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If I Were King of the Forest (Extended Version) Lyrics by Bert Lahr

The Wizard of Oz (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Deluxe Edition]

1939

[LION]
If I were king of the forest
Not queen, not duke, not prince
My regal robes of the forest
Would be satin, and not cotton, and not chintz
I'd command each thing, be it fish or fowl
With a woof and a woof and a royal growl
As I'd click my heel, all the trees would kneel!
And the mountains bow and the bulls kowtow!
And the sparrow would take wing
If I, if I, were king!
Each rabbit would show respect to me
The chipmunks genuflect to me
Though my tail would lash, I would show compash
For every underling!
If I, If I, were king!
Just king!
[DOROTHY, SCARECROW, & TIN MAN]
Each rabbit would show respect to him
The chipmunks genuflect to him
[SCARECROW]
And his wife would be queen of the May
[LION]
And I'll be monarch
Of all I survey
Monarch
Of all I survey
Mo-na-arch
Of all I survey!
[DOROTHY]
Your Majesty, if you were king, you wouldn't be afraid of anything?
[LION]
Not nobody, not nohow!
[TIN MAN]
Not even a rhinoceros?
[LION]
Imposserous!
[DOROTHY]
How about a hippopotamus?
[LION]
Why, I'd trash him from top to bottomamus!
[DOROTHY]
Supposin' you met an elephant?
[LION]
I'd wrap him up in cellophant!
[SCARECROW]
What if it were a brontosaurus?
[LION]
I'd show him who was king of the forest!
[DOROTHY, TIN MAN, & SCARECROW]
How?
[LION]
How?
Courage! What makes a king out of a slave?
Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave?
Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk, in the misty mist or the dusky dusk?
What makes the muskrat guard his musk?
Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder?
Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder?
Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot?
What have they got that I ain't got?
[DOROTHY, TIN MAN, & SCARECROW]
Courage!
[LION]
You can say that again!
For courage is the king of kings
With courage I'd be king of kings
The whole year round
I'd be hailed and crowned by every living thing
If I, if I, if I, were K-
King!
Credits
Bert Lahr

Bert Lahr

About “If I Were King of the Forest (Extended Version)” by Bert Lahr

Read the complete lyrics to "If I Were King of the Forest (Extended Version)" by Bert Lahr from the album "The Wizard of Oz (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Deluxe Edition]" in 1939. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Orchestral, Musicals, Pop.

"If I Were King of the Forest (Extended Version)" is performed by Bert Lahr. from the album "The Wizard of Oz (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Deluxe Edition]" in 1939 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "If I Were King of the Forest (Extended Version)", explore more songs by Bert Lahr using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"If I Were King of the Forest (Extended Version)" is credited to Bert Lahr. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"If I Were King of the Forest (Extended Version)" appears on "The Wizard of Oz (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Deluxe Edition]" in 1939.

Visit the Bert Lahr artist page at /artist/bert-lahr for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.