Henry's Songbook

Chorus:
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
Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff
And brought him strings and sealing-wax and other fancy stuff

Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail
Jackie kept a look-out perched on Puff's gigantic tail
Noble kings and princes would bow whene'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 wings and giants' rings make way for other toys
One grey night it happened Jackie Paper came no more
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 lifelong friend Puff could not be brave
So Puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave

(as sung by Peter Paul & Mary)

  [1974:] Zu diesem Lied, das durch Peter, Paul and Mary bekannt wurde, gibt es neben der Geschichte von dem kleinen Jungen Jacky Paper, der mit seinem Drachen spielt, auch eine 'underground'-Interpretation:
"Puff" ist ein Joint, den man am Strand raucht ("lived by the sea") und der einen im Herbstnebel in eine Traumwelt ("land called Honah Lee") entführt. Diese Interpretation wird durch verschiedene Hinweise gestützt: "Little Jacky Paper (Zigarettenpapier) loved that rascal (unartiger Kerl) Puff"; "fancy stuff" - Hippiekleidung; "together they would travel" - Reise; Trip; etc. (Liederbuch 103)

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=8426#55237

For the story behind the song see http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=2804#12416
For later fifth verse see http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=13503