Flowers Are Red - Harry Chapin

Little boy on the first day of school

Got some crayons and started to draw

He drew colors all over the paper

For colors was what he saw

And the teacher said.

«What you doin' young man?»

«I'm paintin' flowers» he said

«It's not the time for art, young man

And anyway flowers are green and red…

There’s a time for everything young man

And a way it should be done

You’ve got to show concern for everyone else

For you’re not the only one

And she said…

Flowers are red young man and

Green leaves are green

There’s no need to see flowers any other way

Than they way they always have been seen

But the little boy said…

There are so many colors in the rainbow

So many colors in the morning sun

So many colors in a flower and I see every one

The teacher said.

You’re sassy

There’s ways that things should be

And you’ll paint flowers the way they are

So repeat after me…

And she said…

Flowers are red young man and

Green leaves are green

There’s no need to see flowers any other way

Than they way they always have been seen

But the little boy said…

There are so many colors in the rainbow

So many colors in the morning sun

So many colors in a flower and I see every one

The teacher put him in a corner

She said.

It’s for your own good.

And you won’t come out 'til you get it right

And are responding like you should

Well finally he got lonely

Frightened thoughts filled his head

And that little boy went up to the teacher

And this is what he said.

and he said

Flowers are red, green leaves are green

There’s no need to see flowers any other way

Than the way they always have been seen

Time went by like it always does

And they moved to another town

And the little boy went to another school

And this is what he found

The teacher there was smilin'

She said… Painting should be fun

And there are so many colors in a flower

So let’s use every one

But that little boy painted flowers

In neat rows of green and red

And when the teacher asked him why

This is what he said.

and he said

Flowers are red, and green leaves are green

There’s no need to see flowers any other way

Than the way they always have been seen