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Paul
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Shel Silverstein
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PAUL
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[NOTE: There are at least THREE versions of "PAUL":
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1. From Silverstein's "Dirty Feet -- Collection of Songs by Shel Silverstein", copyright 1968, Evil Eye Music.
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2. From Bobby Bare's 1973 album, "Lullabys, Legends and Lies"... titled "Paul".
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3. The children's version from "Where the Sidewalk Ends", 1974.]
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PAUL BUNYON #1
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Well, he rode through the woods on a big blue ox,
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He had fists as hard as cement blocks...
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Four hundred pounds and nine feet tall,
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They call him Paul.
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Talk about workin'... when he swung his axe,
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You could hear it ring for a mile and a half
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Then he'd yell "Timber" and down she'd fall...
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For Paul.
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You talk about drinkin'... that man's so mean
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That he wouldn't drink nothin' but kerosene
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And a 5-gallon can is a little bit small...
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For Paul.
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You talk about tough... well he once had a fight
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With a thunderstorm one cold dark night.
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I ain't sayin' who won but it don't storm at all... 'round here... anymore...
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Thanks to Paul.
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Well, you talk about women... that man's so lusty
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Needs a woman every hour just to keep from gettin' rusty.
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And the young ones run and the old ones crawl...
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To Paul.
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He was 90 years when he sighted a sigh.
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He said, "I think I'm gonna lay right down and die.
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'Cause love and sorrow, I've seen it all",
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Says Paul.
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'Cause there ain't no woman around can thrill me
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And there ain't no man alive can kill me.
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Pain and mis'ry I've had it all,
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Says Paul.
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And he died and we cried.
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It took 25 men just to break the ground.
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Took 18 more to lower him down.
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And we covered him up, and we figured that was all...
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For Paul.
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But two weeks later the earth started shakin'
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And the trees started swayin' and the rocks sarted quakin'
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And out of the ground with a "Hiya all"...
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Come Paul.
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Well, he shook the dirt from off his clothes,
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And he scratched his ass and he wiped his nose.
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"Y'know, bein' dead wasn't no fun at all"...
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Says Paul.
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He says, "Up in heaven they got harps on their knees.
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They got clouds and wings but they got no trees.
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No, I don't think that's much of a heaven at all"...
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Says Paul.
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So he jumps on his ox with a "Fare thee well".
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He says, "I'll find out if they got trees in hell".
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And he rode away and that was all...
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We ever seen of Paul.
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But next time you hear a "Timber" yell
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That sounds like it's comin' from the pits of hell,
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I mean a weird and wailin' ghostly call
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That ain't no timber wolf at all...
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That's Paul.
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-- Words and music by Shel Silverstein, copyright 1968 Evil Eye Music, NY
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PAUL #2
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(Spoken Intro: You know, American folk lore is filled with legendary characters like Billy the Kid, Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill and probably the greatest one of all has got to be Paul Bunyan 'cause he was the meanest and the biggest and the dirtiest and the tobacco-chewingest and the funkiest and the best wood chopper of all of 'em.)
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Well, he rode through the woods on a big blue ox.
65
He had fists as hard as chopping blocks.
66
Five hundred pounds and nine feet tall.
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That's Paul.
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Talk about working, when he swang his ax.
69
You could hear it ring for a mile and a half.
70
Then he'd yell, "Timber!" and down she'd fall
71
For Paul.
72
Talk about drinking, that man's so mean
73
That he'd never drink nothing but kerosene.
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A five gallon can is a little bit small
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For Paul.
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Talk about women, that man's so lusty,
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He needs a woman every hour
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Just to keep from gettin' rusty.
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Young ones run, and the old ones crawl
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To Paul.
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Talk about tough, well he once had a fight
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With a thunderstorm on a cold dark night.
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I ain't saying who won, but it don't storm at all 'round here
84
Thanks to Paul.
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He was ninety years old when he said with a sigh
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He said, "I think I'm gonna lay right down and die.
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The sunshine and sorrow, I seen it all."
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Says Paul.
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Says, "There ain't no man alive can kill me,
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Ain't no woman left can thrill me
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And I think that heaven just might be a ball,"
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Says Paul.
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So he died and we cried.
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It took eighteen men just to bust the ground.
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Took three or four more just to lower him down,
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And we covered him up and we figured that was all
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For Paul.
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But late one night the trees started shaking
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And the dogs started barking and the earth started quaking,
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And out of the ground with a "Hi, y'all!"
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Came Paul.
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Well, he shook the dirt from off of his clothes.
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He scratched his ass and wiped his nose.
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"You know, being dead wasn't no fun at all,"
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Says Paul.
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He said, "Now, up in heaven they got harps on their knees,
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They got clouds and wings but they got no trees,
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I don't think that's much of a heaven at all,"
109
Says Paul.
110
So he jumps on his ox with a "Fare thee well!"
111
He said, "I'll find out if they got trees in hell."
112
He rode away and that was all.
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We ever seen of Paul.
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But the next time you hear a timber yell
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That sounds like it's coming from the pits of hell,
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Then a booming laugh and a ghostly wail
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Like somebody chopping on the devil's tail,
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Then a shout and a call, a crash and a fall,
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That ain't no mortal man at all.
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That's just Paul.
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-- Shel Silverstein from Bobby Bare's 1973 album, "Lullabys, Legends and Lies"
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PAUL BUNYON #3
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He rode through the woods on a big blue ox,
124
He had fists as hard as choppin' blocks.
125
Five hundred pounds and nine feet tall,
126
That's Paul.
127
Talk about workin', when he swung his axe,
128
You could hear it ring for a mile and a half
129
Then he'd yell "Timber!" and down she'd fall...
130
For Paul.
131
You talk about drinkin', that man's so mean
132
That he wouldn't drink nothin' but kerosene
133
And a 5-gallon can is a little bit small...
134
For Paul.
135
You talk about tough, well he once had a fight
136
With a thunderstorm one cold dark night.
137
I ain't sayin' who won,
138
But it don't storm at all... 'round here...
139
Thanks to Paul.
140
He was ninety years when he said with a sigh.
141
"I think I'm gonna lay right down and die.
142
'Cause sunshine and sorrow, I've seen it all",
143
Says Paul.
144
He says, "There ain't no man alive can kill me,
145
Ain't no woman 'round can thrill me,
146
And I think heaven just might be a ball"
147
Says Paul.
148
So he died... and we cried.
149
It took eighteen men just to bust the ground.
150
Took twenty-four more to lower him down.
151
And we covered him up, and we figured that was all...
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For Paul.
153
But one night the trees started shakin',
154
The dogs started howlin' and the earth started quakin',
155
And out of the ground with a "Hi, y'all"...
156
Come Paul.
157
He shook the dirt from off his clothes,
158
He scratched his butt and he wiped his nose.
159
"Y'know, bein' dead wasn't no fun at all"...
160
Says Paul.
161
He says, "Up in heaven they got harps on their knees.
162
They got clouds and wings but they got no trees.
163
I don't think that's much of a heaven at all"...
164
Says Paul.
165
So he jumps on his ox with a fare-thee-well,
166
He says, "I'll find out if they's trees in hell".
167
And he rode away and that was all...we ever seen
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Of Paul.
169
But the next time you hear a "Timber!" yell
170
That sounds like it's comin' from the pits of hell,
171
Then a weird and devilish ghostly wail
172
Like somebody choppin' on the devil's tail,
173
Then a shout, a call, a crash, a fall...
174
That ain't no mortal man at all...
175
That's Paul.
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