"The Unicorn" is a song by Shel Silverstein that was made very popular by The Irish Rovers in 1968. It remains one of the best-known songs of the Irish Rovers' long career. It sold 8 million copies worldwide and reached #2 in the US Adult Contemporary Charts, #7 in the U.S. Hot 100, and #5 in Ireland. It can still be heard regularly in Irish Pubs. The lyrics to the song are also printed as a poem in Silverstein's book Where the Sidewalk Ends. In the original version of the song, The Irish Rovers speak half of the lyrics, as well as the part of the 4th Chorus. The final line of the 5th verse is spoken freely without the music: "And that's why you'll never see a Unicorn to this very day". On the remakes the majority of the song is sung, again except for the final line of the 5th verse, which is also spoken freely, without the music.

Shel Silverstein's own version was released in 1962 on his album Inside Folk Songs (Atlantic 8072).

*****REVISED/REFORMATTED March 17, 2019 - SR*****