Hi All,

So, one thing that I have learned over the years listening to music is that, especially with lyrics, you have to listen very carefully! Often times, a song recorded in C with a positive upbeat tempo may simply be a safety net for lyrical content of a darker nature. Some will get it, most simply aren’t paying attention…

My quandary begins as such: while listening to a 78rpm from 1932 of Henry Hall’s recording of THE TEDDY BEARS PICNIC, a couple of things got me thinking…

If you go down in the woods today,
You better not go alone,
It’s lovely down in the woods today,
But safer to stay at home,

Yeah, I know we are talking about a picnic or party here, but having heard that verse, what kind of picnic exactly? That verse almost does not even belong if this song is really about a children’s party or some other gathering… Is this a metaphorical picnic of sorts and the bears represent a person, place, or thing?

Now, my main question would be…what “politically” was going on in the world around 1932 when these lyrics were conceived by the lyricist…regardless that you sang this in school as a child or whatever, something is not clear. The U.S. was in the midst of a depression but the lyricist of this song was an Irish man not living in the states…what was he experiencing at the time?

See them gaily dance about,
They love to play and shout,
And 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.

Is this a statement about blindness to a critical situation or some type of social/political reference? See the poor in the streets while you white collar’s picnic and have a good time oblivious to what’s happening? My mind can’t help but wonder what is going on here. One has to remember the song was not originally meant to be a children’s song. Like a lot of songs some of us sang in school, they were never intended to be for children. Jimmy Crack Corn being one example…My mastas’ gone away…That’s real nice!

I know there are often misconceptions about songs. A prime example is the stoners of the 60’s and 70’s that were just convinced that PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON was about smoking dope. Well, anyone with an education could listen to that song and see that it’s simply a tail about the loss of childhood. Puff the Magic Dragon being the metaphor for Childhood and Jackie Paper being the little boy that will eventually leave puff (childhood) behind.

Anyways, please feel free to share your comments and opinions about this. It’s always fun to see what others are taking away from their musical experiences. An open forum like this can be a lot of fun so jump in…

Joey