"Sniper" is a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

written by

Harry Chapin Harold Forster Chapin (; December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) 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. Chapin, a Grammy ...

and first released on the album ''

Sniper and Other Love Songs ''Sniper and Other Love Songs'' is the second studio album by the American singer/songwriter Harry Chapin, released in 1972. The album's Sniper (song), title song is a vaguely fictionalised account of Charles Whitman's shootings from the clocktowe ...

'' in 1972.

Overview

The song, nearly 10 minutes long, is based on the shootings at the

University of Texas tower shooting On August 1, 1966, after stabbing his mother and his wife to death the previous night, Charles Whitman, a Marine veteran, took rifles and other weapons to the observation deck atop the Main Building tower at the University of Texas at Austin, ...

in 1966, with some fictional elements. The song does not name the actual

sniper A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...

Charles Whitman Charles Joseph Whitman (June 24, 1941 – August 1, 1966) was an American mass murderer who became known as the "Texas Tower Sniper". On August 1, 1966, Whitman used knives to kill his mother and his wife in their respective homes, then went to ...

, or the location. The victims' names have also been changed. Harry wrote this piece using three distinct "voices" for dramatic effect. Chapin sings all three voices. The first is the narrator, telling the story. The second is a variety of people reacting to the event, as if in response to news media questions. And the third voice is that of the Sniper himself, stating his fears, his motives, and his raw emotions. Throughout the song, the time signature changes several times, with variations in tempo, identifying and supporting the three different voices. The narrator begins by describing the Sniper climbing the stairs of the tower, "two bulky

suitcase A suitcase is a form of luggage. It is a rectangular container with a handle typically used to carry one's clothes and other belongings while traveling. The first suitcases appeared in the late 19th century due to the increased popularity of ma ...

s hang ngfrom his hands," who then begins shooting at people on the streets below. We hear the public's response and descriptions of the Sniper by those who knew him. The narrator returns and this cycle begins again. Eventually the Sniper pours out his pain over the failed relationship between himself and his mother, who had ignored him as a child. In the end, the sniper is killed by police officers who have climbed the tower. The sniper's last words – "I was, I am, and now I will be" – lend insight into the

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

of the sniper, who has been on a lifelong quest for

self actualization Self-actualization, in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, is the highest level of psychological development, where personal potential is fully realized after basic bodily and ego needs have been fulfilled. Self-actualization was coined by the organism ...

External links

Lyrics

Review of "Sniper And Other Love Songs"
{{Harry Chapin Harry Chapin songs 1972 songs Songs written by Harry Chapin Songs based on actual events