What does Puff the Magic Dragon mean?

Peter Paul & Mary : Puff the Magic Dragon Meaning

Album cover for Puff the Magic Dragon album cover

Puff the Magic Dragon Lyrics

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called honah lee,
Little jackie paper loved that rascal puff,
And brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff. oh

Puff, the magic dragon lived...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Nov 11th 2009 !⃝

    I think that the song is about the fantasies of childhood and how as you grow up you are taught about reality and you have to abandon your dreams. the painted wings and giants rings are a kids toys and Puff is their friend or playmate. the part about sailing and the nobles, kings, princes and pirates are the imaginary adventures of a kid. Puff's fearless roar is the fact that a child fells safe with their imagined friend.
    Puff's scales falling like rain is how, as the kid is taken out of that made up world the dreams fade and so do the creatures of their fantasies.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Dec 21st 2007 !⃝

    More likely, it is about the magic of childhood and the loss thereof. The boy has these fantastical ideas growing up, but then abandons them forever.

  3. anonymous
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    Nov 24th 2022 !⃝

    Puff the magic dragon refers to the lady inogua and mother Mary in religion. It about the emacculation of the wisest women who ever live on the earth and her baring Jesus christ

  4. anonymous
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    Jan 14th 2021 !⃝

    As to those who say Star Spangled Banner is about drugs more than Puff the Magic Dragon, ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE? ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO INTERPRET our Anthem as anything less than patriotic but all the drug references here? A coincidince? I THINK NOT!!! I will never show my kids this disgusting, despicable song.

  5. anonymous
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    Jan 14th 2021 !⃝

    Clearly about pot. You'd have to be very dumb to not see that. Puff= smoking, dragon=dragin, honah lee= All too obvious, the Hawaiin vilalge of Hanalei which had alot of marijuana. Autumn Mist is marijuana smoke while Jackie Paper is a reference to paper rolls used for smoking. The "sea" is "c" for cannabis. There is NO way you can see all that and conclude it is about anything other than drugs. What an ugly and disgusting song

  6. anonymous
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    Feb 22nd 2018 !⃝

    Obviously marijuana. Puff, magic and paper. Plus a 1960's song written by P P & M!!!!

  7. anonymous
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    Aug 5th 2016 !⃝

    it's more about the imagination of childhood and how it is list in adulthood.

  8. anonymous
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    Jun 16th 2015 !⃝

    It's meant to use your imagination. I'm 41 my mother sang it to me as well.

  9. anonymous
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    Apr 8th 2014 !⃝

    I believe it's all about interpretation. Ten people hear something and they can either read it differently or agree. Although some of their opinions may be similar it does something different for each of us. A song about a child and his dragon friend can be made into something horrible--an excuse for drug abuse. In no way do I believe this song is speaking about drugs, yet, I can see how some can and will look for any excuse for life's problems especially if they happen to be influenced by drugs at the time.

  10. anonymous
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    Nov 17th 2013 !⃝

    This is more a statement on overinterpretation of songs than an interpretation: This simple song about a child losing his wonderful sense of imagination was actually banned in my high school back in its hey-day because someone insisted it was about drugs. Puff is a perfect name for a fire breather. How sad it is that people must look for something bad in something beautiful. I sang it to my children & told them to never let go of imagination & simple joys.

  11. anonymous
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    Mar 1st 2012 !⃝

    A dragon lives forever but not so little boys
    Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys.
    'One grey night it happened, jackie paper came no more
    And puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.

    His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain,
    Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane.
    Without his life-long friend, puff could not be brave,'
    So puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave. oh!

    Puff is a metaphor for childhood innocence which is lsot when we grow up

  12. anonymous
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    Sep 28th 2011 !⃝

    But that's not were it ended --- another came along.
    Singing out the words with joy to this our simple song.
    Puff came out to see, if he could play with me.
    And hand in claw we frolicked across that land of Honah Lee. Oh,

    Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
    And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee,
    Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea
    And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee.

    RPG

  13. anonymous
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    Aug 3rd 2010 !⃝

    Last verse

    Children love adventure, games for bold and brave
    Soon daniel drum and johny plum had found puff’s magic cave
    With coloured flags all waiving, they frolic by the shore
    And children come from miles around to hear Puff’s mighty roar

  14. m320753
    click a star to vote
    Aug 31st 2009 !⃝

    it's not about pot,acid, mushrooms or even beer. it's a children's song which means it has no rhyme or reason it starts happy then sad and ends happy just like all children's boks and songs did. the only differance is this song was written by a man (peter) who had access to a microphone and audience. all these people who think it's about pot you probably whiter shade of pale is about and mr tamborine main is about drugs when it really is a song about which road the singer should go doewn. if dylan went down the other road would he still be dylan? of cource he would but he wouldn't have the world trying to figure out what the lyrics meant. then he'd be able to watch a yankee game anything else that are impossible today

  15. har0462
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    Aug 28th 2009 !⃝

    The lyrics are based on a poem by Leonard Lipton (1959), who in turn based it on a poem by Ogden Nash which was about a dragon. Nash's poem was called "Custard the Dragon". It is not about pot.

  16. anonymous
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    Jun 10th 2009 !⃝

    It's about POT

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  17. anonymous
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    May 8th 2008 !⃝

    The dragon is seen while looking at the topography above Hanalea, Kaui'i. Take a helicopter flight while on Kaui'i and ask your pilot to point it out to you.

    In the '60s hippies moved to Hanalea, and grew their special crop below the topography.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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