Little Little Layla learns the flute

So I’m thinking about this whole music endeavor with a time horizon of about 10 years. It seems like that is the amount of time it takes to really learn something. Anyway, I was also thinking about who I might write for. My kids, of course. And if you’re singing to kids, it might help if there is a story involved. So here is a ballad about Little Little Layla.

Little Little Layla was walking on the beach when
She heard a sound like singing but from out across the sea, then
She looked atop a rock that stretched up into the sun, a
man was playing pretty music and having lots of fun.

She sat then in the sand as the sun sank down and
She listened and she looked at the ocean all around and
She knew in her heart that one day she’d make that sound, she’d
Be playing pretty music while the sun went down.

Well, she went and told her father and he gave her an old flute
and she picked it up and blew it but the darn old thing was mute
so she tried a few more times and then she told her dad the problems
and he said she’d need to try again, keep going ’til she’d solved them

Little Little Layla went running through the town
and she carried that flute with her all around,
after 3 whole weeks of trying, the sound did come
then she played it and she played it everyday yes every one.

She asked to use a boat to paddle out into the sea,
but her father wouldn’t let her ’til she learned to swim safely,
so that summer to the lake in the forest she did come,
Little Layla practiced swimming each time her chores were done.

After 2 long summers she got to take the boat,
and she paddled to the rock and tied it up to float,
well she wanted to climb to the top of the rock
but it was craggy, it was steep, there might as well have been a lock.

Little Little Layla went and talked to her old friend
who know a lot about climbing without coming to an end,
together they climbed more than 67 cliffs,
practicing the safe techniques ’til they were sore and tired and stiff.

Little Little Layla rested up and played her flute,
then she took the boat and paddled over to that craggy butte,
well she tied up her old boat and went up to the base
then she climbed atop the rock, happy triumph on her face.

Little Little Layla and her dad looked out,
and they played their pretty music to the ocean all about,
and together there they stood looking all around,
together playing music while the sun went down.