Teddy Bear's Picnic

"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.