Dying Words: Harry Chapin

"Now if a man tried
To take his time on Earth
And prove before he Died
What one man's life could be worth
I wonder what would happen to this world"

I was writing a song about dying, when I noticed that everyone who writes or sings about death, dies ... and usually tragically.

Harold Chapin was an American singer-songwriter, philanthropist, and hunger activist best known for his folk rock and pop rock songs. He achieved worldwide success in the 1970s selling over 16 million records worldwide.

Chapin often told stories about life and the evalualtion of a man's worth. On his 1978 album, the song "I Wonder What Would Happen To This World" asks what a man needs to prove before he dies.

In 1981, Chapin died in a car accident on the Long Island Expressway en route to perform at a benefit concert. Chapin is buried in Huntington, New York, where his epitaph is the lyrics from "I Wonder What Would Happen to This World".