Christopher Columbus (1960) by Young People's Records
Five hundred years ago
There were people on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean
But neither knew about the other
On the Western side, our side
The people had reddish brown skins
And lived in huts, or wigwams
On the Eastern side, in Europe
The people were white skinned
They had learned how to build
Houses and large sailing ships
But they still didn't know much
About the rest of the world
In fact, most of them believed the earth was flat
Then one day
A mapmaker named Christopher Columbus
Had an idea
Do you know what?
I think the world isn't flat at all
I think it's round, like a ball
Did you hear what he said?
Did you hear what he said?
He said that the world is round!
He's crazy. He's mad. He's insane!
I think the world isn't flat at all
I think it's round, like a ball
The world is flat as the brim of your hat
And that is very plain
I know that I'm right
Oh, I know that I'm right
When I say that the world is round
Oh, I'm right. - You're wrong.- I'm right
My thinking is sound
And I'll prove the world's round
It won't take very long!
But it did take long, seven long years
Before Columbus could convince a King or a Queen
To let him try out his idea
Then, Queen Isabella of Spain
Agreed to supply the ships and men for his trip
I will discover a shortcut to India
And bring back some of the great wealth I find there
And I can do it, for I know the world is round
And instead of going east to India
I shall sail west and reach India around the other way
It will be a shorter and cheaper way
For I'll do it all by sea
Queen Isabella provided Columbus with three ships
The Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria
And on August 3rd, 1492
They set sail across the unknown Atlantic
High on the foaming tide
Over the ocean
Onward our ships will ride
Onward my sailors
The ships sailed onward
But two long months after they started
There was still no sign of land ahead
Turn back, Columbus Turn back, Columbus
We'll not turn back until we find India
Onward, men!
By October 10th, the sailors and the crew
Were ready to take matters into their own hands
If Columbus won't do as we ask
We'll put him in chains
And we'll turn the ships around ourselves
Wait! Have you heard?
One of our men has just seen a branch in the ocean
What of it?
It had fresh berries on it
That means we're near land
Hurray!
Two days later, the ships reached land
And Columbus and his crew saw the people
With reddish brown skins, who lived there
Oh, I think it is rather surprising
That they should have reddish brown skins
But now since we have landed in India
Then these people must be Indians
We'll call this part of India, San Salvador
And I take possession of it
In the name of the King and Queen of Spain
The people Columbus called Indians
Were very friendly
And they gave Columbus and his men many gifts
But not the rich jewels and gold
For which they had come
For Columbus wasn't really in India, at all
He was on one of the islands
Off the coast of America
But because of Columbus' mistake
The natives of America
Have been called Indians, ever since
Columbus visited other islands near San Salvador
Looking for the great wealth of India
And then he, and some of his men, returned to Spain
Hurray! Hurray!
Hurray for Admiral Christopher Columbus!
Hurray! Hurray!
Columbus had no trouble
Getting ships and men for his second voyage
But he still hadn't the slightest idea
That he was headed for the vast continent of America
And that he would have had to cross it
And sail over the Pacific Ocean
Before he could reach India by travelling west
The men of Europe were no longer
Afraid of the ocean
Columbus made two more voyages
And other Explorers followed
But each year, on October 12th
We celebrate Columbus Day
The anniversary of that day in 1492
When Columbus first sighted the land
Of the new world, America
There were people on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean
But neither knew about the other
On the Western side, our side
The people had reddish brown skins
And lived in huts, or wigwams
On the Eastern side, in Europe
The people were white skinned
They had learned how to build
Houses and large sailing ships
But they still didn't know much
About the rest of the world
In fact, most of them believed the earth was flat
Then one day
A mapmaker named Christopher Columbus
Had an idea
Do you know what?
I think the world isn't flat at all
I think it's round, like a ball
Did you hear what he said?
Did you hear what he said?
He said that the world is round!
He's crazy. He's mad. He's insane!
I think the world isn't flat at all
I think it's round, like a ball
The world is flat as the brim of your hat
And that is very plain
I know that I'm right
Oh, I know that I'm right
When I say that the world is round
Oh, I'm right. - You're wrong.- I'm right
My thinking is sound
And I'll prove the world's round
It won't take very long!
But it did take long, seven long years
Before Columbus could convince a King or a Queen
To let him try out his idea
Then, Queen Isabella of Spain
Agreed to supply the ships and men for his trip
I will discover a shortcut to India
And bring back some of the great wealth I find there
And I can do it, for I know the world is round
And instead of going east to India
I shall sail west and reach India around the other way
It will be a shorter and cheaper way
For I'll do it all by sea
Queen Isabella provided Columbus with three ships
The Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria
And on August 3rd, 1492
They set sail across the unknown Atlantic
High on the foaming tide
Over the ocean
Onward our ships will ride
Onward my sailors
The ships sailed onward
But two long months after they started
There was still no sign of land ahead
Turn back, Columbus Turn back, Columbus
We'll not turn back until we find India
Onward, men!
By October 10th, the sailors and the crew
Were ready to take matters into their own hands
If Columbus won't do as we ask
We'll put him in chains
And we'll turn the ships around ourselves
Wait! Have you heard?
One of our men has just seen a branch in the ocean
What of it?
It had fresh berries on it
That means we're near land
Hurray!
Two days later, the ships reached land
And Columbus and his crew saw the people
With reddish brown skins, who lived there
Oh, I think it is rather surprising
That they should have reddish brown skins
But now since we have landed in India
Then these people must be Indians
We'll call this part of India, San Salvador
And I take possession of it
In the name of the King and Queen of Spain
The people Columbus called Indians
Were very friendly
And they gave Columbus and his men many gifts
But not the rich jewels and gold
For which they had come
For Columbus wasn't really in India, at all
He was on one of the islands
Off the coast of America
But because of Columbus' mistake
The natives of America
Have been called Indians, ever since
Columbus visited other islands near San Salvador
Looking for the great wealth of India
And then he, and some of his men, returned to Spain
Hurray! Hurray!
Hurray for Admiral Christopher Columbus!
Hurray! Hurray!
Columbus had no trouble
Getting ships and men for his second voyage
But he still hadn't the slightest idea
That he was headed for the vast continent of America
And that he would have had to cross it
And sail over the Pacific Ocean
Before he could reach India by travelling west
The men of Europe were no longer
Afraid of the ocean
Columbus made two more voyages
And other Explorers followed
But each year, on October 12th
We celebrate Columbus Day
The anniversary of that day in 1492
When Columbus first sighted the land
Of the new world, America