The Unicorn (song)
Encyclopedia
The Unicorn is a 1968 hit song by Canadian band The Irish Rovers
from their album of the same name
. It was written by Shel Silverstein
and remains one of the best-known songs of the band's long career. It sold 8 million copies worldwide and reached #7 on the US charts and can still be heard regularly in Irish Pubs. In 1981 Will Millar, a former band member, opened an Irish pub in Toronto under the name The Unicorn. Sister pubs were also opened, including one at the site of Expo 86
where the Irish Rovers recorded a live version of the song. The lyrics to the song are also printed as a poem in 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. the majority of the song is sung, again except for the final line, which is also spoken freely, without the music.
. In fact, Silverstein cites the reason they are never seen today as being because the unicorns were foolishly playing in the rain and failed to board the Ark
in time. All specimens of the species, he says, therefore drowned in the flood waters and were never seen again. When the Irish Rovers sing the song, the 5th verse, or chorus, featuring the line "Elephants started Elephantin" is omitted, because it sounded too witty, or too nonsensical for airplay.
The Irish Rovers
The Irish Rovers is a Canadian Irish folk group created in 1963 and named after the traditional song "The Irish Rover". The group is best known for their international television series, and renditions of traditional Irish drinking songs, as well as early hits, Shel Silverstein's "The Unicorn",...
from their album of the same name
The Unicorn
The Unicorn is the second album by Irish folk music group The Irish Rovers, released in 1967.The title track The Unicorn, a recording of Shel Silverstein's poem, reached #7 in the U.S...
. It was written by Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein
Sheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein , was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books...
and remains one of the best-known songs of the band's long career. It sold 8 million copies worldwide and reached #7 on the US charts and can still be heard regularly in Irish Pubs. In 1981 Will Millar, a former band member, opened an Irish pub in Toronto under the name The Unicorn. Sister pubs were also opened, including one at the site of Expo 86
Expo 86
The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from Friday, May 2 until Monday, October 13, 1986...
where the Irish Rovers recorded a live version of the song. The lyrics to the song are also printed as a poem in Silverstein's book Where the Sidewalk Ends
Where the Sidewalk Ends (book)
Where the Sidewalk Ends is a collection of children's poetry written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. The book's poems address many common childhood concerns and also presents purely fanciful stories...
. 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. the majority of the song is sung, again except for the final line, which is also spoken freely, without the music.
Description
The words of the song detail how unicorns, like all other livestock, once ran free and wild prior to the Great Flood described in the BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. In fact, Silverstein cites the reason they are never seen today as being because the unicorns were foolishly playing in the rain and failed to board the Ark
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
in time. All specimens of the species, he says, therefore drowned in the flood waters and were never seen again. When the Irish Rovers sing the song, the 5th verse, or chorus, featuring the line "Elephants started Elephantin" is omitted, because it sounded too witty, or too nonsensical for airplay.