If the World Were Upside Down

This poem/song was coauthored by members of Troop 545 for the Scoutmaster’s minute portion of a campfire program I led as part of the requirements of Firecrafter. The theme of the campfire program was Not Quite Normal and so a song as the Scoutmaster’s minute as well as the song’s content fit with that theme. The song was accompanied by the scoutmaster playing a two-string guitar (five-string guitar that has always had three strings missing).

If the world were upside-down,

Being normal would be strange,

So open up your mind

And experience the change.

The sky would be green;

The grass would be blue.

You would be me,

And I would be you.

If the world were upside-down,

Things wouldn't be what they seem.

You would sleep in reality

And live in your dreams.

So it's time to stop judging

What seems odd to you,

'Cause if the world were upside-down,

Then you would be the fool.

If the world were upside-down,

What you know would be new.

The things you hate

Would be the things you do.

So if the world's upside-down

You better listen to me—

Open up your ears,

And hear what you see.

If the world were upside-down,

Your enemy would be your friend,

So let's turn the world around

And bring hating to an end.

Now you can turn the world

Upside-down

By making a smile

From an upside-down frown.