[Intro: tambourine, bass, handclaps] Fold it once, fold it twice Crown for a king who is ordering fries [Verse 1] I work the Sunday shift from six until the rush goes flat Coffee, eggs, and toast, and a tip jar by the mat Kids come in with sticky hands and menus bigger than their arms I fold a paper hat from a place mat and I pass it like a charm Little crease along the brim so it sits above the ear They leave a dollar and a thank you and they tip me with a cheer Cook in back says I am wasting stock on hats that will not last I say a kid who feels like royalty will finish all his glass [Pre-Chorus] Grease on my apron and a grin I cannot hide Counter is a runway when the Sunday kids arrive [Chorus] Paper hat, paper hat Folded from a mat Paper hat, paper hat Makes a prince of that Sit up straight and quiet for a minute if you can Order what you want, young man, you are in demand Paper hat, paper hat Crown until you leave Paper hat, paper hat That is my belief [Verse 2] Mrs. Ruiz brings her twins and they fight for the same seat I make two hats and I staple each one so the names will not compete Boy named Theo always asks for extra pickles on the side Girl named June wants pancakes cut in moons before she tries I keep a stack of clean place mats under the register drawer Rainy Sundays I go through a dozen, maybe more Manager once wrote me up for "unapproved paper craft" I smiled and folded him a hat and he laughed until he passed [Pre-Chorus] Grease on my apron and a grin I cannot hide Counter is a runway when the Sunday kids arrive [Chorus] Paper hat, paper hat Folded from a mat Paper hat, paper hat Makes a prince of that Sit up straight and quiet for a minute if you can Order what you want, young man, you are in demand Paper hat, paper hat Crown until you leave Paper hat, paper hat That is my belief [Bridge: horns answer] Ten years turn a sticky hand into a paycheck and a car Door bell rings on Sunday and I almost do not know who they are Theo stands there with a toddler half asleep against his coat Says, you still fold those silly crowns? I laughed until my throat I grabbed a place mat, folded slow so he could watch the crease Set a tiny hat on tiny hair and felt the old release [Verse 3] He left a twenty in the tip jar and a note that said "for stock" I pinned it by the grill where the heat will not unlock Cook said, look at you, still wasting paper on a dream I said, some dreams are cheap to keep and louder than they seem [Final Chorus: group answers] Paper hat, paper hat Folded from a mat Paper hat, paper hat Makes a prince of that Sit up straight and quiet for a minute if you can Order what you want, young man, you are in demand Paper hat, paper hat Crown until you leave Paper hat, paper hat That is my belief [Outro: tambourine fade] Fold it once, fold it twice Crown for a king who is ordering fries
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