Now playing

Marvelous Toy

Chords

4.720 votes

Listen

YouTubeYouTube SpotifySpotify AppleApple Music

Dmajor

90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
Originally sent in by John Schuster ages ago (not sure if it was
archived at Nevada).  Great little song called Marvelous Toy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Marvelous Toy - Tom Paxton
=============
When DI was just a A7wee little lad  DFull of health and joyG  
My Gfather homeward Dcame one night And Egave to me a A7toy
A wonDder to beA7hold it was with maDny colors briGght
And the Gmoment I laid Deyes on it. It beE7came my hearts deA7light
Chorus:
It went Dzip when it A7moved, bop when it stopped Dand whir when it stGood still
I nGever knew just Dwhat it was and I A7guess I never Dwill
The first time that I picked it up I got a big surprise
For right on the bottom were two big buttons that looked like big green
eyes.
I first pushed one, then the other, then I twisted its lid
And when I put it down again, here is what it did.
    Chorus
It first marched left, then marched right, then marched under a chair.
And when I looked where it had gone, it wasn't even there
I started to cry, but my daddy laughed for he knew that I would find
When I looked around, my marvellous toy, just a'chugging from behind.
    Chorus
Well, the years have gone by too swiftly it seems, I now have my own
  little boy
And yesterday, I gave to him my marvelous little toy.
His eyes nearly popped right out of his head, he gave a squeal of glee
Neither one of us knows just what it is, but he loves it just like me
    Chorus
I've been doing this song for MANY years and (if I remember correctly
without my guitar in hand) generally play it in C but the chord progression
is simple enough to allow it to be played in whatever key fits your vocal
range.
Regards,
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John J. Schuster                       ELECTRONICS ENGINEER
UNIV. OF MS.           /^^^^^^^\       OFFICE    (601)232-7206
OCIS                  ---0-/\-0--      MESSAGES  (601)232-5043
POWERS HALL, RM. 302   \ \\\\\\ /      BITNET    CCJJS@UMSVM
               --Super   \\\\\\\  Plussss Computing--
______________________________________________________________________________
    The Marvelous Toy--Tom Paxton
         C............G7.............C..................G7
    When I was just a wee little lad full of health and joy
       F................C..................D7...........G7
    My father home-ward came one night and gave to me a toy
        C............G7...............C.........F.........
    A wonder to behold it was, with many colors bright
    ..................F...............D7.................G7.
    The moment I laid eyes on it, it became my hearts delight
    CH:
            C.......................G7...............
    It went ZIP when it moved, and BOP when it stopped
         C...................F.......................
    And WHIRRR when it stood still
     ...................C...............G7...............C
    I never knew just what it was And I guess I never will
  2)The first time that I picked it up I had a big surprise
    For right on it's bottom were 2 big buttons that looked like big green eyes
    I first pushed one and then the other and then I twisted it's lid
    And when I set it down again, this is what it did     CH:
  3)It first marched left and then marched right and then marched under a chair
    And when I looked where it had gone it wasn't even there
    I started to sob and daddy laughed, for he knew what I would find
    When I turned around my marvelous toy, chugging from behind   CH:
  4)The years have gone by quickly it seems, I have my own little boy
    And yesterday I gave to him, my own marvelous little toy
    His eyes nearly popped right out of his head and he gave a squeal of glee
    Neither one of us knows just what it is but he loves it just like me  CH:
    I always think of this as a Christmas song. I used periods between
    chords cuz my editor otherwise moves them around.

All chords in this song (5)

The story behind the song

"Marvelous Toy" captures that childhood wonder when a parent brings home a mysterious new plaything. The song celebrates the simple delight of a toy whose true nature remains unknown, yet it becomes a "heart's delight" the moment you see it. It's a sweet, nostalgic look back at a time when imagination filled in the blanks, making the ordinary truly marvelous. This song, often associated with Tom Paxton, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient known for blending traditional folk with new compositions, has been widely recorded by many artists. Playing it is like stepping back into that innocent, joyful moment of discovery.

AI-written from these sources:Tom Paxton — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

🎸 Tips from players

Got a tip for playing this song — capo position, easier chords, strumming? Be the first to share one.

Chord Book

670,000+ free guitar chords · free-chords.com

Marvelous Toy

by Tom Paxton

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#

#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##

Originally sent in by John Schuster ages ago (not sure if it was

archived at Nevada). Great little song called Marvelous Toy.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Marvelous Toy - Tom Paxton

=============

D A7 D G

When I was just a wee little lad Full of health and joy

G D E A7

My father homeward came one night And gave to me a toy

D A7 D G

A wonder to behold it was with many colors bright

G D E7 A7

And the moment I laid eyes on it. It became my hearts delight

Chorus:

D A7 D G

It went zip when it moved, bop when it stopped and whir when it stood still

G D A7 D

I never knew just what it was and I guess I never will

The first time that I picked it up I got a big surprise

For right on the bottom were two big buttons that looked like big green

eyes.

I first pushed one, then the other, then I twisted its lid

And when I put it down again, here is what it did.

Chorus

It first marched left, then marched right, then marched under a chair.

And when I looked where it had gone, it wasn't even there

I started to cry, but my daddy laughed for he knew that I would find

When I looked around, my marvellous toy, just a'chugging from behind.

Chorus

Well, the years have gone by too swiftly it seems, I now have my own

little boy

And yesterday, I gave to him my marvelous little toy.

His eyes nearly popped right out of his head, he gave a squeal of glee

Neither one of us knows just what it is, but he loves it just like me

Chorus

I've been doing this song for MANY years and (if I remember correctly

without my guitar in hand) generally play it in C but the chord progression

is simple enough to allow it to be played in whatever key fits your vocal

range.

Regards,

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

John J. Schuster ELECTRONICS ENGINEER

UNIV. OF MS. /^^^^^^^\ OFFICE (601)232-7206

OCIS ---0-/\-0-- MESSAGES (601)232-5043

POWERS HALL, RM. 302 \ \\\\\\ / BITNET CCJJS@UMSVM

--Super \\\\\\\ Plussss Computing--

______________________________________________________________________________

The Marvelous Toy--Tom Paxton

C............G7.............C..................G7

When I was just a wee little lad full of health and joy

F................C..................D7...........G7

My father home-ward came one night and gave to me a toy

C............G7...............C.........F.........

A wonder to behold it was, with many colors bright

..................F...............D7.................G7.

The moment I laid eyes on it, it became my hearts delight

CH:

C.......................G7...............

It went ZIP when it moved, and BOP when it stopped

C...................F.......................

And WHIRRR when it stood still

...................C...............G7...............C

I never knew just what it was And I guess I never will

2)The first time that I picked it up I had a big surprise

For right on it's bottom were 2 big buttons that looked like big green eyes

I first pushed one and then the other and then I twisted it's lid

And when I set it down again, this is what it did CH:

3)It first marched left and then marched right and then marched under a chair

And when I looked where it had gone it wasn't even there

I started to sob and daddy laughed, for he knew what I would find

When I turned around my marvelous toy, chugging from behind CH:

4)The years have gone by quickly it seems, I have my own little boy

And yesterday I gave to him, my own marvelous little toy

His eyes nearly popped right out of his head and he gave a squeal of glee

Neither one of us knows just what it is but he loves it just like me CH:

I always think of this as a Christmas song. I used periods between

chords cuz my editor otherwise moves them around.

About Marvelous Toy Chords by Tom Paxton

Learn how to play Marvelous Toy by Tom Paxton with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Marvelous Toy chords”, “Marvelous Toy guitar chords”, or “Tom Paxton Marvelous Toy chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Marvelous Toy chords and for experienced players who want accurate Marvelous Toy lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include D, A7, G, E, A, E7.

FAQ — Marvelous Toy by Tom Paxton

How do I play "Marvelous Toy" by Tom Paxton on guitar?

Open the free chords for "Marvelous Toy" by Tom Paxton on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Are the chords for "Marvelous Toy" by Tom Paxton free?

Yes. The chords for "Marvelous Toy" by Tom Paxton are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "Marvelous Toy" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "Marvelous Toy" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "Marvelous Toy"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Marvelous Toy" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Marvelous Toy" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Marvelous Toy" by Tom Paxton with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Tom Paxton below.

What key is "Marvelous Toy" in?

The chords for "Marvelous Toy" show the original chord names (including D, A7, G, E, A, E7). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.