Going to the Zoo (Live) [1964 Queens College] Songtext
von Paul Simon

This is another Tom Paxton song
And Tom writes great, great children songs
That children don′t dig very much at all
But adults, adults love them

This thing is sort of in a Woody Guthrie vein
Because, uh, Woody Guthrie wrote a great deal of children songs
And so, uh, not really being the type to say, "Join in, everybody now", uh
So, uh, if you'll shed your inhibition you′ll be able to sing this with me
You have to regress to about a, a third grade level, you'll see why
Or progress to a third grade level, I don't, I don′t know, you know, it′s just where it's at

Daddy′s taking us to the zoo tomorrow
Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow
Daddy's taking us to the zoo tomorrow
We can stay all day

We′re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How'bout you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We′re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo


As you can see the lyrics are extremely difficult to memorize
So every time we get to that part, if you'll sing with me
Tom Paxton will collect royalties

See the elephant with it's long trunk swingin′
Great big ears and a long trunk swingin′
Sniffing up peanuts, long trunk swingin'
We can stay all day

We′re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How 'bout you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We′re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo

See all the monkeys go scritch-scritch-scratching
Jumpin' all around and a-scritch-scritch-scratching
Hangin′ from their long tails, scritch-scritch-scratching
We can stay all day

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How 'bout you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We′re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo


Seals in the water go honk-honk-honkin′
Catching fish and a-honk-honk-honkin'
Little seals go honk-honk-honkin′
We can stay all day

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How ′bout you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Been to the zoo and we′re mighty sleepy
Sittin' in the car gettin' sleep-sleep-sleepy
Home already and we′re sleep-sleep-sleepy
We have stayed all day

We′ve been to the zoo, zoo, zoo
So have you, you, you
You came too, too, too
We've been to the zoo, zoo, zoo

Daddy′s taking us to the zoo tomorrow
Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow
Daddy's taking us to the zoo tomorrow
We can stay all day

We′re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too
We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo