Teddy Bear's Picnic
Lyrics
If you go down in the woods todayYou're sure of a big surprise.If you go down in the woods todayYou'd better go in disguise!For every bear that ever there wasWill gather there for certain, becauseToday's the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic.
Picnic time for Teddy Bears,The little Teddy Bears are having a lovely time today.Watch them, catch them unawares,And see them picnic on their holiday.See them gaily gad about.They love to play and shout;They never have any cares.At six o'clock their Mummies and DaddiesWill take them home to bedBecause they're tired little Teddy Bears.
If you go down in the woods todayYou'd better not go alone.It's lovely down in the woods today,But safer to stay at home!For every bear that ever there wasWill gather there for certain, becauseToday's the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic.
(Chorus repeats)
Every Teddy Bear who's been goodIs sure of a treat today.There's lots of marvelous things to eatAnd wonderful games to play.Beneath the trees where nobody seesThey'll hide and seek as long as they please'Cause that's the way the Teddy Bears have their picnic.
(Chorus repeats)
History and Meaning
"The Teddy Bears' Picnic" was assembled backwards. The tune came first, an instrumental ragtime march from 1907, and the famous words, about bears gathering secretly in the woods, were not added until 1932, a quarter of a century later.
Origins
The famous melody was originally composed in 1907 by American ragtime composer John Walter Bratton. It was published as an instrumental piece under the title "The Teddy Bear Two-Step." The music was written to cash in on the massive popularity of teddy bears, which had become a toy sensation following a famous cartoon about President Theodore Roosevelt.
In 1932, the Northern Irish songwriter Jimmy Kennedy wrote the whimsical lyrics to accompany Bratton's melody. Kennedy's lyrics transformed the lively instrumental march into a narrative song about teddy bears gathering for a secret woodland party. That same year, the song was recorded by Henry Hall and his BBC Dance Orchestra, featuring Val Rosing on vocals. This recording became a huge success in the United Kingdom and helped popularize the song internationally.
Meaning & Interpretation
The lyrics portray a gentle, imaginative world where children's toys come to life and play together in the forest when humans are not looking. The song warns children to stay at home or "go in disguise" if they visit the woods, creating a playful sense of mystery.
Musically, the song transitions from a suspenseful, minor-key verse to a bright, major-key chorus, mimicking the transition from walking cautiously through the woods to joining the joyful picnic. Today, the song is a favorite for early childhood sing-alongs and puppet shows.
Who wrote the lyrics to Teddy Bears' Picnic?
The lyrics were written in 1932 by the Irish songwriter Jimmy Kennedy. The music itself was composed earlier in 1907 by the American composer John Walter Bratton, as an instrumental ragtime tune.
When was the melody of Teddy Bears' Picnic composed?
The melody was composed in 1907 by John Walter Bratton as "The Teddy Bear Two-Step," an instrumental march inspired by the early twentieth-century teddy bear toy craze.
Music Video
Lyrics from nurseryrhymes.info