Five C’s for Arizona
copyright 2013 by Tim Griffin
I have some friends in Phoenix and I went to pay a visit
I asked them, “Arizona isn’t complicated, is it?”
They told me there’s a lot I ought to learn about AZ
But there are five things you need to know, they all begin with C!
There are many special sights for you to see in Arizona
But five things you need to know about
When you visit with your family or even all alone-a
The five C’s will make you jump and shout
Now you might have heard the climate here is mostly dry and hot
But there are several other kinds of climate that we got
The weather when you’re there depends on where and when you time it
The five C’s are citrus, cattle, cotton, copper…
and CLIMATE!
I drove across a desert where I saw the great saguaro
I asked a farmer, “What else can you grow?”
He told me that he’d take me to a cotton field tomorrow
‘Cause that’s another thing you ought to know!
The farmers grow the cotton for the clothes you like to wear
It’s hot and dry, you know that’s why the cotton loves it there!
I’m gonna tell you once again in case you have forgotten
The five C’s are climate, citrus, cattle, copper…
And COTTON!
I was growing more excited as I tried to understand
I asked the farmer, “What else have you got?”
He told me “All we have to do is irrigate the land
We can grow the fruit that really likes it hot!”
The lime is sort of sour but the mandarin is sweet
The kumquat and the grapefruit are always good to eat
Our lemons and our oranges are sure to hold your interest
The five C’s are cattle, climate, cotton, copper…
And CITRUS!
I stood upon a monolithic Mesa made of stone
I went to see a canyon, it was Grand
But then a fella told me when you come to Arizona
There are five things you have to understand
There are special rocks and minerals in the mountains all around
And a very useful metal you can get by digging down
You excavate the ore and then you heave it in the hopper
The five C’s are citrus, climate, cotton, cattle…
And COPPER!
I was so impressed in Prescott when I met a real cowboy
I told him that I never rode a cow
He laughed said, You ride a horse, I’m gonna show you how boy
You’re gonna be a real vaquero now!
When you come here from the city you may think it pretty strange
Herding cattle from a saddle while you’re riding on the range
Again, I will remind you while you’re sitting in the saddle
The five C’s are climate, citrus, cotton, copper…
And CATTLE!
I met a lot of people when I went to Arizona
The farmers up in Flagstaff and the hippies in Sedona
I’ve still a lot to learn about this rough and rugged land
But there’s five things I finally understand:
There’s the citrus and the cotton that the farmers love to grow
The copper and the cattle for the wire and beef, you know
And Arizona’s climate with its wide variety
That’s five very special things that all begin with C!
Notes
One of the fun things about doing shows and workshops in other states is seeing what the students are working on. In Arizona, for example, students are expected to learn the “5 C’s" of Arizona's economy. I had trouble remembering them all, so it seemed like a natural for a song.
This song doesn’t really meet any content standards outside of Arizona, but I think it’s a fun way to learn a little about one state. At some point I want to write more geography songs; if you’d like me to give your state (or province, country, etc.) a try, please contact me and tell me what kids should know about it!
Chords:
D, G, A; the introduction has a Bm and an E, but those are optional.