Lion's Big Debut

It's the Lion's big debut
He lifts up his baton
To conduct the wildest orchestra
You ever laid eyes upon
Alligator on guitar
Aardvark drives an autoharp
Mockingbird on the fife
He plucks it for a lark
Kazoo's a Kangaroo
Flamingo's on the flute
Ukulele Koala
And Lemmings on the lute

It's the Lion's big debut
He must not complain
When Lemmings on the lute
Are playing leapfrog again

Chimpanzee on timpani
A Zebra xylophone
Camel kicks the kettledrum
Tiger slides off his trombone
Yak attacks the sax
First violin's a Mole
Porcupine on bagpipes
Punctured them with holes

It's the Lion's big debut
He must keep his dignity
The Zebra wears a keyboard
And the Kangaroo's off key

A Bobcat on the banjo
Hare slappin' a snare drum
Washboard has a Wallaby
O the oboe's Opossum
French Hen on English horn
Celesta played by Skunk
Panda ate his bamboo flute
The Elephant blasts his trunk

It's the Lion's big debut
He must remain composed 
As the seal is barking
With cymbals on his nose

Whooping Crane on clarinet
Armadillo accordion
Pelican plays a piccolo
Monkey's on the mandolin
Baboon on bassoon
Hyena harpsichord
A Sloth played the spoons
He just hung around and snored

It's the Lion's big debut
It's imperative to prevail
When the beaver on the upright base
Goes wacky with his tail

Gorilla bangs the gong
Dobro's a Wolverine
Tambourine has a Tree Frog
Tromping like a trampoline
Chipmunks on the chimes
Rattlesnake on castanets
Turtle plays the tuba
But he hasn't showed up yet

It's the Lion's big debut
Players are leaving by the score
The Rattlesnake's
In the audience
And the audience
Went out the door

Then there's Silence
But for one tingling triangle
All the players have left the house
The Lion finishes the piece
With an intrepid little Mouse

© 1996 Stefan des Lauriers

November 17, 2011

When Demian Dunkley picked me up to drive me to the airport Jacob Smyth was in the car. Nearing the airport Demian turned on the CD which had the “Carousel Wind” CD and “Sunflowers” played. Demian said that he had been standing in a line at a store in San Diego and started to hum “The Lions Big Debut,” and Jacob hummed along. Jacob told Demian that he knew the song because that was the only his dad would let him listen to. (Taking a midnight flight from Las Vegas, to New Jersey for Thanksgiving.)