Puff, the Magic Dragon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “Puff, the Magic Dragon” | ||
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| Single by Peter, Paul and Mary from the album Moving |
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| Released | 1963 | |
| Recorded | 1963 | |
| Genre | Folk, Pop | |
| Length | 3:20 | |
| Label | Warner Bros/Wea | |
| Writer(s) | Leonard Lipton, Peter Yarrow | |
| Audio sample | ||
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- "Puff the Magic Dragon" can also refer to a roller coaster in Lagoon Amusement Park.
"Puff, the Magic Dragon" is a song written by Leonard Lipton and Peter Yarrow and made popular by the group Peter, Paul and Mary in a 1963 recording. The song is so well-known that it has entered American and British pop culture.
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[edit] Lyrics
The lyrics for "Puff, the Magic Dragon" were based on a 1959 poem by Leonard Lipton, a nineteen-year-old Cornell student. Lipton was inspired by an Ogden Nash poem titled "Custard the Dragon," about a "Really-O, Truly-O, little pet dragon." Lipton passed his poem on to friend and fellow Cornell student Peter Yarrow, who created music and more lyrics to make the poem into the song. In 1961, Yarrow joined Paul Stookey and Mary Travers to form Peter, Paul and Mary. The group incorporated the song into their live performances before recording it in 1962; their 1962 recording of "Puff" reached #2 on the Billboard charts in early 1963.
The lyrics tell a story of the ageless dragon Puff and his playmate Jackie Paper, a little boy who grows up and loses interest in the imaginary adventures of childhood and leaves Puff alone and depressed. The story of the song takes place "by the sea" in the land of Hanalei, which is on the island of Kaua'i, Hawai'i.
A 1978 cartoon film, Puff the Magic Dragon, adapts the song.[1]
A 2007 book adaptation of the song's lyrics by Yarrow, Lipton and illustrator Eric Puybaret gives the story a happier ending with a young girl (presumed by reviewers to be Jackie Paper's daughter [2]) seeking out Puff to become his new companion. Three animated specials were also based on the song.
[edit] Interpretations
The song is believed by many to refer to smoking marijuana, due to references to paper, dragon ("draggin'"), puff (smoke), traveling "along the cherry lane" (the burning ember of a cigarette or joint is called a cherry, and moves up the cigarette's length as it burns), and Hanalei (Honalee) is a town in Hawaii known for marijuana use. This theory lead to the song becoming a hippie anthem. The authors of the song have repeatedly and vehemently denied any intentional drug reference.[3] Peter Yarrow himself insists that "Puff" is about the hardships of growing older, not drugs.[4]
In January 2004, as Yarrow was on campaigning with personal friend and Presidential candidate John Kerry, Kerry was reportedly videotaped gesturing as if puffing a marijuana cigarette as Yarrow sang "Puff".[5]
[edit] Other versions
Due to its immense popularity, the song has been covered by multiple artists, including:
- 100 Folk Celsius (performed in Hungarian as Paff, a bűvös sárkány)
- Amazing Transparent Man (appears on the 1999 release, "No Fun Intended", and is titled as "Puff Daddy)
- Bing Crosby
- Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (recorded on 2005 Puff the Magic Dragon single, and on the children's music album Songs for the Young at Heart)
- Broken Social Scene[6]
- The Chipmunks (from the 1965 album, "The Chipmunks Sing With Children")
- Dolly Parton
- Gregory Isaacs (for the Reggae For Kids project).
- Joan Manuel Serrat (Puf, el Drac Màgic)
- John Denver
- The Kingston Trio
- Mariko Kōda (featured as the 9th track on her "My Best Friend 2" album)
- Marlene Dietrich (performed in German as "Paff, Der Zauberdrachen")
- Seal
- The Seekers (performed live in concert)
- Tom Chapin
- Trini Lopez
- Southeast Asia version referring to US Air Force gunships
- Patsy Biscoe
- Grup de Folk (performed in Catalan as "Puff, el drac màgic")
- Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
- Roger Whittaker
- The Irish Rovers
- Staind live acoustic album
- Paul Shanklin Parody of the song done as "Barack the Magic Negro" in reference to a Los Angeles Times article in 2007. Shanklin imitates Al Sharpton singing the tune through a megaphone [1].
- Dizzee Rascal's 2007 song Lemon
[edit] References
- ^ "Puff the Magic Dragon (1978)," Amazon.com
- ^ TheStar.com | entertainment | New take on Puff the Magic Dragon
- ^ Just A Minute With: Peter Yarrow at Reuters.com
- ^ Puff, the Magic Dragon at Snopes.com
- ^ "Kerry 'Toke' Draws Little Smoke," Fox News
- ^ Another Comp For The Indie Kids, And A Reminder Of How Broken Social Scene Can Be Unsafe For Children - Stereogum
[edit] External links
- Urban Legends Reference Page which disputes the drug-reference interpretation.
- Cartoon Adaptation
- Story of the cartoon adaptation
