Album: The Unicorn (1967)

Charted: 7

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• A long time ago, when the earth was still green
  And there were more kinds of animals than you've ever seen
  They'd run around free while the earth was being born
  But the loveliest of all was the unicorn
  
  There was green alligators and long-necked geese
  Some humpty-backed camels and some chimpanzees
  Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born
  The loveliest of all was the unicorn
  
  Now god seen some sinnin' and it gave him pain
  And he says, "stand back, I'm going to make it rain"
  He says, "hey, brother Noah, I'll tell you what to do
  Build me a floating zoo"
  
  And take some of them green alligators and long-necked geese
  Some humpty-backed camels and some chimpanzees
  Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born
  Don't you forget my unicorn"
  
  Old Noah was there to answer the call
  He finished up making the ark just as the rain started fallin'
  He marched in the animals two by two
  And he called out as they went through
  "Hey, Lord"
  
  I've got your green alligators and long-necked geese
  Some humpty-backed camels and some chimpanzees
  Some cats and rats and elephants, but Lord, I'm so forlorn
  I just can't see no unicorn"
  
  Then Noah looked out through the driving rain
  Them unicorns was hiding, playing silly games
  Kicking and splashing while the rain was pouring
  Oh, them silly unicorns
  
  There was green alligators and long-necked geese
  Some humpty-backed camels and some chimpanzees
  Noah cried, "close the doors 'cause the rain is pourin'
  And we just can't wait for no unicorns"
  
  The ark started movin', it drifted with the tide
  Them unicorns looked up from the rock and they cried
  And the waters came down and sort of floated them away
  And that's why you'll never see a unicorn, to this very day
  
  You'll see green alligators and long-necked geese
  Some humpty-backed camels and some chimpanzees
  Some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born
  You're never gonna see no unicorn Writer/s: SHEL SILVERSTEIN
  Publisher: T.R.O. INC.
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 9

• George Pope from BcThank you, Irish Rovers, for the anniversary edition of the original and thanks to you & Shel Silverstein for doing the beautiful sequel! So beautiful: "Swimming free, swimming free. . ."
• Irish Rovers from Canadaand the long-awaited sequel The Continuing Story of The Unicorn https://youtu.be/jB3MKGCRfRA
• Irish Rovers from CanadaHere is The Unicorn song in Concert on The Irish Rovers 50th Anniversary television special https://youtu.be/mN-uA9CiV_w
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyJust an added fact to the next post below:
  "The Unicorn" by the Irish Rovers peaked at #2 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart on May 19th, 1968...
  The week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" by Hugo Montenegro and Orchestra & Chorus.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 1st 1968, the Irish Rovers performed "The Unicorn" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
  Three months earlier on March 17th, 1968 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #77; and on May 19th it peaked at #7 (for 1 weeks) and spent 12 weeks on the Top 100...
  It reached #2 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart...
  On the same 'Bandstand' show the group sang "(The Puppet Song) Whiskey On Sunday"; it stayed on the Top 100 for 7 weeks, peaking at #75.
• Esskayess from Dallas, TxSilverstein was one of a kind. Would write charming kid stuff like this or lyrics so raw that no station would play them.
• B.l. from Barry, TxThey used to play this song every morning on the oldies station, 103.5, in Austin, Texas from the time I entered junior high to the time I graduated high school. The DJ that played it was a former TV weatherman who considered himself much funniner and more clever than he really was on-air and that incessant playing really made me dislike this song. Luckily, I don't feel that way any more, but I'd rather listen to "The Unicorn" every once and a while from now on!
• Camille from Toronto, OhI think I'm the only person in my neck of the woods who remembers this song from when I was a little Catholic girl growing up in a small town. I knew all about Noah and his arc but the church never seemed to include this part of the story. Lol. The Irish accent and the delivery of the line "and that's why you never see unicorns.....to this very day"--very magical. And every little kid seems to see pictures of unicorns and this just explained so clearly why they no longer existed and seemed quite believable.
• Clarissa from Martinsburg, WvSave the unicorns

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