The Unicorn (song)

"The Unicorn" is a song written by Shel Silverstein and was first released in 1962 on his album Inside Folk Songs (Atlantic 8072).[1]

"The Unicorn"
Decca 32254
Single by The Irish Rovers
from the album The Unicorn
B-side
  • "Black Velvet Band" (most releases)
  • "The Rattling Bog" (UK/Ireland)
Released1968
GenreFolk
Length3:18
LabelDecca (most releases)
MCA (UK/Ireland)
Festival (Australia)
Songwriter(s)Shel Silverstein
Producer(s)Charles "Bud" Dant
"The Unicorn"
Song by Shel Silverstein
from the album Inside Folk Songs
Released1962
GenreFolk
LabelAtlantic Records
Songwriter(s)Shel Silverstein
Producer(s)Jerry Wexler, Al Brackman

Background

The lyrics to the song also appear, printed as a poem, in Shel Silverstein's book Where the Sidewalk Ends. In the original version of the song, The Irish Rovers speak half of the lyrics, as well as the part of the 4th Chorus. The final line of the 5th verse is spoken freely without the music: "And that's why you'll never see a Unicorn to this very day". On the remakes most of the song is sung, again except for the final line, which is spoken freely without the music.[2] It can still be heard regularly in Irish Pubs.

Irish Rovers recording

"The Unicorn"was made very popular by The Irish Rovers in 1968. It remains one of the best-known songs in the Irish Rovers' long career. It sold 8 million copies worldwide and in their native Ireland, the song peaked at #5 on the Irish Singles Chart.[3][4] Elsewhere, "The Unicorn" peaked at #4 in Canada,[5] and in the US, reached #2 on the US Adult Contemporary Chart, and #7 on the Hot 100,[6]

Other cover versions

His songbook, "Dirty Feet" (TRO/Hollis Music, 1969), includes a discography saying that, along with The Irish Rovers and Silverstein's versions, "The Unicorn" had been recorded by

  • Bill Anderson (Decca)
  • Shay Duffin (RCA)
  • Robert Goulet (Columbia)
  • Bob Turner[7] (ABC)
  • Uncle Bill" (Dot). (The record "Uncle Bill Socks It To Ya"[8] was by Burt Wilson, imitating W.C. Fields)
  • Will Millar of The Irish Rovers recorded another, earlier version of the song with the St. Michaels Kids.[9] In 1981 Millar opened an Irish pub in Toronto under the name The Unicorn.[10] Sister pubs were also opened, including one at the site of Expo 86 where the Irish Rovers recorded a live version of the song.
  • In 1968 the song was covered by Irish trio The Bachelors.[11]
  • Also in 1968, a French version, La Licorne, was recorded by Les Compagnons de la Chanson, and Also recorded once French by Canadian girl group Les Coquettes that same year, and a German version, Bunte Papagaien und ein grünes Krokodil, was recorded by Andy Fisher.
  • In 1986, the song was covered by the Kidsongs Kids in their Kidsongs video "Good Night, Sleep Tight" and the sad part was left out.
  • In 2006, Massachusetts folk singers The Nields covered the song on their record "All Together Singing In The Kitchen," a CD geared towards their youngest fans.
  • Famous Australian children's band The Wiggles covered the song with Irish singer Morgan Crowley on their 2009 album The Wiggles Go Bananas!
  • Brobdingnagian Bards[12] on their album Dragons and Virgins[13]

Description

According to the song, the unicorn was not a fantasy, but a creature that literally missed the boat by not boarding the Ark in time to be saved from the Great Flood described in the Bible. They are said to be the loveliest of all animals but also silly.[14]

Addendum

Andrew McKee later wrote new lyrics for Brobdingnagian Bards' album Songs of Ireland (and later for his solo album The Irish Bard) explaining that unicorns were magical creatures, and as the Great Flood was in progress, they grew wings and acquired the power to fly above the waters. He concluded the rewritten refrain by writing that to find them, one should seek out, in James M. Barrie's words from Peter Pan that explained how to reach Never-Never Land, "the second star to the right and straight on until morning."

References
  1. "Shel Silverstein Discography". Dmdb.org. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
  2. Unicorn Song
  3. "CANOE - JAM! Music - Pop Encyclopedia - Irish Rovers, The". Jam.canoe.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
  4. "The Irish Charts: All There Is To Know: Irish Rovers". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  5. "RPM Top 100 Singles - March 30, 1968" (PDF).
  6. "The Unicorn, The Irish Rovers". Billboard, 1968. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  7. "Bands, Singers, Songwriters / Composers, Soloists, Performers, Entertainers, Musicians, M.C.s (EmCees) - Bob Turner". AcousticByLines. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-06-04. Retrieved 2013-09-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-14. Retrieved 2012-04-08.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-20. Retrieved 2009-04-13.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. "The Bachelors: The Unicorn". Discogs. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  12. "Brobdingnagian Bards", Wikipedia, 2020-06-06, retrieved 2020-08-23
  13. "Dragons and Virgins Amazon Page". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
  14. "The Unicorn Poem by Shel Silverstein - Poem Hunter". PoemHunter.com. 7 April 2010.
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