| The Young New Mexican Puppeteer | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Tom Jones |
| Album: | Close Up |
| B-Side: | All That I Need Is Some Time |
| Released: | March 1972 |
| Label: | Decca |
| Producer: | Gordon Mills |
| Chronology: | Tom Jones UK |
| Prev Title: | Till |
| Prev Year: | 1971 |
| Next Title: | Letter to Lucille |
| Next Year: | 1973 |
"The Young New Mexican Puppeteer" is a song written by Earl Shuman and Leon Carr,[1] and released as a single by Tom Jones. The guitarist on the single is Big Jim Sullivan.
The song tells the story of a puppeteer from New Mexico, who uses puppets to encourage social and political change. The melody of the song's chorus is adapted from the score of the 1940 Disney film Pinocchio.
It reached #6 on the UK Singles Chart,[2] and was a minor hit in the US, peaking at #14 on the Easy Listening chart and #80 on the Billboard Hot 100[3] in May 1972.