Noel Paul Stookey

Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the Autumn mist in a land called Hanalee. Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff and brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff Oh, Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the Autumn mist in a land called Hanalee. Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the Autumn mist in a land called Hanalee. together they would travel on a boat with billowed sails. Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff's gigantic tail Noble kings and princess would bow when there they came. Pirate ships would lower their flads when Puff roared out his name. Oh, Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the Autumn mist in a land called Hanalee. Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the Autumn mist in a land called Hanalee. A dragon lives forever but not so little boys Painted wings and giants rings make way for other toys. One gray night it happened Jackie Paper came no more And Puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar. His head was bent in sorrow. Grief scales fell like rain Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane. Without his lifelong friend, Puff could not be brave. So Puff that mighty dragon, sadly slipped into his cave. Oh, Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the Autumn mist in a land called Hanalee. Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the Autumn mist in a land called Hanalee

Oh the fox went out on a chilly night
Prayed for the moon to give him light
For he had many a mile to go that night
Before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o,
Many a mile to go that night before he reached the town-o

He ran 'til he came to a great big pen
Where the ducks and the geese were kept therein
He said, "A couple of you are gonna grease my chin
Before I leave this town-o, town-o, town-o,
A couple of you are gonna grease my chin before I leave this town-o!"

He grabbed the grey goose by the neck
Threw the ducks across his back
He didn't mind the "quack, quack, quack"
And the legs all danglin' down-o, down-o, down-o,
He didn't mind the "quack, quack, quack" and the legs all danglin' down-o

Then old mother Flipper Flopper jumped out of bed
Out of the window she popped her head
Cryin', "John, John, the grey goose is gone
And the fox is on the town-o, town-o, town-o,
John! John! The grey goose is gone and the fox is on the town-o!"

Then John he ran to the top of the hill
Blew his horn both loud and shrill
The fox he said, "I better flee with my kill
For they'll soon be on my trail-o, trail-o, trail-o,"
The fox he said, "I better flee with my kill for they'll soon be on my trail-o"

Well he ran til he came to his cozy den
There were his little ones, eight, nine, ten
Cryin', "Daddy, daddy, better go back again
Cause it must be a mighty fine town-o, town-o, town-o,
Daddy, daddy, better go back again cause it must be a mighty fine town-o!"

Then the fox and his wife, without any strife
Cut up the goose with a carving knife
They never had such a supper in their life
And the lit

Ha Weh Ha Weh, Somagwaza
Somagwaza ma yo-weh yo-weh
He Ma Yo-Weh, He Ma Yo-Weh
Somagwaza

My mother travelled to Pretoria
to buy the license for the wedding day
My mother travelled to Pretoria
to buy the license for the wedding day
Hey, Motswala, hey Motswala, hey, Motswala, hey Motswala

My father wants to give the bride away
but I think he's waiting for a dowry
My father wants to give the bride away
but I think he's waiting for a dowry
Hey, Motswala, hey Motswala, hey Motswala, hey Motswala

Now the time has come, I have to go;
I wish perhaps I had not hurried so
Now the time has come, I have to go;
I wish perhaps I had not hurried so
Hey, Motswala, hey Motswala, hey Motswala, hey Motswala

Let's say you're at a pie contest, let's say that you're the judge
And there's lemon, lime and watermelon rind,
and one that looks like fudge
You can't tell which pie you like the best
if you only eat the crust
In order to complete the test a bite of filling is a must
(A bite of filling is a must)

[Chorus:]
Inside, Inside, that's the most important part
Inside, Inside, that's the place you've got to start
Inside, Inside, that's where you'll find the heart of the matter

Let's say you're at a birthday party
and let's say you've just turned eight
And there are presents everywhere and all of them look great
You can't tell which one's your favorite
by just looking at the bow
To pick one out from all the rest unwrap each present,
then you'll know
(Unwrap each present then you'll know)

[Chorus]

Children are the very best, each one a joy and pride
Just how we know, I bet you guessed:
we took the time to look...
(inside!)

[Chorus]

Let's say you're at a library
and there's stacks and stack of books
There's even stacks on top of stacks everywhere you look
There are stories about mystery and sports and famous lovers
To pick one out from all the rest
you've got to open up the covers
(You've got to open up the covers!)

[Chorus]

[Chorus:]
Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and a hoe and a piece of fertile ground
Inch by inch, row by row Someone bless these seeds I sow
Someone warm them from below
Til the rain comes tumbling down

Pullin' weeds and pickin' stones,
we are made of dreams and bones
I feel the need to grow my own cause the time is close at hand
Grain for grain, sun and rain I'll find my way in nature's chain
Tune my body and my brain to the music of the land

[Chorus]

Plant your rows straight and long,
Temper them with prayer and song
Mother earth will keep you strong if you give her love and care
An old crow watching hungrily from his perch in yonder tree
In my garden I'm as free as that feathered thief up there

[Chorus]

Oh, me father was the keeper of the eddystone light
And he slept with a mermaid one fine night
From this union there came three
A porpoise and a porgy and the other was me

[Chorus:]
Yo ho ho, the wind blows free, oh for the life on the rolling sea

One day as I was a-trimmin' the glim
Humming a tune from the evening hymn
A voice from the starboard shouted, "Ahoy!"
And there was me mother a-sittin' on the buoy

[Chorus]

"Oh what has become of me children three?"
Me mother then she asked of me
One was exhibited as a talking fish
The other was served in a chafing dish

[Chorus]

Then the phosporus flashed in her seaweed hair
I looked again, but me mother wasn't there
But I heard her voice echoing back through the night:
"The devil take the keeper of the Eddystone light!"

[Chorus]

Oh the moral of the story you'll learn when you find
To leave God's creatures for what nature had in mind
For fishes are for cookin', mermaids are for tales
Seaweed is for sushi and protecting is for whales

Chorus

I know an old lady who swallowed a fly
I don't know why she swallowed the fly
Perhaps she'll die

I know an old lady who swallowed a spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
But I don't know why she swallowed the fly
Perhaps she'll die

I know an old lady who swallowed a bird
How absurd to swallow a bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
But I don't know why she swallowed the fly
Perhaps she'll die

I know an old lady who swallowed a cat
Imagine that. She swallowed a cat.
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
But I don't know why she swallowed that fly
Perhaps she'll die

I know an old lady who swallowed a dog
What a hog to swallow a dog!
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
But I don't know why she swallowed that fly
Perhaps she'll die

I know an old lady who swallowed a goat
Opened her throat and down went the goat!
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
But I don't know w

[Chorus:]
Somos el barco, somos el mar,
Yo navego en ti, tu navegas en mi
We are the boat, we are the sea, I sail in you, you sail in me

The stream sings it to the river, the river sings it to the sea
The sea sings it to the boat that carries you and me

[Chorus]

The boat we are sailing in was built by many hands
And the sea we are sailing on, it touches every land

[Chorus]

So with our hopes we set the sails
And face the winds once more
And with our hearts we chart the waters never sailed before

[Chorus]

Saturday summers, when I was a kid
We'd run to the schoolyard and here's what we did
We'd pick out the captains and we'd choose up the teams
It was always a measure of my self esteem
Cuz the fastest, the strongest, played shortstop and first
The last ones they picked were the worst
I never needed to ask, it was sealed,
I just took up my place in right field.
Playing...

[Chorus:]
Right field, it's easy, you know.
You can be awkward and you can be slow
That's why I'm here in right field
Just watching the dandelions grow

Playing right field can be lonely and dull
Little Leagues never have lefties that pull
I'd dream of the day they'd hit one my way
They never did, but still I would pray
That I'd make a fantastic catch on the run
And not lose the ball in the sun
And then I'd awake from this long reverie
And pray that the ball never came out to me
Here in...

[Chorus]

Off in the distance, the game's dragging on,
There's strikes on the batter, some runners are on.
I don't know the inning, I've forgotten the score.
The whole team is yelling and I don't know what for.
Then suddenly everyone's looking at me
My mind has been wandering; what could it be?
They point at the sky and I look up above
And a baseball falls into my glove!

Here in right field, it's important you know.
You gotta know how to catch, you gotta know how to throw,
That's why I'm here in right field, just watching the dandelions grow!

(spoken) Erika with the windy yellow hair
Dancing through the day or moping by the stair
My joy to know my Erika with the windy yellow hair

Yesterday I met her running home from school
Her face was tear stained, she didn't know I knew
But I do, I do

But today she had a song to sing and a poem she knew
And with a kiss and a hug she just dashed away, she had things to do
I do too, I do too

Lithesome child, I turn with care
When viewing you on step or stair
All my hope and love for you,
My Erika with the windy yellow hair

(Sung) I'll walk in the rain by your side
I'll cling to the warmth of your tiny hand
I'll do anything to help you understand
I'll love you more than anybody can

And the wind will whisper your name to me
Little birds will sing along in time
The leaves will bow down as you walk by
And morning bells will chime

I'll be there when you're feeling down
To kiss away the tears if you cry
And I'll share with you all the happiness I've found
A reflection of the love in your eyes

And I'll sing you the songs of the rainbow
Whisper of the joy that is mine
The leaves will bow down when you walk by
And morning bells will chime

We shall overcome, we shall overcome,
We shall overcome some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome some day

We shall all be free, we shall all be free,
We shall all be free some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome some day

We shall live in peace, we shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome some day