I once knew a poet Who lived before his time He and his dog Spooner Would listen while he'd rhyme Words to make ya happy Words to make you cry Then one day the poet suddenly did die But he left behind a closet Filled with verse and rhyme And through some strange transaction One was printed in the Times And everybody's searchin' For the king of underground Well they found him down in Florida With a tombstone for a crown Everybody knows a line From his book that cost four ninety-nine I wonder if he knows he's doin' Quite this fine 'Cause his books are all best sellers And his poems were turned to song Had his brother on a talk show Though they never got along And now he's called immortal Yes he's even taught in school They say he used his talents A most proficient tool But he left all of his royalties To Spooner his ol' hound Growin' old on steak and bacon In a doghouse ten feet 'round And everybody wonders Did he really lose his mind No he was just a poet who lived before his time He was just a poet who lived before his time