The Marvelous Toy

Words & Music by Tom Paxton
sung by John Denver
on Christmas Like A Lullaby (1990)


C  F  C  G7  C

 C                 G
When I was just a wee little boy.
 C                  G
Full of health and joy.
       F              C  
One Christmas morning I received
   D7               G7
A marvelous little toy.
   C            G
A wonder to be hold it was
 C             F
Many colours bright.
                       C
And the moment I layed eyes on it
      D7               G7
It became my heart's delight.
            C                   
It went "zzzip" when it moved,
  G              
"Bopp" when it stopped,
  C                    F
"Brrr" when it stood still.
                    C
I never knew just what it was
       G7            C
And I guess I never will.

 F  C  G7  C

                       G
The first time that I picked it up.
   C             G
I had a big surprise.
     F
For right on it's bottom
       C
Were two green buttons
      D7                   G7
That looked like big green eyes.
   C     
I first pushed one.
      G
And then the other.
      C                   F
And then I pushed on its lid.
                   C
And when I set it down again
  D7             G7
This is what it did.
            C                   
It went "zzzip" when it moved,
  G              
"Bopp" when it stopped,
  C                    F
"Brrr" when it stood still.
                    C
I never knew just what it was
       G7            C
And I guess I never will.

F  C  G7  C  

    C
It first marched left.
  G
Then marched right
      C                    G 
And then marched under a chair.
      F                 C
And when I looked where it had gone
    D7           G7
It wasn't even there.
    C
I started to cry.
    G
My daddy laughed.
     C                F
He knew that I would find.
                         C
When I turned around my marvelous toy
  D7             G7
Chugging from behind.
            C                   
It went "zzzip" when it moved,
  G              
"Bopp" when it stopped,
  C                    F
"Brrr" when it stood still.
                    C
I never knew just what it was
       G7            C
And I guess I never will.

 F  C  G  C

 C  G  C  G  F  C  D7  G7
 C  G  C  F  C  G7  C

           C     
Well, the years have passed
     G
Too quickly it seems.
   C                  G
I have my own little boy.
     F           C
And yesterday I gave to him
    D7               G7
My marvelous little toy.
    C
His eyes nearly popped
      G
right out of his head.
    C                   F
He gave the squeal of glee
                               C
Neither one of us knows just what it is,
        D7                 G7
But he loves it just like me.
                  C
It still goes "zzzip" when it moves,
  G
"Bopp" when it stoppes,
  C                     F
"Brrr" when it stands still.
                    C
I never knew just what it was
       G7            C
And I guess I never will.
   F                 C
I never knew just what it was
       G7            C
And I guess I never will.