Flowers are Red (Dawud Wharnsby Ali, Muhammed Bhikha
& Rashid Bhikha ( Fakazi Ngwekazi (Nhlanhla),
Linda Gcwensa & Mfana Nxumalo (Sipho)

A little boy went first day at school
He got some crayons and he started to draw
He put colors all over the paper
For colors was what he saw
The teacher said, “What you doin’ young man?”
“I’m paintin’ flowers see”
“Well this is 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’ve got to show concern for everyone else
For you’re not the only one”
And she said…
“Flowers are red
Green leaves are green
There’s no need to see flowers any other way
Than they 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 flower and I see every one”
Well the teacher said “You’re sassy
There’s a way that things should be
And you’ll paint flowers the way they are
So repeat after me…”
she said…

“Flowers are red
Green leaves are green
There’s no need to see flowers any other way
Than they 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 morning sun
So many colors in the 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
responding like you should”
Well finally he got lonely
Frightened thoughts filled his head
And he went up to that teacher
And this is what he said
“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”

Well time went by like it always does
he 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 paint every one”
that little boy painted flowers
In neat rows of green and red
And when the teacher asked him “why”

This is what he said..
“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.”
But there must still be a way to have our children say,
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one