Lyrics You Can't Make a Turtle Come Out - Malvina Reynolds

You Can't Make a Turtle Come Out

You can’t make a turtle come out
You can’t make a turtle come out
You can call him or coax him or shake him or shout
But you can’t make a turtle come out, come out
You can’t make a turtle come out
If he wants to stay in his shell
If he wants to stay in his shell
You can knock on the door but you can’t ring the bell
And you can’t make a turtle come out, come out
You can’t make a turtle come out
Be kind to your four-footed friends
Be kind to your four-footed friends
A poke makes a turtle retreat at both ends
And you can’t make a turtle come out, come out
You can’t make a turtle come out
So you’ll have to patiently wait
So you’ll have to patiently wait
And when he gets ready, he’ll open the gate
But you can’t make a turtle come out, come out
You can’t make a turtle come out
And when you forget that he’s there
And when you forget that he’s there
He’ll be walking around with his head in the air
But you can’t make a turtle come out, come out
You can’t make a turtle come out