Shel Silverstein Quote

SMARTMy dad gave me one dollar bill'Cause I'm his smartest son,And I swapped it for two shiny quarters'Cause two is more than one!And then I took the quartersAnd traded them to LouFor three dimes - I guess he don't knowThat three is more than two!Just then, along came old blind BatesAnd just 'cause he can't seeHe gave me four nickels for my three dimes,And four is more than three!And I took the nickels to Hiram CoombsDown at the seed-feed store,And the fool gave me five pennies for them,And five is more than four!And then I went and showed my dad,And he got red in the cheeks And closed his eyes and shook his head - Too proud of me to speak!

Shel Silverstein

SMARTMy dad gave me one dollar bill'Cause I'm his smartest son,And I swapped it for two shiny quarters'Cause two is more than one!And then I took the quartersAnd traded them to LouFor three dimes - I guess he don't knowThat three is more than two!Just then, along came old blind BatesAnd just 'cause he can't seeHe gave me four nickels for my three dimes,And four is more than three!And I took the nickels to Hiram CoombsDown at the seed-feed store,And the fool gave me five pennies for them,And five is more than four!And then I went and showed my dad,And he got red in the cheeks And closed his eyes and shook his head - Too proud of me to speak!

Related Quotes

About Shel Silverstein

Sheldon Allan Silverstein (; September 25, 1930 – May 10, 1999) was an American writer, poet, cartoonist, singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Silverstein briefly attended university before being drafted into the United States Army. During his rise to prominence in the 1950s, his illustrations were published in various newspapers and magazines, including the adult-oriented Playboy. He also wrote a satirical, adult-oriented alphabet book, Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book.
As a children's author, some of his most acclaimed works include The Giving Tree, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and A Light in the Attic. His works have been translated into more than 47 languages and have sold more than 20 million copies. As a songwriter, Silverstein wrote the 1969 Johnny Cash track "A Boy Named Sue", which peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. His songs have been recorded and popularized by a wide range of other acts including Tompall Glaser, The Irish Rovers and Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show. He was the recipient of two Grammy Awards as well as nominations at the Golden Globe Awards and Academy Awards.
His book A Light in the Attic is dedicated to his daughter who died at age 11. Silverstein died at home in Key West, Florida, of a heart attack on May 10, 1999, at age 68.