Henry's Songbook

A little boy went first day to school, he got his crayons and he started to draw
He put colours all over the paper because colours were what he saw
And the teacher said, What're you doing, young man? Painting 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, a way things should be done
You've got to show concern for everyone else because 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 colours in the rainbow
So many colours in the morning sun
So many colours in the flowers
And I see every one

The teacher said, You're a naughty boy, there are ways things should be
And you'll paint flowers the way they are, so repeat this 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 colours in the rainbow
So many colours in the morning sun
So many colours in the flowers
And I see every one

So the teacher put him in a corner, she said, It's for your own good
And you don't come out until you get it right and you're responding like you should
Finally he got lonely and frightened thoughts filled his head
So he went to the teacher, and this is what 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, they moved to another town
And the little boy went to another school, this was what he found
He found the teacher there was smiling and she said, Painting should be fun
And there are so many colours in the flowers, so let's paint every one
But the little boy painted flowers in neat rows of green and red
And when the teacher asked him why, this is what 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