Top 100 Shel Silverstein Quotes
#2. God says to me with a kind of smile, "Hey how would you like to be God awhile And steer the world?" ... "How much do I get? What time is lunch?" ... "Gimme back that wheel," says God. "I don't think you're quite ready yet."
Shel Silverstein
#3. The Voice
There is a voice inside of you
That whispers all day long,
"I feel this is right for me,
I know that this is wrong."
No teacher, preacher, parent, friend
Or wise man can decide
What's right for you
just listen to
The voice that speaks inside.
Shel Silverstein
#5. Birds are flyin' south for winter. Here's the Weird-Bird headin' north, Wings a-flappin', beak a-chatterin', Cold head bobbin' back 'n' forth. He says, It's not that I like ice Or freezin' winds and snowy ground. It's just sometimes it's kind of nice To be the only bird in town.
Shel Silverstein
#6. I'd rather play tennis than go to the dentist.
I'd rather play soccer than go to the doctor.
I'd rather play Hurk than go to work.
Hurk? Hurk? What's Hurk?
I don't know, but it must be better than work.
Shel Silverstein
#7. Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me ... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.
Shel Silverstein
#8. In a world of apples and kisses and shoes
He wasted his wishes on wishing.
Shel Silverstein
#10. My beard grows down to my toes, I never wears no clothes, I wraps my hair Around my bare, And down the road I goes.
Shel Silverstein
#11. How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live 'em.
Shel Silverstein
#13. Through gypsy camps and swirling Arab fair, and moonlit woods where unicorns run free.
Shel Silverstein
#14. Beware of being the roller / When there's nothing left to roll
Shel Silverstein
#15. People are always giving you credit for really wanting to say more than you said.
Shel Silverstein
#17. FROZEN DREAM
I'll take the dream I had last night
And put it in my freezer,
So someday long and far away
When I'm an old grey geezer,
I'll take it out and thaw it out,
This lovely dream I've frozen,
And boil it up and sit me down
A dip my old cold toes in.
Shel Silverstein
#18. I was so lucky that I didn't have anyone to copy, be impressed by. I had developed my own style, I was creating before I knew there was a Thurber, a Benchley, a Price and a Steinberg. I never saw their work until I was around thirty.
Shel Silverstein
#19. This boat that we just built is just fine -
And don't try to tell us it's not
The sides and the back are divine -
It's the bottom I guess we forgot
Shel Silverstein
#20. And he didn't really know where he was going, but he did know he was going somewhere, because you really have to go somewhere, don't you?
Shel Silverstein
#21. He has the obligation to society that any human being has. I don't think a satirist has any greater obligation to society than a bricklayer or anybody else.
Shel Silverstein
#22. What did the carrot say to the wheat? Lettuce rest, I'm feeling beet.
Shel Silverstein
#23. Never explain what you do. It speaks for itself. You only muddle it by talking about it.
Shel Silverstein
#24. Stand-up comics reflect less of a visual humor and more of a commentary.
Shel Silverstein
#26. If you're behind the times, they won't notice you. If you're right in tune with them, you're no better than they are, so they won't care much for you. Be just a little ahead of them.
Shel Silverstein
#27. INVISIBLE BOY
And here we see the invisible boy
In his lovely invisible house,
Feeding a piece of invisible cheese
To a little invisible mouse.
Oh, what a beautiful picture to see!
Will you draw an invisible picture for me?
Shel Silverstein
#28. The hens they all cackle, the roosters all beg,
But I will not hatch, I will not hatch.
For I hear all the talk of pollution and war
As the people all shout and the airplane roar,
So I'm staying in here where it's safe and it's warm,
And I WILL NOT HATCH!
Shel Silverstein
#29. I've discovered a way to stay friends forever -
There's really nothing to it.
I simply tell you what to do
And you do it!
Shel Silverstein
#31. Rockabye Baby, in the treetop Dont you know a treetop is no safe place to rock? And who put you up there, and your cradle too? Baby, I think someone down here has got it in for you!
Shel Silverstein
#32. Ricky was "L" but he's home with the flu,
Lizzie, our "O," had some homework to do,
Mitchell, "E" prob'ly got lost on the way,
So I'm all of the love that could make it today.
Shel Silverstein
#33. A hippo sandwich is easy to make. All you do is simply take one slice of bread, one slice of cake, some mayonnaise, one onion ring, one hippopotamus, one piece of string, a dash of pepper. That ought to do it. And now comes the problem ... biting into it!
Shel Silverstein
#34. I've found my missin' piece So grease my knees and fleece my bees I've found my missin' piece!
Shel Silverstein
#36. Just 'cause somethin' ain't been done Don't mean it can't be did ...
Shel Silverstein
#38. It was missing a piece.
And it was not happy.
So it set off in search
of its missing piece.
And as it rolled
it sang this song - Oh I'm lookin' for my missin' piece
I'm lookin' for my missin' piece
Hi-dee-ho, here I go,
Lookin' for my missin' piece.
Shel Silverstein
#41. All The Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
Layin' In The Sun,
Talkin' 'Bout The Things
They Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda Done ...
But All Those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
All Ran Away And Hid
From One Little Did.
Shel Silverstein
#42. Tell me I'm clever, Tell me I'm kind, Tell me I'm talented, Tell me I'm cute, Tell me I'm sensitive, Graceful and wise, Tell me I'm perfect - But tell me the truth.
Shel Silverstein
#43. No teacher, preacher, parent, friend, or wise man can decide what's right for you.
Shel Silverstein
#45. If you are a dreamer come in
If you are a dreamer a wisher a liar
A hoper a pray-er a magic-bean-buyer
If youre a pretender com sit by my fire
For we have some flax golden tales to spin
Come in!
Come in!
Shel Silverstein
#47. May I ask you if you've noticed,
May I ask you if you've seen.
My minnow Minnie
Who was swimmin'
In you Ovaltine?
For you've gone and drunk it up, dear,
And she isn't in the cup, dear.
And she's nowhere to be found, dear.
Do you think that she has drowned, dear?
Shel Silverstein
#48. At night my mind does not much care if what it thinks is here or there. It tells me stories, it invents and makes up things that don't make sense. I do not know why it does this stuff. The real world seems quite weird enough.
Shel Silverstein
#49. I was always prepared for success but that means that I have to be prepared for failure, too.
Shel Silverstein
#51. This bridge will take you halfway there - the last few steps you will have to take yourself.
Shel Silverstein
#52. My skin is kind of sort of brownish pinkish yellowish white. My eyes are greyish blueish green, but I'm told they look orange in the night. My hair is reddish blondish brown, but its silver when its wet, and all the colors I am inside have not been invented yet.
Shel Silverstein
#53. If there is a book you want to read but isn't written yet,write it.
Shel Silverstein
#54. We can't find the cat,
We don't know where she's at,
Oh, where did she go?
Does anyone know?
Let's ask this walking hat.
Shel Silverstein
#55. If you're nasty, I won't fight. If you're rough, well that's just you. If you're mean, that's alright too. Whatever you are is all okay. I don't like you anyway.
Shel Silverstein
#56. Yes, I'm adopted.
My folks were not blessed
With me in the usual way.
But they picked me,
They chose me
From all the rest,
Which is lots more than most kids can say.
Shel Silverstein
#57. I would hope that people, no matter what age, would find something to identify with in my books, pick one up and experience a personal sense of discovery. That's great. But for them, not for me.
Shel Silverstein
#58. Since my fried left me,I've got nothing to do but walking.I walk to forget.I walk,I escape,I get further.My friend will not come back,now I am a marathon man.
Shel Silverstein
#60. If the track is tough and the hill is rough,
THINKING you can just ain't enough!
Shel Silverstein
#61. How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it. How many slices in a bread? Depends how thin you cut it. How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live 'em. How much love inside a friend? Depends how much you give 'em.
Shel Silverstein
#62. Would you like to hear the night i bravely fought the- no? alright
Shel Silverstein
#63. You don't have to shoot me," says the young lion. "I will be your rug and I will lie in front of your fireplace and I won't move a muscle and you can sit on me and toast all the marshmallows you want. I love marshmallows.
Shel Silverstein
#64. She had blue skin,
And so did he.
He kept it hid
And so did she.
They searched for blue
Their whole life through,
Then passed right by-
And never knew.
Shel Silverstein
#66. When I am gone what will you do? Who will write and draw for you? Someone smarter
someone new? Someone better
maybe YOU!
Shel Silverstein
#67. I was hoping that perhaps I could roll with you ... "
"You cannot roll with me," said the Big O, "but perhaps you can roll by yourself.
Shel Silverstein
#68. Each time I see the Upside-Down Man Standing in the water, I look at him and start to laugh, Although I shouldn't oughtter. For maybe in another world Another time Another town, Maybe HE is right side up And I am upside down
Shel Silverstein
#70. The baby bat Screamed out in fright, 'Turn on the dark, I'm afraid of the light.
Shel Silverstein
#71. EARLY BIRD
Oh, if you're a bird, be an early bird
And catch the worm for your breakfast plate.
If you're a bird, be an early early bird
But if you're a worm, sleep late.
Shel Silverstein
#72. The Yesees said yes to anything
That anyone suggested.
The Noees said no to everything
Unless it was proven and tested.
So the Yesees all died of much too much
And the Noees all died of fright,
But somehow I think the Thinkforyourselfees
All came out all right.
Shel Silverstein
#73. I know a way to stay friends forever, There's really nothing to it, I tell you what to do, And you do it.
Shel Silverstein
#74. You'd better get your laugh while you're making your point, or you won't be doing it very long.
Shel Silverstein
#75. Imagine - four years you could have spent travelling around Europe meeting people, or going to the Far East of Africa or India, meeting people, exchanging ideas, reading all you wanted to anyway, and instead I wasted it at Roosevelt.
Shel Silverstein
#76. Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.
Shel Silverstein
#77. There's a great myth about cartoonists, writers and people that are on TV.
Shel Silverstein
#78. And she loved a boy very, very much
even more than she loved herself.
Shel Silverstein
#80. To me, freedom entitles you to do something, not to not do something.
Shel Silverstein
#81. If you have to dry the dishes (Such an awful boring chore) If you have to dry the dishes ('Stead of going to the store) If you have to dry the dishes And you drop one on the floor Maybe they won't let you Dry the dishes anymore
Shel Silverstein
#82. I'm Reginald Clark, I'm afraid of the dark
So please do not close this book on me.
Shel Silverstein
#83. Magic
Sandra's seen a leprechaun,
Eddie touched a troll,
Laurie danced with witches once,
Charlie found some goblins gold.
Donald heard a mermaid sing,
Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known
I've had to make myself.
Shel Silverstein
#84. Why can't you see i'm a kid', said the kid. Why try to make me like you? Why are you hurt when I don't cuddle? Why do you sigh when I splash through a puddle? Why do you scream when I do what I did? Im a kid.
Shel Silverstein
#85. So what if nobody came? I'll have all the ice cream and tea, And I'll laugh with myself, And I'll dance with myself, And I'll sing, Happy Birthday to me!
Shel Silverstein
#86. Talked my head off
Worked my tail off
Cried my eyes out
Walked my feet off
Sang my heat out
So you see,
There's really not much left of me.
Shel Silverstein
#88. Ickle me, pickle me, tickle me too
never returned to the world they knew
and nobody knows what happened to
dear ickle me, pickle me, tickle me too
Shel Silverstein
#90. I will not play tug o' war. I'd rather play hug o' war. Where everyone hugs instead of tugs, Where everyone giggles and rolls on the rug, Where everyone kisses, and everyone grins, and everyone cuddles, and everyone wins.
Shel Silverstein
#91. And the boy loved the tree ... very much. And the tree was happy.
Shel Silverstein
#92. There are no happy endings.
Endings are the saddest part,
So just give me a happy middle
And a very happy start.
Shel Silverstein
#93. Sometimes I get so depressed 'Bout what I haven't done. -NEVER
Shel Silverstein
#94. I didn't do it
That's a lie
I didn't do it
No, not I
I didn't do it
Hear me cry
I didn't do it
Hope to die
I didn't do it
I'm not that bad
But if I did ...
Would you be mad?
Shel Silverstein
#95. I tried on the farmer's hat, Didn't fit ... A little too small - just a bit Too floppy ... I tried on the summer sun, Felt good. Nice and warm - knew it would. Tried the grass beneath bare feet, Felt neat. Finally, finally felt well dressed, Nature's clothes fit me best.
Shel Silverstein
#96. TREE HOUSE A tree house, a free house, A secret you and me house, A high up in the leafy branches Cozy as can be house. A street house, a neat house, Be sure to wipe your feet house Is not my kind of house at all- Let's go live in a tree house.
Shel Silverstein
#97. Underneath my outside face There's a face that none can see. A little less smiley, A little less sure, But a whole lot more like me.
Shel Silverstein
#98. When the light turns green, you go. When the light turns red, you stop. But what do you do when the light turns blue with orange and lavender spots?
Shel Silverstein
#99. I made an airplane out of stone ... I always did like staying home.
Shel Silverstein
#100. If I had a brontosaurus, I would name him Horace or Morris. But if suddenly one day he had A lot of little brontosauri- I would change his name to Laurie.
Shel Silverstein
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