Puff, The Magic Dragon

Puff, The Magic Dragon is a folk song recorded in 1963 by the popular trio Peter, Paul, and Mary. It is by far their most well-known song.

The song has gained a bit of controversy due to beliefs that it contains hidden references to drug use (specifically, marijuana).

The Song

Puff is a mythical dragon, leaving in a seaside cave in the fictional land of Honalee. He is regularly visited by a young boy, Little Jackie Paper, and the two go on mythical adventures together.

One day, Jackie stops visiting Puff. Saddened, Puff retreats to his cave, and is not heard from again.

Meaning

The traditional meaning is that the song talks about moving from childhood into young adulthood. Puff is considered to be a toy that young Jackie plays with as a child. But as he grows older, he loses interest. Puff's retreat to the cave is symbolic of him being discarded, or placed in a toy box, forgotten about.

The hidden reference meaning implies that many phrases in the song ("Puff, the magic dragon", "frolicked in the autumn mist", and even "Little Jackie Paper") are references to marijuana use. This meaning doesn't explain why a young boy would partake in drug use (more common among teenagers and young adults) or why he would simply stop (given the addictive nature of most illegal drugs).