Why even write this article?
I mean, everyone knows the Puff, The Magic Dragon lyrics meaning has to do with smoking marijuana, right?
Not so fast.
Apart from the word “puff”, nothing else in the song indicates this meaning.
And then there is the explanation of the songwriter himself.
This song has a completely different meaning from the one most people think it has.
So, what is the meaning of Puff, The Magic Dragon exactly? Keep reading to find out. You might be surprised, but you probably shouldn’t be.
Table of Contents
Puff, The Magic Dragon Lyrics And Meaning
Puff,The Magic Dragon was released in 1963 by folk band Peter, Paul, and Mary. Peter Yarrow and Leonard Lipton composed the lyrics to this popular song.
It became an instant hit, topping out at number two on the Billboard Top 100 and remaining on the charts for a further fourteen weeks. The song wasn’t just big in the US, but also across the world, being in the top 10 in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
The song started as a poem written by Lipton in 1959, while attending a university in New York. Lipton was majoring in physics, so his poem writing skills came as a surprise to many.
Lipton got his inspiration for the poem by reading fellow poet Ogden Nash’s “The Tale of Custard, The Dragon.” The 1936 poem gave Lipton the inspiration to write his own and better Nash’s. Lipton put together his poem using his roommate Peter Yarrow’s typewriter.
The musical group was formed by Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers. Originally, the trio were solo artists who found themselves performing in coffee shops, dreaming of their big break in the music industry.
That opportunity arose thanks to Albert Grossman, who was a folk-rock manager. Grossman was looking to profit from the popularity of folk music and formed the group Peter, Paul, and Mary in 1961.
You could argue the band knew that Puff, The Magic Dragon was going to be a hit before it was even released. The band had performed the track several times to happy crowds before they had even recorded the song. It was eventually released on their second album, Moving.
The success of the song grew into a movie in 1978. The movie was a story about a boy who finds his voice with the help of his dragon. In 2007 Puff, The Magic Dragon expanded to children’s books with illustrations using lyrics from the song to paint the picture of the story.
Puff, The Magic Dragon Lyrics
Verse 1
Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee
Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff
And brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff
Chorus
Oh, Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee
Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee
Verse 2
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 flags when Puff roared out his name
Chorus
Oh, Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee
Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee
Verse 3
A dragon lives forever, but not so, little boys
Painted wings and giants’ 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
Verse 4
His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain
Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane
Without his lifelong friend, Puff could not be brave
So Puff, that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave
Chorus
Oh, Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee
Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee
Puff, The Magic Dragon Meaning
Many originally believed Puff, The Magic Dragon had a meaning relating to the drug scene of the 1960’s. It was believed that the song was referencing smoking marijuana.
This was a popular activity for some in the early 1960’s, and many other songs were written about it. However, this assumption was put to bed by Lipton, who has since confirmed that Puff, The Magic Dragon was a song about innocence.
It’s about an innocent boy and his dragon, and the relationship they share. Lipton also feels it has similarities with Peter Pan. He previously stated, “Peter Pan is a boy who won’t grow up, and believe me, I don’t blame him. Jackie Paper, though, does grow up, and so leaves Puff.”
The song expresses the journey of childhood. As we grow older, we lose something that served us well and that enabled us to learn and believe. That something is our imagination.
The lyrics “Jackie Paper came no more and Puff, that mighty Dragon, he ceased his fearless roar” allude to Jackie Paper growing out of his imagination and leaving Puff behind.
Lipton stating that he doesn’t blame Peter Pan for not growing old when talking about this song is a great indicator that he wrote it to reflect that childhood is one of the best times of our lives.
Childhood is a chapter in life when you are encouraged to use your imagination, and not judged for it. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case in adulthood.
Puff The Magic Dragon Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts
The rumor that the Puff The Magic Dragon lyrics meaning has to do with smoking weed has persisted ever since the song was first released. And it’s all due to the single word: puff.
But now you know better. Now you know this is just an innocent song, every bit as innocent as it sounds at first listen. So, the next time someone starts talking about the connection to marijuana, you can set them straight.
For another song from the same time (a decade later, to be exact) that also talks about innocence, specifically the desire to return to a more innocent and simple time and place, check out our discussion of the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road lyrics meaning.
Puff The Magic Dragon may not have been about drugs, but there were plenty of songs from that time period that were. LEarn about one of the most famous in our discussion of the White Rabbit lyrics and their meaning.
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