The Ballad of Mr. D

[Intro – gentle acoustic guitar, faint fiddle hum] (Instrumental Solo) [Verse 1 – steady guitar strum, soft snare tap] Down at the county fair’s back hill They set up sleds for the annual thrill Mr. D dragged his creation with a grin Cardboard and tape, no paint to win [Pre-Chorus 1 – rising fiddle melody, light bass line] His students cheered from the fence line high He adjusted his goggles, let out a sigh Said “Watch me show you how to fly” Then pushed off fast toward the sky [Chorus 1 – full acoustic band, warm harmonies] Oh, the Ballad of Mr. D, cardboard dragon in the wind He didn’t care ’bout the seams or where the tape would bend Crashed hard into the oak, but the kids didn’t see the end They swore he rode that dragon off, past the clouds again [Verse 2 – softer guitar, quiet fiddle countermelody] He’d stayed up late, glue gun in hand Taped each scale, made the wings expand Said “Perfection’s in the cracks you can’t hide” Taught ’em courage’s not in the ride [Pre-Chorus 2 – building fiddle, stronger bass] The hill got steep, the wind picked up His dragon swayed, but he didn’t give up Waved to the kids, one last lucky wave Then the world went dark, the crowd went grave [Chorus 2 – richer harmonies, subtle steel guitar] Oh, the Ballad of Mr. D, cardboard dragon in the wind He didn’t care ’bout the seams or where the tape would bend Crashed hard into the oak, but the kids didn’t see the end They swore he rode that dragon off, past the clouds again [Bridge – sparse acoustic guitar, whispered vocals] They found the wreckage, tape and wood But the kids still talk like he’s good Said the dragon’s wings caught the sun that day Carried him far, far away [Solo – weeping fiddle, slow acoustic strums] (Instrumental Solo) [Final Chorus – full band, soaring harmonies] Oh, the Ballad of Mr. D, cardboard dragon in the wind He didn’t care ’bout the seams or where the tape would bend Crashed hard into the oak, but the kids didn’t see the end They swore he rode that dragon off, past the clouds again [Outro – fading guitar, faint fiddle echo] Now every year, they build their sleds With tape and cardboard, no paint to hide the edges And they swear they see him fly Up where the cardboard dragons ride