The CIRCUS KENLANDO
Lyrics to ALL 29 Songs
all songs © KEN LONNQUIST 1996
1. Lucky
The sun is shining in the sky—I feel so lucky
Everywhere I go they’re asking why—I feel so lucky
Maybe it’s the way the sun keeps shining on me
Maybe it’s the way the birds are singin’
The song I’m wingin’ for free
It’s good to be me! You and me...
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2. X-Ray Specs
I saw the ads in magazines
For “Onion Gum” and “Pimple Cream”
But the one that really caught my eye
Was an ad for glasses you could buy
These glasses have a special lens
That help you see through all your friends
Over walls, across time zones
Right through people’s skin and bones!
X-Ray Specs! X-Ray Specs! X-Ray Specs! X-Ray Specs!
Just put these glasses on and then
You’ll feel your eyes begin to spin
You’ll see London, you’ll see France
You’ll see everybody’s—woooh!
Read a book with the cover closed
Know what’s in a nose before it blows
When you feel your eyeballs flex
A visual Tyrannosaurus Re-e-e-e-x
X-Ray! X-Ray! X-Ray! Specs! Specs! Specs!
See through Congress and The President!
Find out where your taxes really went!
When you feel their strange effects
You’ll even know what’s gonna happen ne-e-e-e-ext!
You prob’ly think you’re seeing plenty
If your eyesight’s twenty-twenty
But you ain’t seen nothing till
You get that “I can see through
anything!” thrill
Order now! Don’t delay! Grab your money! Send away!
They’re what you want! They’re what you need!
Satisfaction guaranteed!
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3. The Circus Kenlando
From my musical "The Travels Of Babar"
There’s a Man Selling Peanuts—Cotton Candy on a tray
While a Girl On A Trapeze swings away-ay-ay-ay
There’s a Wild Tiger Tamer—Clowns juggling fire
While a Man Wearing Slippers walks a hi-i-igh wire
This is the Circus Kenlando—The Show of all Shows
Sit down! The Big Top is up, my friends!
This is the Circus Kenlando—Everyone knows
The show’s about to begin... ’bout to begin... ’bout to begin...
There’s a Horse and a Monkey—There’s a Trumpet playing trills
Ring of Fire Acrobatics give you chi-i-i-ills
There’s a Lion and aTiger—Claws itchin’ to kill
Hold your breath! There’s the Drum Roll... all is still...
This is the Circus Kenlando—The Show of all Shows
Sit down! The Big Top is up, my friends!
This is the Circus Kenlando—Everyone knows
The show’s about to begin... ’bout to begin... ’bout to begin...
4. My Week
Sunday aways comes before Monday
Tuesday’s next in line
Wednesday’s right behind
Thursday my heart’s startin’ to stir day
‘Cause Friday’s almost here
When it is I cheer
’Cause when Saturday comes
That’s my day to have fun
Playing all day long until
Sunday... Monday... Tuesday...
Wednesday... Thursday... Friday...
Saturday... Sunday... Monday...
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5. Jaws Of A Crocodile
In the jaws of a crocodile... yellow teeth in a jagged smile
Up above him five monkeys dancing... singing and prancing around
But then a monkey tumble down
Where’d he go? He fall down! Way, way, way down!
Monkey crunch! That’s the sound! Splish, splash!
Never, never mess around in the jaws of a crocodile!
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6. Rocket
If you wanna ride on a rocket, let’s go!
If you wanna ride on a rocket, let’s go!
I know an old man down by the beach
Could put the stars within your reach
Show you how to build a ship
So you can take a midnight trip
Let’s go! Oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, BLAST-OFF!
Ride a rocket, ride on a rocket
Ride a rocket, ride on a rocket
If you wanna ride on a rocket, let’s go!
If you wanna ride on a rocket, let’s go!
We can start drawing up some plans
Grab some wood and old tin cans
Whip the whole thing into shape
So we can make our big escape
Let’s go! Oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, BLAST-OFF!
Ride a rocket, ride on a rocket
Ride a rocket, ride on a rocket
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7. A Cold For Sale
Written with students at Franklin School, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin
I’ve got a cold and it’s for sale
It will make you sick and pale
I’ve got a cold that you can buy
Because I’m such a generous guy
I’m so stuffed I can’t inhale—And that is why my cold’s for sale
I’ve got a cold, with runny nose
And a red, raw throat that hacks and blows
If lousy’s how you want to feel
For just five bucks my cold’s a steal!
I’m so stuffed I can’t inhale—And that is why my cold’s for sale
I’ve got a cold... it’s guaranteed!
It comes with everything you need:
Coughing, sniffles, red nose, drool...
It’s the perfect excuse for missing school!
I’m so stuffed I can’t inhale—And that is why my cold’s for sale
I’ve got a cold. Attention, shoppers!
This will be a one-time offer!
I’ll throw in kleenex free for you
Everytime that you ah-choo!
So step right up and pay your money
In no time your nose will be runny
I’m having a clearance sale today
So buy my cold and take it away!
I’m so stuffed I can’t inhale—And that is why my cold’s for sale
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6. Marketplace
Viva la vegetables! They make you healthy!
You buy my vegetables, I will be wealthy!
I grow the very finest vegetables, perfect for a salad or a stew
Every bite is so delectable---the kind you like to chew! P---U!
Viva la bakery! Viva la fresh fish!
Viva la basketry! Viva la fruit dish!
I make the best baked bread in all the land!
I catch the fish so fresh they flop and squirm!
I make the basket with artistic hands!
My apples got no worms! Or germs!
Come to the marketplace! You wanna buy or sell?
Come to the marketplace... You gotta tale to tell?
We'll gather round any juggler or clown or minstrel
Down at the marketplace!
La la la la la la! La la la la la! La la la la la la! La la la la la!
You wanna potion for to fall in love?
You wanna gift to sweep her off her feet?
You want the perfect thing to bring a smile?
Or just some fish to eat? How sweet!
Come to the marketplace! You wanna buy or sell?
Come to the marketplace... You gotta tale to tell?
We'll gather round any juggler or clown or minstrel
Down at the marketplace!
La la la la la la! La la la la la! La la la la la la! La la la la la![top]
9. Guru Guy
I wanna take you on a magic carpet ride
Come on along! The stars above will be our guide
I am a guru—I am a guru guy
Rub the magic lamp, and in a twinkling
My genie a wish come true to you will bring
I am a guru—I am a guru guy
I am a guru—I am a guru guy
When you wear a turban all the time
It is easy to unwind
You’ll have peace of mind
Everything’s sublime
Yes? Oh! You rang? Tell me—what can I do? Shazam!
If you ever need a guru’s services
Don’t forget what my 900 number is:
1-900-GURU-GUY
You never met no Guru such as I
I taught the Everly Brothers to harmonize
I taught the Beatles how to trancendentalize
Shama lama ding dong. Shama lama ding dong.
I am a Guru Guy
I know it wasn’t easy following my song
I am so deep I’m hard to fathom very long
10. Slam Dunk
The day she stepped out on the basketball floor
A skinny kid, barely four foot four
We started to laugh and call her “little punk”
Until she showed us she could Slam Dunk!
You should have seen her in her high-top Chucks
Man, she could dribble, she could dodge and duck
She’d zip around, you’d hear a swish, kerplunk
Our mouths hung open as she’d Slam Dunk!
We tried to stop her but she couldn’t be
The score was 89 to 2 or 3
She’d jump up above the rim and we were sunk
All we could do was watch her Slam Dunk!
How does she do the things she do?
Who put the springs inside her shoes?
A jump as high as hers is only seen
In a kangaroo on top of a tramp—a tramp—a trampoline!
Slamma jamma—Pick n’ roll
Drive the lane—In the hole
Alley-oop—Sink a tray
Shovel and scoop—Bombs away
Turn around jumper—Give and go
Three—sixty—Bango!
Top of the key—Sky hook
Sink a three—Close the book
Fake the pass—Vertical swim
Shatter the glass—Hang on the rim
Slam Dunk!
Her touch is Magic—she’s lighter than Air
She flies like a Bird—she’s beyond compare
She battered our backboard into a rimless piece of junk
Then disappeared after makin’ one last Slam Dunk!
Slam Dunk! Slam Dunk! Slam Dunk!
11. My Fan Club
If I’m the coolest guy you’ve ever seen
Ask me about my Fan Club!
If you want a subscription to my magazine
Ask me about my Fan Club!
You could open up a chapter in your neighborhood
Ask me about my Fan Club!
If I were you I know I would
Ask me about my Fan Club!
If you think I’m a heckuva guy
Ask me about my Fan Club!
You’ll get a way-cool poster four feet high
Ask me about my Fan Club!
It’s suitable for framing and there’s one more thing
Ask me about my Fan Club!
You’ll get my face on a secret decoder ring!
Ask me about my Fan Club!
Everybody! Look at me! I’m the greatest in history!
If you don’t believe me—pay your dues
And you can read all about me in my Fan Club News!
For an autographed photograph of you-know-who
Ask me about my Fan Club!
For a list of my favorite things to do
Ask me about my Fan Club!
You’ll get the latest information on where I’m at
Ask me about my Fan Club!
And the ever-increasing size of my hat
Ask me about my Fan Club!
Ask me—Ask me—Ask me—Ask me—Ask me about me!
If you want your friends to think you’re cool
Ask me about my Fan Club!
You’ll get a button for your jacket to wear to school
Ask me about my Fan Club!
You’ll get a T-shirt with my name and face
Ask me about my Fan Club!
So you can wear me out all over the place
Ask me about my Fan Club!
Ask me—Ask me—Ask me—Ask me—Ask me about me!
Me, me, me!
12. Goodbye Little Birdie
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Written “off the cuff’ for Maywood Elementary School librarian Annette
Eisman’s Kindergarten classes, whose “class bird“ had expired only minutes before I arrived to do a concert for the suddenly teary-eyed group.
Goodbye, little birdie, goodbye
We’re sorry that you had to die
We’ll dig a hole in the ground for you
Goodbye, little birdie, goodbye
Goodbye, little birdie, goodbye
Now off into heaven you’ll fly
We’ll sing a song and remember you
Goodbye, little birdie
Your feathers were purty
Goodbye, little birdie, goodbye
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13. The Switcher-On Of Stars
I know the man who throws the switch
that turns the stars all on at night
(They're on a dimmer-switch, you know,
so he can make them soft or bright).
He lives up high upon a hill up in a tower made of stone
And all the stuff to do with stars is ruled by he and he alone.
One day he lost the tower key. He had no spare, and that's a fact!
The time to throw the switch was near.
The sun went down, the sky went black.
"Mommy!" children cried. "The stars
are not appearing as they should!"
The switcher-on of stars despaired. Things weren't looking very good.
"Starlight, star bright..." children began
the ancient rhyme, but then they stopped
For none could see even the first of stars above the chimney tops.
"I wish I may, I wish I might..."
they might have said, if there were stars
But there were not---the switcher-on
outside his tower was locked and barred.
No stars appeared, so ships at sea
began to lose their way and bump
Into eachother helplessly. The navigators all were stumped.
"Starboard!" cried the captains bold,
but with no stars to guide the way
Around in circles tall ships went, tossing, turning in the spray!
The switcher-on ran through his yard beneath the trees upon the hill
And found a ladder under one for apple-picking leaning still.
He mustered all the strength in his old bones to take the ladder down
And huffing, puffing made his way
back to the tower the far side 'round.
Meanwhile, in the sky, the Moon became confused without the stars.
She thought it was a night of rest. So did Venus. So did Mars.
In fact, the word went out to comets, asteroids and meteorites:
“It's a night off. Go back to sleep. Nobody has to work tonight!"
Astronomers turned telescopes this-a-way and that-a-way
Spinning gears and pulling ropes,
but blackness ruled the night that day.
Grownups growing mushy talked of true love that would last as long
As stars in heaven---then looked up,
and hoped their estimates were wrong.
Astrologers had no idea of what to make out of their charts
Calculating horoscopes regarding fortunes, fates and hearts.
They scratched their heads, and finally deciding just to chuck it all
Dusted off and polished up instead the family crystal ball.
The man who switches on the stars
leaned up his ladder round the back
And climbed to where a window was left open just a tiny crack…
Enough to slide his fingers underneath, and give a mighty heave.
Up the window flew! He almost tumbled down, I do believe!
But reaching out he grabbed the ledge, and steadying the ladder now
He swung his tired, aching legs over the window sill somehow
And climbed inside and found the steps that led up to the tower top---He took them all in two's and three's,
all fifteen flights and never stopped!
All over the world by now a panic had begun to grow.
The stars were gone! But where or why
even the wise ones didn't know!
"Perhaps it is the end of things! Tomorrow there may be no sun!"
But suddenly a switch was thrown before they all became undone.
He made it to the tower top! He found the switch! He switched it on!
The stars came out, the sky grew bright!
At last, something to wish upon!
The captains and the navigators had the means to find their way
And sweethearts strolling in the park had something poet-like to say.
The asteroids and meteorites and comets blazed to life again.
The planets woke. Astronomers resumed the search for number ten.
Horoscopes were read, and singing "Twinkle twinkle, little star"
People really meant it when they said, "I wonder what you are!"
The man who throws the switch
that turns the stars above us on at night
Heaved a heavy sigh, and set the dimmer-switch for extra bright.
He sank into an easy chair and thought of that night's escapade
And said, "Tomorrow morning I am going to have a spare key made!"
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14. Coyotes
Written with students at Farmington Elementary, Farmington, Minnesota
Way out west, upon the desert sand
Where rocks and hills and cactus dot the land
You’ll hear our lonely song—In the moonlight drift along
Out there where the canyons are so grand
Coyotes—Whoopee-ti-yotes
Singin’ Coyotes—Under the stars
Coyotes—Whoopee-ti-yotes—Singin’ Coyo-o-o-o-tes
Our heads tilt back, our throats are open wide
Our fangs let loose a howl from deep inside
Living in our dens—Armadillos are our friends
Together down the canyon slopes we slide
Coyotes—Whoopee-ti-yotes
Singin’ Coyotes—Under the stars
Coyotes—Whoopee-ti-yotes—Singin’ Coyo-o-o-o-tes
Out there where the rivers run so brown
Live fish who like to sing as they swim ’round
Under starry skies—You can hear us harmonize
And when those fishies sing, here’s how it sounds:
Coyotes—Whoopee-ti-yotes
Singin’ Coyotes—All of us are
Coyotes—Whoopee-ti-yotes—Singin’ coyotes—Under the stars
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15. Planet Mirth
An old man in my neighborhood said if I wanted to, I could
Build a spaceship just like he did when he was just a little kid
So I started drawing up some plans...
found some wood and flattened old tin cans
Hammering the whole thing into shape
so I could make my big escape
Goodbye gravity! Planet Earth
Hello levity! Planet Mirth
Ha, ha, ha ha ha! Ho, ho, ho!
Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee! No one knows!
Blast off! Blast off! Blast off!
Out where the stars are shining clear he said a planet would appear
Like a laugh, and slowly draw me in
till I touched down with a cosmic grin
And when I jumped from my spacecraft quite uncontrollably I’d laugh!
All of my troubles back on Earth would disappear on Planet Mirth!
Goodbye gravity! Planet Earth
Hello levity! Planet Mirth
Ha, ha, ha ha ha! Ho, ho, ho!
Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee! No one knows!
Blast off! Blast off! Blast off!
16. Visualize Friendship
Written with students at Franklin School, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin
Visualize getting along—Visualize sharing a song
Visualize being nice—It makes the world like paradise!
It’s Friendship! Friendship! That’s what people need!
Everybody needs Friendship! Friendship!
Oh, what a world this world could be
If everybody was friendly!
Visualize somebody lonely—Visualize somebody sad
Visualize reaching out to them—Then they will not feel so bad!
Chorus
Hey, Mr. Dog—be nice to that Cat!
Hey, Mr. Owl—be nice to that Rat!
Hey, Mr. Bird—be nice to that Worm!
Make him smile, don’t make him squirm!
Visualize playing together—Visualize parties and fun
Visualize making a mess—Then cleaning it up after you’re done!
Chorus
17. Bat
Written with 5th Graders at Burleigh Elementary, Brookfield, WI
They don’t really like you—you’re misunderstood
They think you’re disgusting—but I know you’re good!
Bat—Bat—my beautiful, beautiful
Bat—Bat—my beautiful, beautiful Bat
Since I met you my heart just goes pitter-pat, Bat!
Your body’s so hairy—let’s go on a date
You know how to find me—just echolocate
We’ll visit your cave—hang out in your tree
We’ll sleep upside down—except when we wee wee wee
Bat—Bat—my beautiful, beautiful
Bat—Bat—my beautiful, beautiful Bat
Since I met you my heart just goes pitter-pat, Bat!
Let’s be nocturnal—let’s go out for bugs
We could gobble a thousand—in-between hugs
You’re not really scary—the way people think
ou don’t fly in our hair—our blood you don’t drink
Bat—Bat—my beautiful, beautiful
Bat—Bat—my beautiful, beautiful Bat
Since I met you my heart just goes pitter-pat, Bat!
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18. Windy Bill
Away out west the old-time Cowboys sit up late at night
Beneath the twinkling stars ’round a campfire’s dying light
Eating hot frijole beans, they tell the story still
Of a desperado known as Windy Bill...
Ooo ooo—Ooo ooo
His dashing black sombrero and his wooly leather vest
Which he always left unbuttoned to show off his hairy chest)
Were as legendary as the sneer he always wore
He had an air about him unique in Cowboy lore...
Ooo ooo—Ooo ooo
Robbing trains and stagecoaches he galloped far and wide
But even with his mask on, he was identified
Sheriffs only had to take one whiff around the bank
To know that Bill had been there because of how it stank...
Windy Bill... Windy Bill... P.U.!
Passin’ through—it’s the outlaw Windy Bill!
The winds of fortune shifted and a posse tracked him down
They held their noses tight and they dragged him back to town
The Judge said, “Guilty!” And they hauled him up the hangin’ hill
And strung a noose around the neck of Windy Bill...
Ooo ooo—Ooo ooo
He spat tobacco juice upon the Mayor and his Wife
He snarled, “Go on an’ hang me, but in the afterlife
My ghost is gonna ride the wind and haunt you endlessly
And when you least expect it you’ll catch a whiff of me!”
Ooo ooo—Ooo ooo
They buried him up on Boot Hill on June the thirty-first
And everyone was whisperin’ about his dying curse
Wondering if the ghost of Bill would really ride the wind
And find a way to trouble decent folks again...
Windy Bill... Windy Bill... P.U.!
Passin’ through—it’s the ghost of Windy Bill!
I guess you know the story of the way things come to be
Whether you’re a kid or an old Cowboy like me
Suddenly a sound like muffled gunfire fills the air
And the awful stench will tell you Windy Bill was there!
Ooo ooo—Ooo ooo
When lone coyotes howl and the fire’s burning low
Through the purple sagebrush a mournful breeze will blow
Cowboy noses crinkle watching wilting prairie grass
They yodel-lay-hee-hoo as a wind breaks through the pass
Windy Bill... Windy Bill... P.U.!
Is it you or the ghost of Windy Bill!?
19. Dog Olympics
Written with students at Farmington Elementary, Farmington, Minnesota
There’s lots of neat events—Competition is intense
All the dogs are at the Dog Olympics
They’re barking and they’re sniffing—They’re power leg-lifting
All the dogs are at the Dog Olympics
Woof! Woof! Woof! Bark! Bark! Bark!
The dogs are at the Olympic Park!
If they win they take home—A gold or a silver or a bronze milk-bone!
There’s dog paddling races—Chewing through shoe laces
All the dogs are at the Dog Olympics
They’re chasing cats around—Digging holes in the ground
All the dogs are at the Dog Olympics
Chorus
Every dog has got a dream: Win the gold and host a talk show
Barking all day on TV—Just like Oprah and Geraldo
There’s a bone tug of war—Scratching at the door
All the dogs are at the Dog Olympics
They’re slurping from their dishes—Rolling in dead fishes
All the dogs are at the Dog Olympics
Chorus
20. Mist In The Jar
The fairies gather drops of dew
And spider webs and things
And mix it up in buttercups
And beat it with their wings
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The fairies think it makes a drink
No mortal can resist
And by all the drink is called:
The morning mist!
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Green, green, the mist is green
As all good potions are!
And you'll never for get the first sip that'll whet
Your lips from the mist in the jar!
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21. Wild Bird Round
Birds are turning
In the wind you can hear them again
They cry high over the world
22. Wrap A Rainbow 'Round The Sky
Written with students at Franklin School, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin
Laughter makes the world more beautiful
Smiling makes the world more beautiful
Being nice makes the world more beautiful
Friends make the world more beautiful
What can we do, everyday
To make the world a more beautiful place?
What can we do, you and I
To wrap a rainbow ’round the sky?
Singing, Clapping, Playing, Dancing
Chorus
Love, Friendship, You, We
Chorus
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23. Peculiar To The Pachyderm
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I say, good gent! It’s luck that sent you to me in the nick of time
To satisfy a whim that I have entertained since I was nine
An unrequited yearning to be learning words elephantine
Has hung a hue of deepest blue across a corner of my mind
Elephants in circus tents aroused my interest, I’ll affirm...
I’ve yearned so long to learn the song peculiar to the Pachyderm!
I’ve taken to exotic trips on sailing ships to rendezvous
With men from universities in foreign seas to have a view
Of the lands and kinds of Man whose language I don’t parlez vous
But of these Elephant-ese intrigues me most, I promise you!
Now up close your wrinkled nose (which looks like a gigantic worm)
Can tutor me linguistically in parlance of the Pachyderm!
If I could learn some Pachyderm it would be inspirational!
Rewards would be financial as well as educational
I know a fellow who can shriek and bellow so sensational
That he sells appliances at interest rates occasional!
(It’s crazy all the ways he makes consumers salivate and squirm—
Emulating shrieking sounds peculiar to the Pachyderm!)
Little birds have spread the word about a skill Elephantine
Whereby, I think, you’re said to link by trunks and tails into a line
Wandering rhythmically for all to see in circles serpentine
Then upon hind legs to beg for peanuts all in whip-crack time!
If it’s true I know that you will be the one who could confirm
Is this strange behavior part and parcel of the Pachyderm?
When organs grind, I’ve heard your kind can entertain an audience
And always heed to not stampede when frightened by applaudience
And, if bored, choose to ignore those naughty, naughty, naughty aunts
Who appear to look and leer upon your trunks, those baudy aunts!
I failed to pass Elephant Class one misbegotten school term
And now I yearn to learn the song peculiar to the Pachyderm!
You will not be without a fee—I’ll pay in monies animile
The going rate to conjugate my verbs correctly in the wild
Savannahs of bananas if it please you I will gladly pile
Just agree to tutor me linguistically a little while!
Say you will and let the thrill send shivers through my epiderm
To learn, at last, the trumpet blast peculiar to the Pachyderm!
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24. Someday
Written for my musical version of The Magician’s Nephew
Someday I will find you
Someday right behind you
You will hear my footsteps falling under stars
In the unknown heavens wherever you are, you are
How will I know for sure you’re the one
Holding the magic cure when I come
Looking through other worlds beyond the sun?
Somehow I will know you
Somehow I will go through
Any door I have to, any mystery
Till I find the answer waiting for me, you’ll be
Someday
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25. Tobacco
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Never smoke tobacco-bacco-bacco
Such a choice is wacko-wacko-wacko
There may be no turning backo-backo-backo
Big mistake, King-Size!
Never smoke tobacco-bacco-bacco
Just a puff or by the packo-packo-packo
You could have a heart attacko-tacko-tacko
This would not be nice!
Never smoke tobacco-bacco-bacco
You’ll begin to hacko-hacko-hacko
Both your lungs becoming blacko-blacko-blacko
What a heavy price!
You start to smoke, you’re gonna choke
Spend all your money till you’re going broke
You try to stop, you’re gonna flop
Pick up a habit you can’t drop
So never smoke tobacco-bacco-bacco
If you want some lips to smacko-smacko-smacko
They won’t want to kiss you backo-backo-backo
Teardrops in you eyes!
Never smoke tobacco-bacco-bacco
It becomes a torture racko-racko-racko
Try to run it pulls you backo-backo-backo
Grips you like a vice!
Never smoke tobacco-bacco-bacco
You’ll go down the wrong tr-acko-tracko
Choo! Choo! You smoke stacko-stacko-stacko
Most unwise, you guys! Grips you like a vice!
Teardrops in you eyes! What a heavy price!
This would not be nice! Big mistake, King-Size
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26. Say Thanks!
There once was a boy who would never say “Thanks!”
Not for all of the money in all of the banks.
You’d do him a favor, and this little crank
Would look at you cold and ungrateful and blank.
No thanks for clean laundry, or the sodas he drank.
No thanks for the picnics with hot beans and franks.
So... the fairies, this mean little ingrate to thank
Whisked him away with a “boom” and a “clank”
Down in the sea where the Pirate ships sank
With sharks and pirhannas patrolling the banks
In the sea he must stay, till he learns to say, “Thanks!”
27. The Circus Leaves Town
Goodbye to the music, goodbye to the clowns
Goodbye to the magic... the tent’s coming down
Cages closing on the tigers and the lions
Everybody’s packing... the old train whistle’s sighin’
The sparkling sequins and the flying trapeze
Stuffed into old trunks they close with their knees
Elephant noses twist out through the bars
Of the cages linked up on the old railroad cars
And dew drops will shine on the green grassy ground
Like tears on the morning the circus leaves town
Giraffes poke their heads up, looking all around
Old men in suspenders pull everything down
Rolling up the banners, rings for jumping through
The Ringmaster’s top hat and tuxedo, too
Before long the meadow will be empty again
The whistle will blow goin’ ‘round the next bend
We’ll chase it awhile, but we already know
We can’t dream forever—we’ve got to let go
And dew drops will shine on the green grassy ground
Like tears on the morning the circus leaves town
Goodbye to the wonder, laughter and the thrills
Multi-colored memories tickling me still
Somewhere someone in a town far, far away
Is gasping just like I was only yesterday
The same thrills will lift them sky-high for awhile
As the world and it’s worries dissolve in their smiles
When it’s all gone, only marks in the grass
From the tent-poles will show that the circus went past
And dew drops will shine on the green grassy ground
Like tears on the morning the circus leaves town
Someday they’ll be comin’ back this way again
But it won’t be the same, ’cause... I’ll be older by then
Big kids start pretending they don’t really care
Yawning at the tigers, their balloons losing air
Posters are blowing away down the road
The calliope’s up—it’s the last thing they load
When the train pulls away and puffs down the track
It feels like the magic will never come back
And dew drops will shine on the green grassy ground
Like tears on the morning the circus leaves town
28. Thundering Armadillos
Here come the thundering armadillos
Over the dusty desert hill-os
Jumblin’ and crumblin’ through the sand
Here come the thundering armadillos
Wiggling over the window sill-os
Cactus-print pajamas in their hands
Day is done—Stars shine one by one
Dream, Armadillos—Heads on pillows—Snore like billows
Here come the thundering armadillos
Eyelids droop like weeping willows
Mumblin’ and grumblin’ all night long
Here come the thundering armadillos
Snoring just like broken billows
Singing the armadillo song
Day is done—Stars shine one by one
Dream, Armadillos—Heads on pillows—Snore like billows
Happy tails to you....
Armadiddley, armadiddley, armadiddley-o-hoo-hoo!
Armadiddley, armadiddley, armadiddley-o-hoo-hoo!
Armadiddley, armadiddley, armadiddley,
armadiddley, armadiddley-o-hoo-hoo!
Armadiddley, armadiddley, armadiddley-o-hoo-hoo!