Box
John Denver Lyrics

Once upon a time in the land of Hushabye
In some distant, peaceful past

Around about the wondrous days of yore
A time long ago, often associated with mythical or romanticized qualities

I came across a sort of box
Discovering something that had been hidden or forgotten

Bound up with chains and locked with locks
Secured in a way that implies the contents are dangerous or forbidden

And labeled kindly do not touch; it's war
The warning label indicates the contents represent something negative and destructive

Decree was issued 'round about
A command was given with great authority and formality

All with a flourish and a shout
The command was given with great fanfare

And a gaily colored mascot tripping lightly on before
An image meant to convey joy, playfulness, or positivity

Don't fiddle with this deadly box, or break the chains, or pick the locks
A specific set of instructions for how to avoid danger

And please, don't ever play about with war
An extension of the metaphorical language used throughout the song, cautioning against engaging with destructive things

Well, the children understood
The innocent can often discern danger without being told directly

Children happen to be good
Innocent and loving behavior is innate in children

They were just as good around the time of yore
This quality has not changed over time

They didn't try to pick the locks, or break into that deadly box
Children naturally avoid danger when aware of it

They never tried to play about with war
Again emphasizing that children lack the urge to engage with destructive behavior

Mummies didn't either
Adults also have a natural aversion to danger

Sisters, aunts, grannies neither
Again emphasizing the universality of this aversion

Cause they were quiet, and sweet, and pretty in those wondrous days of yore
A romanticized view of a past that was free of strife and violence

Well, very much the same as now, not the ones to blame somehow
The blame for negative outcomes cannot be placed on the innocent

For opening up that deadly box of war
Assigning blame for a destructive outcome

But someone did
Despite the warning and caution, someone opened the box

Someone battered in the lid
The person who opened the box did so with great force and determination

And spilled the insides out across the floor
The contents of the box were released and spread out in a chaotic manner

A sort of bouncy, bumpy ball made up of guns and flags
The items that emerged from the box are associated with violence and conflict

And all the tears, and horror, and the death that goes with war
The destruction caused by war, including emotional and physical harm

It bounced right out
The items emerged from the box in a lively, animated way

And went bashing all about
The destructive items caused chaos and destruction wherever they went

And bumping into everything and stored
The items caused damage to various forms of property and personal possessions

And what was sad and most unfair is that it didn't seem to care who much it bumped
The items, like war itself, do not discriminate in the harm they cause

Or why, or what, or for
There is no apparent reason or justification for the harm caused by war

It bumped the children mainly
Children are often the most vulnerable and impacted by the violent consequences of war

And I'll tell you this quite plainly
A direct statement that emphasizes the gravity of the situation

It bumps them every day, and more and more, and leaves them dead and burned and dying
War causes widespread harm, often in ways that cannot be repaired or mended

Thousands of them sick and crying
The suffering caused by war is widespread and affects countless people

Cause when it bumps, it's really very sore
The harm caused by war is intense and difficult to endure

Now, there's a way to stop the ball
Despite the destructive nature of war, there are ways to prevent it

It isn't difficult at all
The solution may be simple, but requires effort and commitment

All it takes is wisdom; I'm absolutely sure that we could get it back into the box
The solution involves using knowledge and understanding to prevent war from occurring

And bind the chains and lock the locks
Preventative measures must be taken to ensure that war cannot be loosed upon the world again

No one seems to want to save the children any more
Despite the widespread impact of war, there seems to be a lack of commitment to preventing it

Well, that's the way it all appears
This is how things seem to be, based on observation

Cause it's been bouncing 'round for years and years
War has been a persistent problem throughout human history

In spite of all the wisdom since those wondrous days of yore
Despite the accumulated knowledge of humanity, war has not been eliminated

And the time they came across the box
Referring back to the beginning of the song, when the warning about war was first given

Bound up with chains and locked with locks
Reiterating the idea that preventative measures must be taken to avoid the harm caused by war

And labeled "kindly do not touch, it's war"
A final reminder of the harm caused by war and the importance of preventing it