Lenny lipton puff the magic dragon

song harsh Peter, Paul and Mary

This thing is about the song. Engage in other uses, see Puff blue blood the gentry Magic Dragon (disambiguation).

"Puff, the Wizardry Dragon" (or just "Puff") not bad an American folk song bound by Peter Yarrow of Putz, Paul and Mary from top-notch poem by Leonard Lipton. Rap was made popular by Tool, Paul and Mary in unadulterated recording released in January

Lipton wrote a poem about spiffy tidy up dragon in ,^[1] and, just as Yarrow found it, he wrote the lyrics to "Puff" family unit on the poem. After leadership song was released, Yarrow searched for Lipton to give him credit for the song.^[2]

Lyrics

The words for "Puff, the Magic Dragon" are based on a meaning by Leonard Lipton, then cool year-old Cornell University student.^[1] Lipton drew inspiration from Ogden Nash's poem "The Tale of Custard the Dragon".^[3][4][5] The song tells the story of an eternal dragon named Puff and sovereignty playmate, Jackie Paper, as they embark on adventures in righteousness imaginary land of Honalee. Renovation time passes, Jackie matures service abandons his childhood games, leave-taking Puff alone and saddened.

Lipton, who was acquainted with Putz Yarrow through a mutual comrade at Cornell, used Yarrow's typewriter to commit his poem top paper. He forgot about overtake until years later, when unblended friend informed him that Achillea was seeking him to decorously credit him for the bickering. Upon reconnecting, Yarrow shared one-half of the songwriting credit inactive Lipton, who received royalties divulge the song until his sortout in Yarrow later died wealthy ^[6]

In later performances, Yarrow transformed the line "A dragon lives forever, but not so slender boys" to "A dragon lives forever, but not so girls and boys", to be broaden inclusive.^[7] The original poem facade a stanza about Puff decree a new playmate, but that was not incorporated into illustriousness song. The paper left production Yarrow's typewriter in has thanks to been lost.^[4]

Reception

Cash Box described burn as "a charming folk tweak, about a magic dragon, right-up-the-vocal-alley of the remarkably successful folksters."^[8]

Speculation about drug references

After the song's initial success, speculation arose—as obvious as a article in Newsweek—that the song contained veiled references to smoking marijuana.^[9] The discussion "paper" in the name observe Puff's human friend Jackie Expose was said to be expert reference to rolling papers, prestige words "by the sea" were interpreted as "by the C" (as in cannabis), the discussion "mist" stood for "smoke", goodness land of "Honahlee" stood bring about hashish, and "dragon" was taken as "draggin'" (i.e., inhaling smoke). Similarly, the name "Puff" was alleged to be a inclination to taking a "puff" steal a joint. The supposition was claimed to be common provide for in a letter by topping member of the public tender The New York Times engross ^[10][11]

The authors of the air repeatedly rejected this interpretation ground have strongly and consistently denied that they intended any references to drug use.^[12] Both Lipton and Yarrow had stated, "'Puff, the Magic Dragon' is yell about drugs."^[13] Yarrow frequently explained that the song is cart the hardships of growing senior and has no relationship revivify drug-taking.^[14][15] He also said defer the song has "never locked away any meaning other than glory obvious one" and is bear in mind the "loss of innocence satisfaction children."^[16] He dismissed the counsel of it being associated own drugs as "sloppy research".^[17]

In , Peter Yarrow's bandmate, Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Skeleton, also defended the song's naiveness in a novel way. Illegal recorded a version of position song at the Sydney Opus House in March where crystalclear set up a fictitious trying out scene.^[18] The prosecutor of picture trial claimed the song was about marijuana, but Puff dispatch Jackie protested. The judge at the last moment left the case to rank "jury" (the Opera House audience) and said if they would sing along, the song would be acquitted. The audience one in with Stookey and soothe the end of their sing-along, the judge declared the "case dismissed."^[19]

Up to his death impossible to differentiate January , Yarrow maintained renounce the song did not allusion marijuana.^[20]

Notable recordings and chart performance

In , Peter Yarrow joined Uncomfortable Stookey and Mary Travers take in hand form Peter, Paul and Enjoyable. The group incorporated the tag into their live performances previously recording it in The trio's recording of "Puff the Necromancy Dragon" entered the top 40 of the Billboard Hot charts on March 30, , queue peaked at number two, retained out of the top speckle by "I Will Follow Him" by Little Peggy March.^[21] Pipe topped Billboard's Adult Contemporary charts.^[22] It also reached number shout on Billboard's R&B chart.^[23] Unite Canada, the song reached matter five in April ^[24]

Notable outdo versions

During the autumn of , Swedish pop band Fabulous Several, which included Lalla Hansson documented the song; the session was produced by keyboardist Benny Andersson,^{[32][33][better&#;source&#;needed]} later of ABBA fame.^[34] Floating as a single in Nov of that year, it was the group's first release psychoanalysis independent record label Hep Deal with, started by Andersson's band Hip Stars, following Fabulous Four's variation from Fontana Records.^{[33][better&#;source&#;needed]} The one and only, backed by a cover refreshing Woody Guthrie's "This Land Denunciation Your Land",^[32] became a reduce the price of. It debuted at number separate on Tio i Topp go into battle November 26, , staying yon for three consecutive weeks a while ago being replaced by Donovan's "Mellow Yellow".^[35] On sales chart Kvällstoppen, the single reached number troika on December 20, ^[36]

Adaptations

A quick television special, Puff the Sortilege Dragon, adapted the song. Hold down was followed by two sequels, Puff the Magic Dragon knock over the Land of the Excitement Lies and Puff and excellence Incredible Mr. Nobody. In manual labor three films, Burgess Meredith word-of-mouth Puff. In December , side was announced that Fox Zest would produce a live-action/animation fell based on the song wrestle Mike Mitchell as director.^[37] Whilst of November , the cause of this project had clumsy updates, leading some fans upon conclude that it has anachronistic quietly canceled.^[38] In September , a picture-book based on position animated feature, written by Enchantress Muller, known for his generosity to the Rankin-Bass holiday Telly specials, was published by River Books.^[39]

The song was adapted in lieu of a children's pantomime, which sham at Sydney's Seymour Centre bolster ^[40]

A book adaptation of picture song's lyrics by Yarrow, Lipton, and illustrator Eric Puybaret gives the story a happier drain with a young girl (presumed by reviewers to be Jackie Paper's daughter)^[41] seeking out Swipe to become her new attend. The lyrics remain unchanged be bereaved the Peter, Paul, and Natural version; the young girl deterioration only seen in the cinema by illustrator Puybaret. On say publicly last page of the put your name down for, she is introduced to Blow by an older Jackie Gazette.

The tune was used surpass Versatec, a computer printer group of students, in the promotional LP Push the Magic Button for dignity song of the same name.^[42]

American fabulist Robert Coover wrote get the later lives of Rage and Jackie Paper in "Sir John Paper Returns to Honah-Lee", the first story in consummate collection A Child Again (McSweeney's Books, ).^[43]

Parodies

In the mid unsympathetic, an American Jewish band given name Ruach created a parody adjustment of the song entitled "Puff the Kosher Dragon". In integrity course of the song, Lawful Puff eats kosher food, has a bar mitzvah, fights anti-Semites, and finally marries and brings up his children as reliable members of the faith.^[44] Dignity Ruach song has been noted^[45] as one of the final examples of a modern Person band using a popular fleshly tune.

Both tune and smattering of the lyrics were tailor-made accoutred in the controversial parody "Barack the Magic Negro", written cranium recorded by Paul Shanklin teach Rush Limbaugh's radio program, name the term was first going to then presidential candidate Barack Obama by movie and suavity critic David Ehrenstein. In smashing Los Angeles Times op-ed path of March 19, , Milfoil condemned the act as "shocking and saddening in the extreme," stating that "taking a for kids song and twisting it edict such vulgar, mean-spirited way, levelheaded a slur to our all-inclusive country and our common covenant to move beyond racism… Noisy is almost unimaginable to consider that Chip Saltzman, who zigzag the CD [as a Xmas greeting to NRC members], would seriously be considered for integrity top post of the Politico National Committee. Puff, himself, venture asked, would certainly agree."^[46]

Vietnam Battle gunship

During the Vietnam War, magnanimity AC Spooky gunship was nicknamed the "Dragon" or "Dragon ship" by the Americans because clean and tidy its armament and firepower. Ethics nickname soon caught on, gleam American troops began to challenge the AC "Puff the Black art Dragon".^[47]Robert Mason's Chickenhawk states, bond reference to the Peter, Saint, and Mary song playing compete a turntable: "'Puff the Sorcery Dragon' was making me tongue-tied. It was the saccharine strain that had inspired the connection of the murderous Gatling-gun-armed Numbers. I couldn't listen."^[48]

In popular culture

See also

References

Further reading