A
Peter, Paul and Mary song about the loss of
childhood innocence, not
drugs as
urban legends have often asserted. The most common variant of the story is that the song refers to
marijuana, supposedly because of the following things in the lyrics:
- "Puff" is a smoking reference
- "magic" means that something more interesting than ordinary tobacco is being smoked
- "dragon" = "drag in" or inhale
- the name of "Jackie Paper" refers to rolling papers
- "autumn mist" is supposed to be either clouds of smoke or the fog of the drug user's mind
- "the land of Honah Lee" is supposed to be a village in Hawaii, called Hanalei, where particularly strong marijuana was grown
Other versions of the story include the interpretation of "sea" as "C" for "
cocaine" and the idea that "Honah Lee" is some sort of slang for
heroin.
The song's lyrics are based on a poem by Leonard "Lenny" Lipton, a college friend of Peter Yarrow, the "Peter" of Peter, Paul and Mary. Lipton was inspired in 1959 by the Ogden Nash poem "The Tale of Custard the Dragon" to write his own poem featuring a dragon. He has pointed out that in 1959, drugs were unknown at Cornell, the institution they attended. Yarrow is supposed to have found Lipton's poem in his apartment's typewriter and written a tune for it, along with making some additions during the adaptation. Both authors are adamant that the song is about the loss of childhood innocence and not drugs.
Peter, Paul and Mary's version was number 2 on the U.S. pop charts in 1963. It was some time later that the rumor became well-known, possibly originating but at least being spread by an article in Newsweek magazine about coded drug references in songs. (Different sources give this article as being anywhere from 1965 to 1967.) Yarrow says he was later told that reporters for the magazine had said they purposely made up the drug references for "Puff" as the most innocuous possible song, and one has since apologized to him. Because the song's biggest popularity had passed before the article, it did not suffer the radio bannings that songs like the Byrds' "Eight Miles High" did when they were current. But the story lived; even the 2000 movie "Meet the Parents" refers to it.
Peter, Paul and Mary have been known to poke fun at the story by performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" in concert with pauses to explain how the U.S. national anthem can also contain drug references if you interpret it that way.
Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee
Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff,
And brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff, oh!
Chorus:
Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee
Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee
Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail
Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff's gigantic tail
Noble kings and princes would bow whene'er they came
Pirate ships would lower their flag when Puff roared out his name, oh!
(chorus)
A dragon lives forever but not so little boys
(Yarrow now sings this line "Not so girls and boys")
Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys
One grey night it happened; Jackie Paper came no more
And 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 life-long friend, Puff could not be brave
So Puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave, oh!
(chorus, sadly)
(more upbeat version they perform live)
Puff the magic dragon lives by the sea
(in a live performance I saw, the singers shout "Present Tense!" at this point)
And frolicks in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee
Puff the magic dragon lives by the sea
And frolicks in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee!
The song (variously credited as "Puff, the Magic Dragon," "Puff (the Magic Dragon)," or just "Puff") has appeared on numerous Peter, Paul, and Mary albums:
- Moving (1963)
- In Concert (1964)
- In Japan (1967)
- Ten Years Together (1969)
- Peter, Paul and Mommy (1969)
- Peter, Paul and Mommy Too (1993)
- Around the Campfire (1998)
- The Collection (1998)
- Carry It On (2004)
In 1978, a half-hour children's TV cartoon based on the song was released, in which Jackie Paper learns the value of communication and courage from Puff; Burgess Meredith did the voice of Puff, and Peter Yarrow voiced Jackie's father. It was followed the next year by Puff the Magic Dragon in the Land of the Living Lies.
Sources:
http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/puff.htm
http://www.urbanlegends.com/songs/puff_the_magic_dragon.html
http://www.peterpaulandmary.com/music/02-05.htm
http://www.peterpaulmary.com/history/ruhlmann2.htm
http://www.peterpaulmary.com/history/ruhlmann2.htm
http://songfacts.com/detail.lasso?id=1276
http://www.cwru.edu/artsci/engl/marling/60s/readings/canavan2.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/nb2/musicedresources/SongHist.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0262711/
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/PufftheMagicDragon-1016892/preview.php
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/PufftheMagicDragonintheLandofLivingLies-1016893/preview.php