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Flowers Are Red Lyrics

Artist: Harry Chapin
Album: Living Room Suite

The little boy went first day of school
He got some crayons and started to draw
He put 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
She 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
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the 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 the flower and I see every one

Well 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
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the 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 the 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 all responding like you should
Well finally he got lonely
Frightened thoughts filled his head
And he 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, green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen.

Comments/Interpretations

by salihah on 6/29/2008 5:09am
it is good any1 know the dawud wharnasby version i do so how do u submit it????
by Halima on 1/21/2009 2:21pm
Great
by mackenzie on 1/21/2009 7:02pm
i heard this at chapel at my school my rev sang it to ous
by Manar & Tasneem on 3/10/2009 2:03pm
We love it and i seen zain beacker for real live in gpu
by abou_ilias on 3/25/2009 12:16pm
thank you so much

it helps my childrren to learn english
by LIDA on 7/3/2009 3:52am
I COPY THIS LYRICS FOR INCREASE MY LANGUAGE..
THANKS..:-)
by ArthurDeatly on 7/17/2009 7:57am
Probably thr biggest challange in the art room is breaking pre-determined images and drawing formatts
by Maliha on 8/9/2009 11:14am
SUBHANALLAH
IT IS GREAT FOR CHILDREN
by YUMNA on 8/9/2009 11:35am
WONDERFUL 1










by Abraham on 11/30/2009 4:12am
really it is so nice song which has a great nice mean.
by marissa on 3/27/2010 2:25pm
My drama teacher used to sng this to remind us that teachers aren't the ultimate authority all the time and that we must always think for ourselves. He reminded us how important creactivity is in the world and to question preconcieved notions and not to simply regergitate what the teacher tells us is right.
by Jennaj on 4/15/2010 9:19am
I miss Harry! I heard this song at one of his concerts when I was 12yrs old back in 1980. I've since shared it with my education classes and now I'm sharing it with my boys! We Love you Harry.
by gorge on 4/21/2010 7:35pm
cool song its soooooooooooo adorable
by Emily on 5/5/2010 9:02pm
Amazing song
by safa on 8/14/2010 4:25pm
there are so many colour s in a rainbow so many colours in the moring sun hahahah mashallah really nice
by zmmaj5 on 9/2/2010 5:09pm
best song ever!! easier than I thought to play on guitar!!
by Cecile on 12/24/2010 11:32am
My heart broke a little when I heard this song. One lone misguided authority figure wielding just enough power to squelch a child's vision and ultimately his possible future.. Am I being overdramatic? may.. maybe not.
by BR on 5/9/2011 3:11pm
This last verse I do not believe was in the original song. I believe it was added. Am I mistaken?
by BR on 5/9/2011 3:13pm
No, my mistake! There is another verse that has been added by someone else, but this is the way Harry Chapin wrote it.
by Jordyn on 5/31/2011 3:34pm
I love that song!! We always sing it in camp!! Thanks for posting the lyrics!!
by ****** on 10/24/2011 5:02pm
this is a sad song :((( still love it though
by Carolann on 10/30/2011 3:25pm
You are not being over-dramatic Cecile- you are spot on! Im posting Harrys words in the staff room at school. Spread the word!
by BH on 3/13/2012 8:04pm
@BR - the last verse is on the CD I have and I heard him sing it that way in concert the year before he died.... maybe he added it later?
by Richard Calzada on 7/13/2012 10:07pm
powerful song about how we teach our children and about teaching and learning!! Harry is one of the greatest!!
by K. Her on 7/31/2012 10:40pm
This song was first introduced to me when I was in 5th grade at Webster Elementary, Fresno, Ca in the mid 80's by a teacher named Ms. Corcoran. Funny how I still can remember the chorus from the teacher and the response from the boy stuck in my head all these years. Thank you.
by Geraldine Dunne on 10/18/2012 12:21am
I remember when teachers saw everything in black and white and , red and green and never let children express themselves the way they should be allowed today....great song.
by Nail Bunny on 12/20/2012 2:48am
Wonderful song. Love it so much. I widh more people had heard it.
by Rav'n Jack on 1/13/2013 1:27am
This song breaks my heart to its core, for it shows the destruction of children's freedom of thought and action. Anyone who does what the teacher did in this story is guilty of murder, for the child mind was murdered so that it could overidden by another mind.
by Harry Fan on 10/29/2013 11:24pm
This song was written after one of Harry’s sons came home with a report card that read, (Harry’s quote) “Your son marches to the beat of a different drummer comma but don’t worry we’ll have him joining the parade by the end of the term.”
by Alison on 3/31/2014 10:39pm
Heard this years ago, have just found the lyrics. Such a sad indictment of British schools - for the most part. It takes a very special person to be a good teacher!!
by Gerald on 5/22/2014 4:07am
This song is often misdirected towards children. The adults need to hear this too. Education is important but when it is used to conform children we all loose. Too many teachers are technicians of a curriculum, not enough are artist of learning.
by Patrick on 7/16/2014 1:31pm
I think this song means a lot more than only education and children. I think the first part of the song, about someone who told you how to deal with things, someone who knows what's good and wrong is a mirror for the whole world. There is not only one way of life. Everybody is different and thats beautiful. "There are so many colors in the rainbow."
by Thomas Paine on 10/10/2014 3:58pm
This is a very prophetic song. Look at what is going on in the schools and government today.
by eric on 11/14/2015 10:42pm
harry doin' what he does best......telling a story song that really hits you!

saw him three times in concert and spoke with him after one of his shows,greatguy
miss him like crazy








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