About The Song
“Puff, the Magic Dragon” is a folk song written by Peter Yarrow, based on a 1959 poem by Leonard Lipton, a 19-year-old Cornell University student. Lipton, inspired by Ogden Nash’s 1936 poem “The Tale of Custard the Dragon,” typed his poem on Yarrow’s typewriter, leaving it behind. Yarrow, then a Cornell senior, found it, set it to music, and performed it with Peter, Paul and Mary, formed in 1961. The trio recorded the song in 1962 for their second album, Moving, released in January 1963 by Warner Bros. Records. The album reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and the single, released on January 15, 1963, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 5, 1963, blocked by Little Peggy March’s “I Will Follow Him.” It hit No. 1 on the Billboard Middle-Road Singles (Adult Contemporary) chart for two weeks, No. 10 on the R&B Singles chart, and spent 14 weeks on the Hot 100.
The song tells of Puff, a dragon in the fictional land of Honalee, and his adventures with Jackie Paper, a boy who eventually grows up and abandons him. Recorded at RCA Studios in New York with producer Albert Grossman, it features Yarrow, Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers’ tight harmonies, backed by acoustic guitar and bass. Lipton, credited after Yarrow tracked him down, said the poem reflected childhood’s end, not drugs, despite 1964 Newsweek speculation linking “Jackie Paper” to rolling papers and “Honalee” to hashish. Yarrow and Lipton consistently denied this, with Stookey staging a mock trial at a 1973 Sydney Opera House concert, where the audience’s singalong “acquitted” the song.
The track’s release followed the trio’s 1962 debut album, which included “If I Had a Hammer.” They performed “Puff” at the 1963 March on Washington, boosting their folk prominence. Its success led to three CBS TV specials (1978–1981), with Yarrow as Jackie’s father, and a 1978 animated film voiced by Burgess Meredith. The song was part of their live sets from 1961, with a notable 1965 BBC performance and a 1986 25th-anniversary concert. Covers include Nina & Frederik, Jackie DeShannon, and Broken Social Scene. A 2007 book by Yarrow, Lipton, and Eric Puybaret added a happier ending with Jackie’s daughter meeting Puff.
During the Vietnam War, the AC-47 Spooky gunship was nicknamed “Puff the Magic Dragon” for its firepower, a nod to the song. Elon Musk named SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft after it. The trio, managed by Grossman, aimed for a modern Weavers-style sound, and “Puff” became a children’s classic, though Yarrow altered “little boys” to “girls and boys” in later performances for inclusivity. The original poem’s extra stanza about Puff’s new friend was omitted. The song’s chart run coincided with their rise, alongside hits like “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and it appeared on their 1969 children’s album, Peter, Paul and Mommy.
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Lyric
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 stuffOh, 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 HonaleeTogether 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 nameOh, 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 HonaleeA 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 roarHis 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 caveOh, 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