Story Behind The Song

Having a grandson can heighten a person's sense of wanting to preserve Nature for that child to appreciate and enjoy.

Song Description

A grandfather gives a sense of what he appreciates in Nature as he expresses his longing to have his grandson with him to learn about these things.

Lyrics

I passed a quiet hour with an Ibis, yesterday.
An Ibis keeps quite busy, doesn't have too much to say.
I wished I'd had my grandson there--he lives up north, you see.
And every year at Christmas, he comes down to visit me.
But I want him to know Ibis.
I want him to know Osprey.
Oh, I want him to know how much our wild Florida means to me.

I know it must be tempting for the folks who own the land
To sell out to developers, to profit while they can.
But I wonder how they'll square it with a grandchild who might ask
Where all the birds have gone the day they bulldoze the last path.
I would want them to know Ibis.
I would want them to know osprey.
Oh, I'd want them to know how much our wild Florida deserves to last.

There's a spirit in the swampland at dawn when I arise,
A white mist disappearing as the Great Blue Heron flies.
Anyone who knows the Red-tailed Hawk, I'm pretty sure will gain,
This reverence for Old Florida that's coursing through my veins.

There's more to learn from kingfishers than most folks find in books.
I spotted one the other day, and here's the vow I took:
To bring my grandson down all summer while the reeds are tall and green
To teach him Nature's secrets, to hone his senses keen.
For I want him to know Ibis.
And I want him to know Osprey.
And I want him to know how much my wild Florida, his wild Florida,
Our wild Florida, can come to mean.