Puff the Magic Dragon
This is an online fiddle lesson for the Peter, Paul and Mary song "Puff the Magic Dragon."
This lesson is by special request for my friend Nagumaq.
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Genre: Folk
Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate
Key of A and G
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Video #1: Here is a video of me performing "Puff the Magic Dragon."
"Puff, the Magic Dragon" is a song written by Leonard Lipton and Peter Yarrow, and made popular by Yarrow's group Peter, Paul and Mary in a 1962 recording. The song achieved great popularity.
The lyrics for "Puff, the Magic Dragon" were based on a 1959 poem by Leonard Lipton, a 19-year-old Cornell University student. Lipton was inspired by an Ogden Nash poem titled "Custard the Dragon", about a "realio, trulio little pet dragon."
Lipton was friends with Peter Yarrow's housemate when they were all students at Cornell. He used Yarrow's typewriter to get the poem out of his head. He then forgot about it until years later, when a friend called and told him Yarrow was looking for him, to give him credit for the lyrics. On making contact Yarrow gave Lipton half the songwriting credit, and he still gets royalties from 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 number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and spent two weeks atop the Billboard easy listening chart in early 1963. It also reached number ten on Billboard's R&B chart.
source: (wikipedia)
Puff the Magic Dragon Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee, 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 Honalee, Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee. Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail Jackie kept a lookout perched on puffs gigantic tail, Noble kings and princes would bow whene'are they came, Pirate ships would lower their flag 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 Honalee, Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee. Dragons live forever but not so little boys Painted wings and giant strings make way for other toys. One sad night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more And Puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar. His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain, Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane. Without his life-long 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 Honalee, Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.
Peter, Paul and Mary performing "Puff, the Magic Dragon":