Flowers Are Red
Words and Music by Harry Chapin

That little boy went first day of school
Got some crayons and started to draw
He put colors all over the paper
For colors what what he saw

The teacher said "Whatcha 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
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 a flower
And I see everyone"

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
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 a flower
And I see everyone"

The teacher put him in a corner
And said "It's for your own good
And you won't come out 'till you get it right
And are 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 smiling
She said "Painting should be fun
And there are so many colors in the 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
And green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen"

[optional spoken ending...]
But there still must be a way
To have our children say

"There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in a flower
And I see everyone"