WOLD

"W.O.L.D." is a song written and performed by Harry Chapin. The song is about an aging disc jockey who travels the United States seeking happiness, which he believes he will find by following his passion for being a radio broadcaster, only to discover that his life, looks, and voice have all passed him by, as hinted in the OLD of the title. The song is sung through the point of view of a phone call conversation from the DJ to his ex-wife, only hearing what he has to say to her. The lyrics go on to reveal that perhaps we can never change who we really are, and that what he had really wanted was the love and companionship that had eluded him in a previous failed relationship. The song is said to have helped to inspire Hugh Wilson to conceive the premise of the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati, including the lyrics of the theme song in which a DJ seems to speak to a former lover about his travels in his occupation—now he's "living on the air in Cincinnati...got kind of tired of packing and unpacking, town to town, up and down the dial." Inspiration The 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 a 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. The song describes the often transitory and difficult lives of radio personalities, whose careers may require them to move from city to city. After losing his job due to age discrimination (as suggested by the call letters "W-OLD" and "they said that they like the young sound when they let me go"), the singer leaves his family to spend eight years in gigs in Tulsa and then Boise before having the opportunity to again work in his home city. However, upon returning, his overtures to reunite with his ex-wife are summarily rebuffed, as she has moved on with her life.