Music: “Flowers Are Red” by Harry Chapin

A poignant song from the past:

  • I wondered for years about a song I recollected (not completely accurately) I thought was maybe from the offshore pirate radio “graveyard shift” shows of the early 1970’s. In that song, as I remembered it, a plaintive little girl sang something like “The sky is green and the grass is gold” (or something broadly along those lines). It was about how she saw the world (through individuality, not hallucinogens!). Hauntingly-tragically, by the end of the song, her teachers had finally brainwashed her to sing the “correct” colours, which she obediently did, but now devoid of spirit.
  • Thanks to a reply at the Radio Caroline Q/A Forum, I now know it was: Flowers Are Red by Harry Chapin from his album: Living Room Suite, 1978 (that’ll be the Radio Caroline on “319m” period then).
  • Lyrics are at http://www.lyricsdepot.com/harry-chapin/flowers-are-red.html. Searching around YouTube I found it, though I much prefer his older, simpler version  to his more recent and adorned arrangements, let alone someone else’s acapella version I came across.  And it was about a little boy being criticised for his choice of flower-drawing colours.  Apart from that I got it right.
  • Now I’m going to adapt it to perform with my girlfriend (she sings, I pluck  guitar).

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