Tom T. Hall - The Monkey That Became President lyrics

I was there on the day the
Monkey came into this world
His face was round and reddish and
His hair was slightly curled
He didn't look too different from
The others I had seen
Who'd-a-thought he was the answer
To the nation's dream?
At first he didn't seem to
Be intelligent at all
Each time he'd start to walk about
He'd stumble and he'd fall
My first impression was to be
A most mistaken thought lord a'mighty
What's this little hairy monkey wrought?
Because I witnessed his departure
From his mother's womb
I felt inclined to check
His progress every afternoon
One day the keeper of the zoo
Called in the live TV frankly said
"I think you'll be amazed at what you see"
The monkey walked and talked and waved
His arms about his head
In the corner was the stack of
Books that he had read
"An Educated Monkey!"
Said the papers 'cross the land
It was more than weary
Sociologists could stand
Oh, his fame was universal
He was on the Carson show
People talked about him kindly
Everywhere he'd go his insight was amazing
His philosophy was fair
He became a politician welcome everywhere
His wit was not to be
Compared with any mind intact
He'd lace a phrase with irony and
Blend it all with fact
Conservatives applauded and the
Liberals were entranced
The bigots and the integrationists
Were in his camp nobody dared to meet him in
An open press debate he was nominated by the
Folks from every state
Yes, a monkey was the President
Though maybe not the first
And there was peace and
Harmony throughout the universe
The dream I had last night has
Been related as it came
As for interpretation, well
It's really very plain
Would you rather have a
Monkey up in Washington, dC
Or have those people making monkeys
Out of you and me?