition , book ; a piece of hardware like a car, home appliance, or computer; or an event or performance, such as a live music concert, a play, musical theater show or dance show...
. He returns home and never sings again, except for only to himself when he sorts through the clothes at night.
Origin
The song is based on on a review Chapin read in The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. The singer, Martin Tubridy, performed twice, once in 1971 and once in 1972 and his performances were panned. It is unclear which article was the basis for the song of Mr. Tanner, as it seems both reviews are used in the vocal part in Mr. Tanner.
External links
- "Mr. Tanner" lyrics
- Video of New York Times article at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....