The Marvellous Toy by Tom Paxton
I’ve been collecting songs for The Biddles, aka GD…and here’s one of her father’s childhood favourites that I like too…
This is John Denver’s rendition:
This one’s a long recreation of the various sounds, with some text interpolationsm by the group which originally performed it…. Peter, Paul and Mary:
And one by someone else:
And this one’s by Chris Westfall:
And of course…the lyrics….
When I was just a wee little lad full of health and joy My father homeward came one night and gave to me a toy A wonder to behold, it was, with many colors bright And the moment I laid eyes on it it became my heart’s delight
Chorus: It went “zip” when it moved and “bop” when it stopped And “whirr” when it stood still I never knew just what it was and I guess I never will.
The first time that I picked it up, I had a big surprise For right on its bottom were two big buttons that looked like big green eyes. I first pushed one and then the other, and then I twisted its lid And when I set it down again, this is what it did:
Chorus:
It went “zip” when it moved and “bop” when it stopped And “whirr” when it stood still I never knew just what it was and I guess I never will.
It first marched left and then marched right And then marched under a chair And when I looked where it had gone, it wasn’t even there: I started to sob and my daddy laughed, for he knew that I would find, When I turned around, my marvelous toy, chugging from behind.
Chorus:
It went “zip” when it moved and “bop” when it stopped And “whirr” when it stood still I never knew just what it was and I guess I never will.
Well, the years have gone by too quickly, it seems, I have my own little boy And yesterday I gave to him my marvelous little toy. His eyes nearly popped right out of his head And he gave a squeal of glee, Neither one of us knows just what it is, but he loves it, just like me.
It still goes “zip” when it moves and “bop” when it stops And “whirr” when it stands still I never knew just what it was and I guess I never will.