Jonathan Kelley
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  • Acting Projects
    • Monologs >
      • You Can't Handle the Truth
      • The Matrix
      • Shawshank Redemption
    • Stage >
      • Burlador de Sevilla
      • Too Many Tamales >
        • Too Many Tamales 2022
        • Too Many Tamales 2019
        • TMT 2016
        • TMT 2014 Conga
        • TMT 2014 Tamales Song
        • TMT 2014 Cormack monolog
      • The Bird Cage (Jaula de las Locas)
    • Film >
      • Amor en 266 Millas
      • Beauty in the Broken
      • Look No More
    • TV >
      • Better Things, S4 E5 Carbonara
    • Commercials >
      • Milk Life Tango
    • Internet >
      • Falling in Reverse, I'm not a Vampire
      • I Am Easy to Find, The National
      • Kubed Living
      • Tosh O. Vegan
      • Interview, Alas Media
  • Art Projects
    • Glass projects >
      • Pellegrino drinking glasses
      • Mosaic glass
    • Neon Art Projects >
      • Neolithic Spiral
      • Newgrange Neon Spiral
      • Neon Coconut Palm Tree
    • Coconut Frond Weaving
  • Musical Projects
    • Bamba
    • Begin the Beguine
    • Beyond the Sea, J and G
    • Blues Exercise, 2020
    • Christmas Music >
      • God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
      • Baby, It's Cold Outside
      • I'll Be Home for Christmas
    • Dí Porqué
    • Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend
    • Early Autumn
    • Easter Parade
    • Easter Parade
    • I Get Along Without You Very Well
    • I'm Just Wild About Harry
    • Jonathan's musical compositions >
      • My Los Angeles
      • Life is Like a Stage Play
      • Pretend
      • Get A Dog
      • Let's Begin
      • Leila
      • Unexpectedly
    • Jonathan sax numbers >
      • Four Brothers
      • Jonathan's Sax numbers
      • Cute
    • Let Me Call You Sweetheart
    • Lil Darlin'
    • Lullaby of Broadway
    • Lulu's Back in Town
    • Memories are Made of This
    • Rags >
      • College March Boogie Woogie Medley
      • Dill Pickles Rag
      • Joplin - Maple Leaff Rag
      • Joplin-Bethena
      • Joplin-Magnetic Rag
    • Ragtime Cowboy Joe
    • Rhode Island is Famous for You
    • Sand in My Shoes
    • Sand in my Shoes
    • Tzena Tzena Tzena
    • Ukulele: Puff the Magic Dragon
    • We'll Sing in the Sunshine
    • When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
    • When Joanna Loved Me
    • You're a Grand Old Flag medley
    • Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
    • Just In Love
  • Culinary Projects
    • Amaretti al Mascarpone
    • Coconuts >
      • Coconuts demo trailer 2015
      • Coconut Lime Soup
      • Coconut Shell Bowl
      • Coconut Cream Pie
      • Tembleque
    • Tropical Fruits >
      • How to eat a mango
      • How to eat a pomelo
    • Pies
    • Croissants
    • Watermelon Poinsettias
  • Head Shots
  • Xootr Mg Kick Scooter
  • Literary Projects
    • Senior on a Xootr Scooter
    • Timely Tips for the Home Chef
    • Counting Backwards from 100: My Life as an Anesthesiologist
    • Short Stories by Jonathan Kelley
    • Poems >
      • Christ Climbed Down
      • La Niña de Guatemala
    • Obituaries >
      • MKK Obituary
      • J Obituary
      • S Obituary
      • D Obituary
      • D Obituary
  • Gallery
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  • Australian Shepherd, Coco

Puff the Magic Dragon

From Wikipedia:  After the song's initial success, speculation arose—as early as a 1964 article in Newsweek—that the song contained veiled references to smoking marijuana.[8] The word "paper" in the name of Puff's human friend Jackie Paper was said to be a reference to rolling papers, the words "by the sea" were interpreted as "by the C" (as in cannabis), the word "mist" stood for "smoke", the land of "Honahlee" stood for hashish, and "dragon" was interpreted as "draggin'" (i.e., inhaling smoke). Similarly, the name "Puff" was alleged to be a reference to taking a "puff" on a joint. The supposition was claimed to be common knowledge in a letter by a member of the public to The New York Times in 1984.[9][10]
The authors of the song have repeatedly rejected this interpretation and have strongly and consistently denied that they intended any references to drug use.[11] Both Lipton and Yarrow have stated, "'Puff, the Magic Dragon' is not about drugs."[12] Yarrow has frequently explained that the song is about the hardships of growing older and has no relationship to drug-taking.[13][14] He has also said that the song has "never had any meaning other than the obvious one" and is about the "loss of innocence in children."[15] He has dismissed the suggestion of it being associated with drugs as "sloppy research".[16]

This song was written in 1962 by Peter Yarrow, of the singing trio Peter, Paul, and Mary.

​Puff, the Magic Dragon, lived by the sea,
And frolicked in the morning mist, in a land called Hona Lee.

Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff,
And brought him strings and sealing wax, 
And other kinds of stuff.

Together they'd go traveling,
On a boat with billowed sail.
Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff's gigantic tail.
Noble kings and princes, would stop when e'er they came,
Pirate ships would lower their flags, when Puff roared out his name.

A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys.
Painted rings and giant wings make way for other toys.
One gray night it happened, Jackie Paoer came no more,
And Puff the mighty dragon, ceased his fearless roar.

His head was hung 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,
And so the mighty dragon sadly went into his cave.
​
Puff, the Magic Dragon, lived by the sea,
And frolicked in the morning mist, in a land called Hona Lee.