When I See an Elephant Fly

**When I See An Elephant Fly** is a song from the 1941 Walt Disney Productions Disney film *Dumbo*.

## Lyrics

* First Version
* Reprise Version
* Sheet Music Version

**Specs**: Ah-ha-ha-ha! Did ya ever see a elephant fly?

**Preacher**: Well, I seen a *horse* fly.

**Fats**: Ha ha! I seen a *dragon* fly!

**Dopey**: Hee hee hee. I seen a *house* fly.

*(all laugh)*

**Dandy Crow**: Hey, I seen all that, too!

I seen a peanut stand, heard a rubber band

I seen a needle that winked its eye

But I be done seen 'bout ev'rything

When I see an elephant fly

(What d'you say, boy?)

I said when I see an elephant fly

I seen a front porch swing, heard a diamond ring

I seen a polka-dot railroad tie

But I be done seen 'bout ev'rything

When I see an elephant fly

(Rat-a-dat-dat-doo-doo-dah-wow!)

(I saw a clothes horse, he r'ar up and buck)

(And they tell me that a man made a vegetable truck)

(I didn't see that, I only heard)

(But just to be sociable, I'll take your word)

(I heard a fireside chat, I saw a baseball bat)

(And I just laughed till I thought I'd die)

But I be done seen 'bout ev'rything

When I see an elephant fly

(scat break)

Well I be done seen 'bout ev'rything

When I see an elephant fly

(With the wind)

When I see an elephant fly

**Chorus:** I seen a peanut stand, heard a rubber band

I seen a needle that winked its eye

**Elephants:** But I be done seen 'bout ev'rything

When I see an elephant fly

**Chorus:** Oh my!

**Chorus & Crows:** When I see...

{Casey Junior gives two whistle blasts}

When I see...

{Casey Junior gives another two blasts}

When I see an elephant fly

(Ooh, look at him go!)

When I see an elephant fly

(Happy landing, son!)

(Whoopee!)

When I see an elephant fly

(I wish I'd have gotten his autograph.)

(Hey, man, I *got* his autograph.)

(Well, so long, glamour boy!)

Ho ho! When I think about it

Ho ho! I have to laugh!

Ho ho! Just to think about it

Bends me right in half!

I saw a peanut stand, heard a rubber band

I saw a needle that winked its eye

But I think I will have seen everything

When I see an elephant fly

I saw a front porch swing, heard a diamond ring

I saw a polka-dot railroad tie

But I think I will have seen ev'rything

When I see an elephant fly

I saw a clothes horse r'ar up and buck

They tell me that a man made a vegetable "Truck"

I didn't see that, I only heard

But just to be sociable, I'll take their word

I saw a lantern slide, saw an old cow hide

And I just laughed till I thought I'd die

But I think I will have seen ev'rything

When I see an elephant fly

I saw a garden walk, a banana stalk

I saw a pig with an awful sty

But I think I will have seen ev'rything

When I see an elephant fly

I saw the sugar bowl, saw the jelly roll

I saw a picket fence, that's no lie

But I think I will have seen ev'rything

When I see an elephant fly

I even heard a chocolate drop

I went into a store, saw a bicycle shop

You can't deny the things that you see

But I know there's certain things that just can't be!

The other day by chance, saw an old barn dance

So I'm a gullible sort of guy

But I think I will have seen ev'rything

When I see an elephant fly!

## Trivia

* Much of the crows' lip-syncing is out of sync during this number, with them switching rapidly between different singers.
* Part of the song can be heard at the end of Disney's 1995 live-action film *Operation Dumbo Drop*.
* The line "I didn't see that. I only heard" is a reference to Don Redman's song, "I Heard"*.*
* The song was also included on *Disney Sing Along Songs: You Can Fly!*, *Disney Silly Songs*, and *Disney Sing Along Songs: Collection of All Time Favorites: The Early Years*.
* While not physically sung in the Dumbo 2019 remake, the ringmaster Baritone Bates makes reference to the song's lyrics after the Pink Elephant sequence during the part where he begins the act with Colette Marchant flying with Dumbo while announcing about the act. Here, he announces, "You've seen a horse-fly, you've seen a dragon-fly, you've even seen a house-fly... but you haven't seen anything until you see an elephant fly!".
	+ An instrumental version is later heard during the end of the credits in a marching band tune.

## Navigation

When You Wish Upon a Star • Little Wooden Head • Give a Little Whistle • I've Got No Strings • **When I See an Elephant Fly** • Lazy Countryside • Too Good to be True • My, What a Happy Day • The Merrily Song • Ichabod Crane • A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes • Sing, Sweet Nightingale • Work Song (Cinderelly, Cinderelly) • Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo • So This is Love • In a World of My Own • The Unbirthday Song • The Second Star to the Right • You Can Fly • Following the Leader • What Made the Red Man Red? • Your Mother and Mine • Bella Notte • Dalmatian Plantation • Higitus Figitus • That's What Makes the World Go Round • Most Befuddling Thing • The Bare Necessities • That's What Friends are For • The Aristocats • Scales and Arpeggios • Thomas O'Malley Cat • Everybody Wants to Be a Cat • Winnie the Pooh • Up, Down, Touch the Ground • Rumbly in My Tumbly • Little Black Rain Cloud • Mind Over Matter • The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers • Hip-Hip-Poohray • Why Should I Worry? • Part of Your World • Under the Sea • Kiss the Girl • Belle • Be Our Guest • Something There • Human Again • Beauty and the Beast • Arabian Nights • One Jump Ahead • Friend Like Me • Prince Ali • A Whole New World • This Is Halloween • Jack’s Lament • What’s This? • Town Meeting Song • Jack's Obsession • Making Christmas • Sally's Song • Poor Jack • Circle of Life • I Just Can't Wait to Be King • Hakuna Matata • Can You Feel the Love Tonight • Steady as the Beating Drum • Just Around the Riverbend • Listen With Your Heart • Colors of the Wind • Savages • If I Never Knew You • The Bells of Notre Dame • Out There • Topsy Turvy • God Help the Outcasts • Heaven's Light • A Guy Like You • Go the Distance • One Last Hope • Zero to Hero • I Won't Say (I'm in Love) • A Star is Born • Honor to Us All • Reflection • I'll Make a Man Out of You • A Girl Worth Fighting For • True to Your Heart • Two Worlds • You'll Be in My Heart • Son of Man • Strangers Like Me • Perfect World • You Ain't Home on the Range • Little Patch of Heaven • Down in New Orleans • Almost There • When We're Human • Gonna Take You There • Ma Belle Evangeline • Dig a Little Deeper • When Will My Life Begin • I've Got a Dream • I See the Light • Something That I Want • It's Gonna Be Great • Everything is Honey • Do You Want to Build a Snowman? • For the First Time in Forever • Let It Go • Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People • In Summer • Fixer Upper • An Innocent Warrior • Where You Are • How Far I'll Go • We Know the Way • You're Welcome • I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors) • Know Who You Are
***Animated Sequels***
Nothing in the World (Quite Like a Friend) • Forget About Love • There's a Party Here in Agrabah • Out of Thin Air • Father and Son  • As Long As There's Christmas • Where Do I Go from Here? • What a Day in London • Between Two Worlds • He Lives in You • We Are One • Upendi • Love Will Find a Way • Welcome Home • World Without Fences • I Didn't Know That I Could Feel This Way • Always There • Perfectly Perfect • More Than a Dream • At the Ball • Be True to Your Groove • Down to the Sea • For a Moment • Tip and Dash • Here on the Land and Sea • I Remember • The Jungle Rhythm • W-I-L-D • Right Where I Belong
***Other Animated Films***
City of Light • Remember That Day • Super Highway • Hang in There, Kid • I See a New You • Humans • Home Again • Small But Mighty • A Whole Bunch of World • I Wanna Be a Boy • Proud to Be a Dog • A Boy Needs a Dog • All for One and One for All • Love So Lovely • Sweet Wings of Love • Chains of Love
***Animated Series***
DuckTales • Three Cheers for Bubba Duck • Darkwing Duck • Little Girl Blue • Kickin' in the Groove • I'm Darkwing Duck • Spin It • Home is Where the Heart Is • Goof Troop • Gotta Be Gettin' Goofy • Rescue Rangers • Gummi Bears Theme • Gummiberry Juice • Mighty Ducks • Bonkers • Duck Daze • T-Squad Theme Song