Harry Chapin - W.O.L.D. Lyrics






Hello honey, it's me
What did you think when you heard me back on the radio?
What did the kids say when they knew
It was their long lost daddy-o?

Remember how we listened to the radio
And I said "That's the place to be"
And how I got the job as an FM jock
The day you married me?

We were two kids and I was was into AM rock
But I just had to run around
It's been eight years since I'd left you babe
Let me tell you 'bout what's gone down

I am the mornin' DJ on W O L D
Playin' all the hits for you wherever you may be
The bright good-mornin' voice who's heard but never seen
Feelin' all of forty-five goin' on fifteen

The drinkin' I did on my last big gig
You made my voice go low
They said that they liked the younger sound
When they let me go

So I drifted on down to Tulsa, Oklahoma
To do me a late night talk show
Now I worked my way down home again, via Boise, Idhao
That's how this business goes

Well I am the mornin' DJ on W O L D
Playin' all the hits for you wherever you may be
The bright good-mornin' voice who's heard but never seen
If you keep on singing on alone like that
You're gonna turn the little girls off

I've been making extra money to a high school sock hops
I'm a big time guest MC
You should hear me talking to the little children
And listen what they say to me

The spot on the top of my head
Just begging for a new toupee
And a tire on my gut from sittin' on my
But it's never gonna go away, stay children

Sometimes I get this crazy dream
That I just take off in my car
When you can travel on ten thousand miles
And still say where you are

I've been thinking that I should stop disk jockeying
And start that record store
Maybe I could settle down
If you'd take me back once more

Ok honey, I see
I guess he's better than me
Sure, old girl, I understand
You don't have to worry, I'm such a happy man

W O L D
W O L D
W O L D
W O L D D D

I am the mornin' DJ on W K T
Playin' disco pushship and you know what you can do
The bright good mornin' voice who's heard but never seen
Feeling all of forty-five, goin' on fifteen
How's that?
I am the mornin' DJ at W O L D





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Harry Chapin W.O.L.D. Comments
  1. M.... v....

    Just hearing this made me cry like I did the day I learned he died.

  2. T.... P....

    I've always been into all aspects of radio! Ham radio, shortwave and Am and Fm Broadcast listening! CB radio became a source of "social media" when I was a teen! This great work came out and became an anthem, for me, of the hobby! May we all stay young in our hearts, in our souls! 73's and 88's!

  3. J.... A....

    ABSOLUTELY LOVE Harry Chapin's music & the stories he told with his songs. Loved
    his brother, Tom Chapin's show too..Make a Wish. PEACE, LOVE & BLESSINGS

  4. c.... ....

    That cellist is on fire.

  5. L.... T....

    Talent and music like this doesn't exist anymore

  6. G.... W....

    yep used to sing this song yrs ago, in a place Called "Kalgoolie" Might have to look it up on your maps, Such a shame when HC passed away

  7. J.... Z....

    You can travel ten thousand miles and still stay where you are. You can’t escape from what is happening.

  8. J.... Z....

    He knew how to tell us an interesting story and make us think of how it was for them.

  9. W.... J....

    Classic.h.ta

  10. s.... ....

    you are missed..all your songs tell a story

  11. S.... L....

    When people really did sing

  12. P.... J....

    I miss you Harry.

  13. M.... F....

    Amazing talent. I had the privilege of seeing him 3 times, and his music has stuck with me forever.

  14. R.... ....

    I passed a sign on the road today that had the initials WOD...and it made me think of this unique song...I remember from back when I was young hearing about him being in a Volkswagen Beetle and him getting hit from behind...thanks, Harry, for leaving us some snapshots in music form of some of your various takes on life...

  15. A.... T....

    Back when music was real.. and the Artist knew how to sing.....

  16. T.... S....

    Classic AM Radio right here on VIDEO.....Harry Rules Today's Talent

  17. s.... ....

    harry was gone too soon

  18. B.... C....

    51 people need to get new ears!

  19. H.... N....

    What a performance.

  20. L.... W....

    This is one of my favorite songs of Harry Chapin ❤️💕💕😊, Harry had such an amazing voice!!

  21. r.... ....

    'Ol Harry was an awesome story teller and great humanitarian..he certainly is missed..RIP Harry

  22. J.... H....

    He was thee greatest nonpareil!

  23. J.... H....

    I think this song has more significance for those of us old enough to remember top-40 AM radio stations. I am reminded of several stations I listened to back then.

  24. G.... f....

    His best song bloody good band too

  25. K.... G....

    "But you can travel on for ten thousand miles, and still stay where you are..."

  26. T.... G....

    FOREVER 🎤🎸HARRY CHAPIN💝. MUSICAN, STORYTELLER EXTRAORDINAIRE🙌🎶🎻!!

  27. T.... A....

    He was the Greatest Storyteller. Gone too soon just like Croce. Wonder what he would be doing now.

  28. M.... M....

    What a talent,,

  29. W.... J....

    A Classic

  30. M.... C....

    I was pumping gas in 100 degrees when the radio gave news of his death on a NY bridge in his VW. On his way to give more of himself to a cause. I was 19 and cried through the sweat.

  31. J.... V....

    Classic, such a great song.

  32. G.... S....

    absolute top man..love his work..such a loss...BUT the music will live forever

  33. P.... H....

    Now That Is A Song With BALLS♥️

  34. g.... m....

    real music not the unlistenable shit of today

  35. C.... 8....

    I’ve loved this song since I first it as a school boy in the 70’s....would anyone know the guitars for it. TIA. 😊

  36. J.... P....

    the great story teller. he was taken too soon

    J.... P....

    Yes he was, way to soon.

  37. P.... N....

    Is that Donald Duck Dunn on bass??

    P.... N....

    His name is John Wallace.

  38. J.... G....

    Different class !!!!!!!!

  39. C.... S....

    i believe this was the first of several hits by harry.loved this then,still lovin' it in 2018.

  40. E.... J....

    There's a tire on my gut from sittin' on my...
    Butt.. it's never gonna go away.

  41. D.... B....

    We never had racism in our music

  42. A.... P....

    I saw him with one of his brothers in 1976 or 1977. It was one of the best concerts I have been ever to! He was a brilliant artist. And he had a wicked sense of humor! The first show - I went to had "blue" jokes and I was glad I heard them. The second show that night was broadcast on a local radio show and had no where the humor that the first did. But the Music - His music soared!

    A.... P....

    He came to Flint, Mich. every year in December. A great entertainer he was! He spent his final birthday here (December 1980) doing a show.

  43. P.... N....

    Still feel sad to this day hearing this song. True genius - pure poetry. The key changes still knock me out.

  44. B.... P....

    Old DJs never die, they just move on down the dial.

  45. L.... W....

    Love his music. A real man who sang about real people and real struggles!

  46. P.... P....

    What a story... I used to be a D.J. I miss it...

  47. J.... S....

    classic . fair to say , listen and learn aspiring artists - this is how its done .

    J.... S....

    Soccer Legend LP LP

  48. W.... R....

    Saint Harry in my books.I was an am/fm rock jock but there came a reckoning..But Harry was called, last seen opening record store in heaven.!

  49. A.... ....

    Hey, lighten up, guy

  50. A.... T....

    Fantastic live version of this song...

  51. R.... O....

    Such a talent, such a shame he left us so early.

  52. R.... O....

    One of my favorite songs. RIP to Harry, I hope you've met dad in heaven... he was your biggest fan.

  53. E.... Z....

    Ты лучший, ты в наших сердцах ХАРРИ!!!

  54. R.... F....

    I loved this "Short Stories" album. My girlfriend, now wife of 42 years, would sit and listen to this album and study all the images on the cover. Great days when we didn't know or care what "cash flow" ment. "Mail-order Annie" still makes me cry.

  55. G.... M....

    Great great song.

  56. P.... K....

    Met him a couple of times in Tucson. Woke up one morning in my barracks in Germany and as usual to start the day turned on AFN Wurzburg and I heard several Chapin songs in a row. I knew what that meant. That he was gone. Ant the AFN jock came on and confirmed it. That was a sad day.

  57. S.... M....

    Harry's best song, I know Cats in the cradle did better in sales but for me this was his best.

  58. B.... t....

    Reading these comments is a reminder of how much this man was loved...what a blessing to be remembered so fondly by so many...RIP Harry!

  59. P.... J....

    There will never ever be another Harry Chapin

  60. G.... B....

    Are there any story teller musicians today beside Robert Earl Keen? Chapin was amazing

  61. j.... b....

    Mr. Chapin organized and appeared in many benefit concerts for causes, including a campaign against world hunger, environmental and consumer issues and the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. At one time, more than half his concerts were benefits. Raised Thousands for Arts

    j.... b....

    joseph bean one for them , one for me . That’s the way he thought

  62. J.... P....

    He is very much missed. What a great man!

    J.... P....

    Joe Postove agreed

  63. S.... T....

    I managed to see Harry in York before he died , have loved him since the 70s , greatest singer story ever

  64. M.... D....

    I thought the song was a play on WNEW in NY but here is the story- This hit song was inspired by radio personality Jim Connors, who is credited for having discovered Chapin and promoted his hit, "Taxi," through Boston radio station WMEX, where he was the AM Drive time host. After the debut of "Taxi," Chapin sat in on a phone conversation Connors was having with his ex-wife while in studio at WMEX. This conversation led to a deep and personal discussion during an interview both on and off the air between the men. They talked about life, the business, marriage, divorce, happiness, and all the troubles associated with being a DJ and the music business at the time.[3]
    Interestingly, WOLD-FM is an actual radio station in Marion, Virginia, which went on the air in 1968, five years before Chapin recorded the song.[4]
    When Chapin would perform this song live, he would frequently replace WOLD in the lyrics with the call letters of some local station in the town he would happen to be in. The live version of the song from the compilation "The Gold Medal Collection" has an example of this, where he replaces WOLD with KHJ, a station in Los Angeles.

    M.... D....

    Thank You for this post

    M.... D....

    John Diehl
    Were you in LBCC choir?

    M.... D....

    Thank you for that. I have been a fan, even before he died.

  65. M.... D....

    His Brother Tom did Cats in the Cradle at a charity event, I felt like I was listening to Harry.

  66. M.... D....

    His death in a car accident on the Long Island Expressway crushed me.

  67. M.... D....

    A charitable man too he started World Hunger Year. WHY

  68. j.... d....

    The world was a better place for having a singer like Mr. Chapin, he truly was a class act.

  69. H.... S....

    Those were the days when music had melody and meaning. Released on December 22, 1973, reaching # 36 on March 23, 1974. We lost him much too soon, much like Jim Croce. R.I.P., Harry.

  70. A.... B....

    Would love to see a movie based on his life but they wouldn't be able to find anyone good enough to play him.

    A.... B....

    I think Jason Clarke the aussie actor would be great

  71. J.... M....

    .You, who are taking part in this sound track of our times , please don't deprive yourselves of the treasures of the musical library. And thank you for this access to some of Harry Chapins' work. He was extracted from our world at the age of 38. Eclipsed by the assassination of John Lennon 7 months earlier, while Tim Hardin quietly perished in Britain. But please pay homage. to a great songmaker.
    And as his brother suggested; don't try to fill Harry's shoes. You or I can't . Do a better job of filling your own
    And carry on

  72. b.... b....

    Don't you love an artist who respects  music and poetry?

  73. M.... W....

    I loved it when I first heard it at 12. Now at 54 it rings more true than ever.

  74. J.... L....

    noone reads these mesades anjyway .... like awake thet is whay /...,lhy77777hfrrbrfrrhyh l;.....do you n0o what i mean

  75. J.... L....

    now it starts .on the 7 brigdge ..i will irase thismessage soon

  76. o.... ....

    I'm surprised nobody mentioned this, but this song was the inspiration for the theme song from W.K.R.P in Cincinnati!

    o.... ....

    oldtreasures
    I can see the resemblance.

    o.... ....

    Really, Did not know that.

    o.... ....

    Ah..I see that now that you pointed it out to me! I have loved this so sad song for oh so long, thanks for postng it here for me(and so many other fans!)

  77. A.... W....

    So many great musicians (and other entertainers) who've died too young. Too sad!!!

  78. P.... J....

    Brings back some happy and sad memories. i loved every song he ever song but WOLD is a tear jerker also Cat's in the Cradle.

  79. C.... e....

    My favorite Chapin song. Haunting, sad, real. What a singer. What an artist. What a musician. RIP Harry Chapin
    My mom played his music for me (I was born the year he passed) and I grew to love and appreciate it as she did. It's important for parents to pass on a love of music so we can love the amazing artists that came before us, some of whom are long gone.

    C.... e....

    Candice ecidnaC
    Green Eyed Lady...by Sugarloaf

    C.... e....

    @Love is Never a Sin what does that have to do with anything?

    C.... e....

    I liked your comment , and just noticed that you had Green Eyes, and called out that song. Here is what I should have said:
    " That was a very sweet romantic look at what Harry Chapin has been to you, and how important it is that song writers like him be remembered : you write from the passion & emotion of a very Sentimental Lady with nice memories.

    C.... e....

    @Love is Never a Sin I have blue eyes, hence my confusion at your comment. I have central heterochromia, which means my eyes are each 3 different colors: blue, a dark blue outside, and a copper ring around the middle. Regardless of my CH, I assure you they're not green.

  80. A.... D....

    Cool dude.

  81. E.... E....

    " too many miles & too many smiles, & I STILL REMBER YOU", another " classic song/artist to bring in "2017"."SHE WAS GOIN' TO BE AN ACTRESS, I WAS GOIN' TO LEARN TO FLY, SHE TOOK OFF FOR THE FOOTLIGHTS, I TOOK OFF FOR THE SKY. IVE BENN LETTING MY OUTSIDE TURN UNTIL MY TIME RUNS OUT. BABY 'S CRYIN', AFRAID TO FALL,I'LL TELL U WHY SHE'S CRYIN, CAUSE SHE'S DYIN', AREN'T WE ALL..SHE TOOK OFF FOR THE FOOTLIGHTS&IM DRIVIN' MY TAXI, I GO FLYIN' SO HIGH WHEN I'M STONED"{WEVE BOTH GOTTEN WHAT WE ASKED FOR SUCH A LONG LONG TIME AGO,"}. THE "TAXI SEQUEL", 10 YRS. LATER, WAS TO BE HARRY CHAPIN'S LAST " SEQUEL"}

  82. c.... ....

    Love this version, and if he doesn't look exactly like Lip from Shameless I don't know who does!!

  83. R.... D....

    It feels as tho I lost a real friend when Harry died. There will never be a poet singer like him.

    R.... D....

    The stories are like mini movies. You feel like you are right there

  84. M.... M....

    Great quality clip. Fantastic colour and sound.

  85. L.... M....

    Great song. And all the greats are leaving us.

  86. D.... H....

    His music touched my soul!!!

  87. M.... D....

    Sorry, I meant Phil's version not Doug. You can find it on YouTube under Vicky Dillon! I personally think Mr. Chapin would be honored hearing Phil sing his song!

  88. M.... D....

    My Absolute song by Harry and He's with God now unfortunately cause he definitely a true Godsend! Thought I was the only person that could do this song justice until I heard Doug W do this song that blew my version out the water! God Bless Harry!

  89. D.... R....

    This is so well done, for a live version. I was really into this track in 74; where have all the years gone, and sad he is not with us. Just enjoy.

  90. T.... D....

    A great song telling an interesting story.

  91. R.... 5....

    Wonderful singer and a great song.

  92. D.... S....

    I was fortunate to see Harry in concert at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Music Center the year that he died. He was very humble and fantastic. God rest your soul Harry....we love you!

  93. S.... W....

    Our family song!

  94. J.... K....

    I knew Harry for a minute, and then he was gone, and 2 weeks later I met my hubby - 34 years later, I lost him last Tuesday ! But today is International DJ Day ; as I am a DJ - I just had to share ! My dear late husband used to wear ear plugs a lot ! R.I.P. MY sweet Bobby .

    J.... K....

    Hi AGAIN Judy Kinne....Dennis

    J.... K....

    Bless you.

    J.... K....

    One and only Harry Chapin.

    J.... K....

    @Pamela Jarman There was a real life station with those call letters that got some free publicity when this was a hit. I heard that on American Top 40. Chapin was one of those great songwriters who could put a story into a song.

    J.... K....

    So sorry for your loss Judy. I am sure he was a special man.

  95. B.... ....

    My love for his music was a driving force in my vagabond lifestyle in the 70s. Hitched around the states with a flattop and duffle until I was tired, cold, and hungry enough to come home.

    B.... ....

    +Mike Layton same here , I loved being out on the road hitchin' , it was freedom

    B.... ....

    +keyman keys
    Back in the early 70s, I roamed all over the country on a Triumph with the songs of Harry, Jim and Hoyt rolling around in my head. Met mostly nice people and saw beautiful places! I'm 65 now, and maybe ... just maybe ...

  96. M.... ....

    amazing man x

  97. G.... M....

    He has a resemblance to Tom Brady.

  98. G.... B....

    A lot of years ago, I was listening to a local radio station , Radio Hallam, in Sheffield , England. Harry Chapin was being interviewed by a DJ named Johnny Moran, who was the morning presenter at the station. Harry Chapin must have had a gig in our city. Anyway , Johnny Moran asked Harry if he would sing a jingle to use on his show, and it went something like this " Johnny Moran's the mornin' DJ on Hallam Radio-o-o-o-o-o-o-o ". Johnny was using that jingle for months......... Sweet memories.

    G.... B....

    2of my workmates always talked about harry Chapin now I love this song. I'm in Sheffield uk.