As I sat lonely in a chair

Thinking thoughts and breathing air

A small leaf through my window came

Perched on my shoulder and spoke my name

Saying, "Be not afraid as I tell my tale

Of rivers and valleys and hilly dales

Of moonlit days and sunny nights

Where legless rabbits jump out of sight

Chasing the worms who are chasing rhymes

And the giant dwarf tree laugh all the time

At the happiness that is everywhere

Follow me and I'll carry you there"

But all I said as away I walked

Was "I didn't know that leaves could talk"

In years since that day I have dreamed each night

And so I know that the leaf was right

To save us all from such foolish wisdom

King of the world I shall become

When I'm king of the world...

When I'm king of the world...

The streets will all be circles

That begin where they end

So the places that you visit

Are where you've already been

The houses will be upside down

If you stand on your head

The horses will be right side up

If you wish to ride instead

I'll collect my taxes from the magic money tree

But it won't matter if I don't

Since everything will be free

And we'll spend the money extravagently

Just to keep our tree happy, and send it presents,

And visit it on Sundays, after church

My army will consist of ants

The air force of mosquitoes

The navy of bees and wasps on leaves

Their stingers as torpedoes

They will never have to fight

Their duties will be simple

Free food and lodging if they just

Will not sting any people

67

Ken Frankel

During the winter of 1967, shortly after Conny joined the band, Ken brought King of the World to us. He was clearly and deservedly proud of it; it is a lovely song with a sweet innocence that is one of Ken's finer qualities.

Unfortunately the rest of the band rejected it as unsuitable for our folk rock repertoire. It just didn't seem right for the teen clubs and college gigs we were playing. It was an awkward moment. Perhaps we could have been more sensitive to the situation; perhaps Ken could have been less so. I still feel bad about it and wish we'd stuck together long enough to include it on a later album.

<RZ>