The little boy went the first day of school
he got crayons and he started to draw.
He put colors all over the paper
for colors was what he saw.
And the teacher said "Watcha doin' young man?"
"I'm 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 it should be done.
You got to show concern for everyone else
for you're not the only one." And she said
"Flowers are red young man, green leaves are green.
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 the flower and I see every one."
Well the teacher said "You're sassy
there's a way that things should be.
And you'll paint flowers the way they are
so repeat after me." And she said
"Flowers are red young man, green leaves are green.
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 the flower and I see every one."
Well the teacher put him in the corner,
she said "It's for your own good, and you
won't come out until you get it right like you should"
Well finally he got lonely, frightened thoughts
filled his head and he went to that teacher and
this is what he said.
"Flowers are red, green leaves are green.
There's no need to see flowers and other way
than the way they always have been seen."
Of course time went by like it always does
they moved to another town
And the little boy went to another school
this is what he found.
The teacher was smiling, she said
"Painting should be fun
And there are so many colors in a flower
so lets use every one."
But the little boy painted flowers
in rows of green and red.
And when the teacher asked him why,
here is what he said
And he said "Flowers are red, green leaves are green,
There's no other way to see flowers
than the way they have been seen."