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see dee : Googies, The

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Lyrics

The Googies are coming the old people say
To buy little children and take them away
50 cents for fat ones
20 cents for lean ones
15 cents for dirty ones
30 cents for clean ones
A nickel each for mean ones

The Googies are coming and maybe tonight
To buy little children and lock them up tight
80 cents for husky ones
Quarter for the weak ones
Penny each for noisy ones
A dollar for the meek ones
Forty cents for happy ones
Eleven cents for sad ones

And kiddies when they come to buy it won't do any good to cry
But just between yourself and I... they never buy the bad ones

Notes/Trivia

Words by Shel Silverstein, © 1974
Music by Tim Y. Jones

I composed this at the Provo City Library, while working at the upstairs reference desk. It was one of the blessings and curses of working at the library - there was so MUCH mental stimulation. Great for song/comedy ideas, not so great all the time for getting work done.

Note 10/30/05
in response to a question in the guestbook:
The original version of this poem, published in the early edition(s?) of Where the Sidewalk Ends have the poem, in its original, as "The Gypsies." Later editions are changed to "Googies" - and I happened upon the later edition of the book first. I'm glad, because I like the vague creepy presence of "Googies" better than the cultural stereotype of "Gypsies."