Teddy Bear's Picnic
"Teddy Bears' Picnic" is a song consisting of a melody written in 1907 by American composer John Walter Bratton, and lyrics added in 1932 by Irish songwriter Jimmy Kennedy. It remains popular in Ireland and the United Kingdom as a children's song, having been recorded by numerous artists over the decades. During The Residents performance of Sam's Enchanted Evening at The Marsh in Berkeley this song was covered by Randy Rose and Joshua Raoul Brody.
History
This song is unique in the sense that it's completely absent from So Long Sam, being one of the only completely new songs to appear in Sam's Enchanted Evening. In the context of the show, Sam, after interrupting "Mack" and giving a short speech about himself, asks if they could play Teddy Bear's Picnic because Sam "Loves that song." During the song itself, Sam interrupts the song by saying what the song means to him.
When he was a kid, he listened a radio show called "Big Jon and Sparkie." In this show, Jon Arthur and his puppet Sparkie would share a story over the course of a 10-minute episode with Teddy Bear's Picnic being the theme song. According to Sam, they would also read the "Sunday Funnies", also known as the comic strips on the Sunday paper. Sam actually was able to meet Jon Arthur, but sadly he was a "nasty old bastard." It is unknown if Jon Arthur was actually a nasty old bastard.
Development
As Sam's Enchanted Evening was a developing show, some differences can be found between the official release and a bootleg of the first show performed on October 20th 2011. The flow of this song Is completely different, taking place before "The Ballad of Davy Crockett." This means that Sam starts the show by interrupting Macks' playing of "Out" first, then he sings "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" where the "Jon and Sparkie" speech is.
It is unknown when this change was made and this monologue was added, but it is presumed it was kept until the show's abrupt end in 2012.
Lyrics
(As heard on the November 10th 2011 recording)
Yeah! That’s it that’s it that's it! If you go out in the woods today You'd better go in disguise If you go down in the woods today You're sure of a big surprise! For every bear that ever there was will gather there for certain Because today's the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic If you go out in the woods today You better not go alone Its lovely out in the woods today it's safer to stay at home For every bear that ever there was will gather there for certain Because today's the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic
Every Teddy Bear that's been good is sure a treat today There's lots of wonderful things to eat and wonderful games to play Beneath the trees where nobody sees They'll hide and seek as long as they please today's the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic
Mack! You know that that that song was, it was the theme for a radio program that I used to listen to when I was a kid. Uhhh uh it's called Big Jon and Sparkie! And uh it was a radio show on Sunday morning and Big Jon was this guy you know who came on with this little puppet and uhh they would read the Sunday Funnies papers to you on the radio. The Sunday Funnies. On the radio. It was hi-tech.
I went and saw Big Jon one time at a show for kids and they let us come backstage and get his autograph and shit he was a nasty old bastard! Mean! Mean man, buh huh huh *cough cough*.
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 Mommies and Daddies Will take them home to bed Because they're tired little Teddy Bears
References
List of releases
List of versions
- ↑ Sam's Enchanted Evening live recording, Cabaret at The Marsh, Berkeley, November 10th 2011 (3:51)