Find "Flowers are red..."
Jason Karatsoridis
to kill creativity in young children? It went, in part, "Flowers are red,
leaves are green, and the sky is blue...." I'm trying to find it to
illustrate a report on Japan's educational system. The report is mostly
pro-Japanese education but, anti- when it comes to encouraging creativity,
something I think the U.S. does best! I remember viewing a touring exhibit
of the art of Japanese schoolchildren at the Columbus Metropolitan
Library. It contained pictures drawn and painted by Japanese children aged
6 to 18. The pictures were marvelous - each one nearly perfect. They
depicted everyday scenes at school and at home in Japan. The figures were
wonderful- round cheeks, tinted a beautiful pinkish brown, buildings were
charming - it was a delight to view, but somehow, it disturbed me. I went
back and viewed the exhibit from the start and realized that every picture
could have been drawn by the same child, the children were obviously
trained from a very young age that there is a right and a wrong way to
draw. All the faces were the same face, all the puppies were the same, the
trees all looked alike, too. There was no one with wild purple hair,
nobody had a little tiny head and great big hands - the kinds of drawings
young children here draw. The pictures were beautiful, but not creative.
The essay/song "Flowers are red ....." illustrates this point. I first
heard it as a song and then, later read it somewhere - If anyone out there
knows the author or title or cares to post it - please help! Thanks, Sally
(currently studying for certification in SBH/SED)
--
| |
| |/
|_|ason |\aratsoridis
The Woman Who
! Does anyone else remember an essay or a song from the 1970's about the way
! to kill creativity in young children? It went, in part, "Flowers are red,
! leaves are green, and the sky is blue...."
There's a fellow that travels around the Carolina's singing a
similar song..
"Flowers are red..Green Leaves are green...there's no need to see
flowers any other way than the way they always have been seen..."
Its got to be a spin off...or! One in the same.
His name is Ed Kilbourn. (I'm almost positive.)
I really wish I could give you more info!
But, if this is the only option you have, please feel
free to contact me via email and I'll dig out his
cassette and find his address for you!
Good luck!
Great song!
S~
--
~Susan S. Simon~------------------------------->SS1...@xx.acs.appstate.edu
Graduate Assistant for TEAM Project & Impact N.C.
Production Assistant for Instructional Tech.
Certified K-12 Drama Teacher
Brian D. Arel
Constance Bailey
>
> Does anyone else remember an essay or a song from the 1970's about the way
Flowers are red
Green grass is green
there's no reason to see them any other way
than the way they always have been seen
The song was sung by Harry Chapin, came out in the late 70's. My husband
has the album, and is on his way to look up the album title, and year,
right now. I'll send you an e-mail as soon as he gives me the info.
Fran Harvey
>Does anyone else remember an essay or a song from the 1970's about the way
>to kill creativity in young children? It went, in part, "Flowers are red,
>leaves are green, and the sky is blue...."
Jason,
It is an excellent song by Harry Chapin from 1978 that still rings
very true, even more so today. I play it at least once a week to
remind me of the importance of not stifling our children. I also play
"Cat's In The Cradle" for my husband. Both of these songs are on the
"Harry Chapin - The Gold Medal Collection" from Elektra Records (2-CD
set).
The following are the words to the song:
FLOWERS ARE RED
By Harry Chapin - (c) 1978
The little boy went first day of school
He got some crayons and started to draw
He put colors all over the paper
For colors was what he saw
And the teacher said, "What you doin' young man?"
"I'm paintin' flowers," he said
She said, "It's not the time for art young man
And anyway flowers are green and red"
"There's a time for everything young man
And a way it should be done
You've got to show concern for everyone else
For you're not the only one!"
And she said,
"Flowers are red young man
And green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen!"
But the little boy said,
"There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the mornin' sun
So many colors in a flower and I see every one."
Well the teacher said, "You're sassy
There's ways that things should be
And you'll paint flowers the way they are
So repeat after me!"
And she said,
"Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen!"
But the little boy said again,
"There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the mornin' sun
So many colors in a flower and I see every one
Well the teacher put him in a corner
She said, "It's for your own good
And you won't come out 'til you get it right
And are responding like you should
Well finally he got lonely
Frightened thoughts filled his head
And he went up to the teacher
And this is what he said, and he said
"Flowers are red
And green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen."
Time went by like it always does
And they moved to another town
And the little boy went to another school
And this is what he found
The teacher there was smilin'
She said, "Painting should be fun
And there are so many colors in a flower
So let's use every one."
But the little boy painted flowers
In neat rows of green and red
And when the teacher asked him why
This is what he said, and he said,
"Flowers are red
And green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen."
But there still must be a way, to have our children say,
"There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the mornin' sun
So many colors in a flower and I see every one."
Fran Harvey
K Teacher
San Diego, CA USA
r...@cts.com
Bob Hoglund
In article <317EF5...@ansel.intersource.com>, Constance Bailey
<ccba...@ansel.intersource.com> wrote:
> Jason Karatsoridis wrote:
> >
> > Does anyone else remember an essay or a song from the 1970's about the way
> > to kill creativity in young children? It went, in part, "Flowers are red,
> > leaves are green, and the sky is blue...."
>
> Flowers are red
> Green grass is green
> there's no reason to see them any other way
> than the way they always have been seen
>
> The song was sung by Harry Chapin, came out in the late 70's. My husband
> has the album, and is on his way to look up the album title, and year,
> right now. I'll send you an e-mail as soon as he gives me the info.
It's on the LIving Room Suite album
It's a great song as are almost all of Harry's.
Good Luck
Bob
--
Bob Hoglund cqe...@amug.org
957 East Guadalupe Road #30
Tempe, Arizona 85283
Jayne Bartlett
Jason Karatsoridis wrote:
>
> Does anyone else remember an essay or a song from the 1970's about the way
> to kill creativity in young children? It went, in part, "Flowers are red,
It's a wonderful song written and recorded by Harry Chapin.
A little boy's first day of school
He got paper and started to draw;
He put colors all over the paper,
For colors was what he saw.
The teacher asked, "What you doing, young man?"
"I'm painting flowers," he said.
She said, "It's not the time for art, young man,
And anyway, flowers are green and red."
"There's a time for everything, young man;
A way it should be done.
You gotta learn to think of everyone else,
You know, you're not the only one."
And she said, "Flowers are red, young man,
Green leaves are green.
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen."
But the little boy said,
"There are so many colors in the rainbow,
So many colors in the morning sun.
So many colors in the flowers,
And I see every one!"
There's much more, but you get the point. We really need to tell our
children that it's OK to break their crayons and draw people with purple
hair and orange eyes. When my son was younger, he drew a person all
brown, and the teacher tried to correct him saying that he should use the
"peach" color for people. (Hmmmnn!!) This teacher obviously didn't
"see" all the other kinds of people there are in the world. I'm glad my
son recognized the beauty in this. Like the songs says, "There are so
many colors in the rainbow...!"
Jayne Bartlett :-)
Bob Hoglund
In article <318941...@SMTP.geisinger.edu>, Jayne Bartlett
<J...@SMTP.geisinger.edu> wrote:
> Jason Karatsoridis wrote:
> >
> > Does anyone else remember an essay or a song from the 1970's about the way
> > to kill creativity in young children? It went, in part, "Flowers are red,
> > leaves are green, and the sky is blue...." I'm trying to find it to
> > illustrate a report on Japan's educational system. The report is mostly
> > pro-Japanese education but, anti- when it comes to encouraging creativity,
> > something I think the U.S. does best!
The song is "Flowers are Red" by Harry Chapin.
It is on the Greatesr Hits CD and on the Living Suite Album - better version.
You might want to investigate its use. It sounds like a violation of the
copyright to use it without permission to illustrate.
Good Luck!
Bob
--
Bob Hoglund cqe...@amug.org
Center for Quality Education, Inc.
957 East Guadalupe Road #30
Tempe, Arizona 85283-3041