Lyr Req: The Box (Kendrew Lascelles)

Subject: The Box
From: GUEST,Guest: Larry
Date: 20 Sep 00 - 06:32 PM

Several months ago I heard a poem written by John Denver entitled "The Box". It was based loosely on a Pandora's Box type theme, and i've been trying to find the words, or lyrics, since I'm not sure if it is just a poem, or if it's a song. I've searched the Internet with out any luck, and this is my last resort. Help!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Box
From: mousethief
Date: 20 Sep 00 - 06:34 PM

Is it on one of his albums? Here is a very good John Denver site:

John Denver Song Site

Alex
O..O
=o=

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Box
From: Faded Denim
Date: 20 Sep 00 - 11:23 PM

Try Poems Prayers and Promises Album. I like it too!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Box
From: Mbo
Date: 20 Sep 00 - 11:25 PM

All I know is "The Box," a song by Randy Travis.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Box
From: GUEST,Guest-Larry
Date: 20 Sep 00 - 11:26 PM

I'm pretty sure it's on one of his albums, but I don't know which one, because the friend I heard "The Box" from moved away, and I don't know her address or e-mail. I went to the John Denver site but didn't find anything. Thanks anyway.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Box
From: Jolly
Date: 20 Sep 00 - 11:32 PM

It is on Poems, Prayers and Promises, which says it's written by someone named Lascelles. It's too late to put the album on, but if nobody else does, I'll listen to it tomorrow.

Kim

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Box
From: A Wandering Minstrel
Date: 21 Sep 00 - 09:40 AM

Here you go. (reciting from memory)

Long, long ago in the land of Hushaby
Around about the wondrous days of yore
They came across a kind of box
Bound up with chains and locked with locks
and labelled "kindly do not touch, it's war"

Well the children understood, children happen to be good
and they were just as good around the times of yore
Mother didnt touch it either
sisters, aunts and grannies neither
for they were quiet, sweet and pretty in the wondrous days of yore

But someone did. someone battered in the lid
and spilled the inside out upon the floor
a kind of bouncy bumping ball
made up of all the guns and all
the flags and fear and horror that make war

It bounced right out and went crashing all about
and bumping into everything in store
and whatwas sad and most unfair
is that it didn't really seem to care
just who it bumped, or how, or when, or for

It bumped the children mainly
and I'll tell you this quite plainly
It bumps them every day and more and more
and leaves them, burned and sick and crying
thousands of them dead and dying
For when it bumps its really very sore

now theres a way to stop the ball,
it isn't difficult at all
all it takes is wisdom and I'm absolutely sure
we can put the ball back in the box
and bind the chains and lock the locks
but no-one wants to save the children any more

Well thats the way it all appears
cos its been bouncing round for years and years
In spite of all the wisdom wizzed
since the wondrous days of yore
just put the ball back in the box
bind up the chains and lock the locks
and label "kindly do not touch - ITS WAR"

Subject: Lyr Add: THE BOX (from John Denver)
From: Jolly
Date: 21 Sep 00 - 09:48 PM

Wandering Minstrel, that's pretty good. I couldn't remember that much of it myself, so I went and listened to the album again. You're only missing a few lines, but I thought it would be easier to cut/paste in the whole thing than to try to explain where the missing lines go, so:

THE BOX (Lascelles)

Once upon a time,
In the land of Hush-a-bye,
Around about the wondrous days of yore,
They came upon a sort of box
Bound up with chains and locked with locks
And labeled "Kindly Do Not Touch - It's War."

Decree was issued round about
All with a flourish and a shout
And a gaily colored mascot tripping lightly on before:
"Don't fiddle with this deadly box
Or break the chains or pick the locks
And please, don't ever play about with War."

Well, the children understood.
Children happen to be good.
They were just as good around the time of yore.
They didn't try to pick the locks
Or break into that deadly box.
They never tried to play about with War.

Mommies didn't either.
Sisters, aunts, and grannies neither,
'Cause they were quiet and sweet and pretty in those wondrous days of yore.
Well, very much the same as now,
And not the ones to blame somehow
For opening up that deadly box of War.

But someone did.
Someone battered in the lid,
And spilled the insides out across the floor:
A sort of bouncy, bumpy ball
Made up of guns and flags and all
The tears and horror and death that goes with War.

It bounced right out
And went bashing all about
And bumping into everything in store;
And what was sad and most unfair
Is that it didn't really seem to care
Much who it bumped, or why, or what, or for.

It bumped the children mainly,
And I'll tell you this quite plainly:
It bumps them every day and more, and more,
And leaves them dead and burned and dying--
Thousands of them, sick and crying--
'Cause when it bumps, it's really very sore.

Now there's a way to stop the ball.
It isn't difficult at all.
All it takes is wisdom, and I'm absolutely sure
That we can get it back into the box
And bind the chains and lock the locks,
But no one seems to want to save the children anymore.

Well, that's the way it all appears,
'Cause it's been bouncing 'round for years and years
In spite of all the wisdom wizzed since those wondrous days of yore
And the time they came upon the box
Bound up with chains and locked with locks
And labeled "Kindly Do Not Touch - It's War."

I'm glad I pulled out the album. I haven't listened to John Denver in a long time and forgot how much I used to enjoy it.

Kim

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Box
From: A Wandering Minstrel
Date: 22 Sep 00 - 09:59 AM

Jolly. as you kindly say, not bad for my old memory. particularly since I gave away the LP years ago. I had completely forgotten that gaily coloured mascot. :-)

I just love that

"In spite of all the wisdom wizzed"

line!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Box
From: Jolly
Date: 22 Sep 00 - 06:41 PM

I wonder if GUEST Larry has been back. By the way, Larry, it is a poem rather than a song - maybe that's why it isn't on the website with his other lyrics???

Kim

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Box
From: Art Thieme
Date: 24 Sep 00 - 02:18 PM

I taped (audio only because there was no video tape yet) this poem recited by the author, Kendrew Lascles, on the old original Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour TV show --back in the 60s--during the Viet Nam War. It was extremely effective. Having this poem in prime time on National TV (there was no cable yet) ruffled a ton of feathers. The brothers were always doing that---making noise about the war. We loved it---and them for doing it. Pete Seeger sang "Knee Deep In The Big Muddy" on this show.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Box
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 08:25 AM

Google found 90+ copies of "The Box" on the Internet. More than half of them are associated with John Denver. John Denver recited "The Box" on his 1971 album "Poems, Prayers & Promises." At AMG - All Music Guide, authorship is credited to "Lascelles"--no other name given.

On the web sites that contain the poem, sometimes the author's name is given as "Lascelles," sometimes as "Lascelles Abercrombie," and sometimes as "Kendrew Lascelles." I'm betting that the latter is correct, because the Library of Congress lists a 40-page book called "The Box" by Kendrew Lascelles, copyright 1974. The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) lists Kendrew Lascelles as an actor and screenwriter. The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) credits him for a couple of Broadway musicals.

(Lascelles Abercrombie, on the other hand, was a scholarly English poet and critic who died in 1938. His poetry was called "complex and cerebral in style" by the Columbia Encyclopedia.)

One source said Steve Martin recited this poem on the Smothers Brothers Show.

The poem has also been posted in the threads called
From a Mother's Point of View...
Greatest Anti-War Song Ever? and
Lyr Req: The Thing

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Box
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Apr 15 - 05:41 PM