Bear in Tennis Shoes

Children’s Tip by Brad Jacobson   Introduction by Tyler Barnes

At the 2010 Technical Team tryouts at Mt. Bachelor Brad shared this song with the tryout candidates and selectors – talk about an ice breaker, group interaction and a good laugh! Apparently Brad sings this songs “a lot” at Mt. Bachelor when out with kids lessons. It’s not uncommon for people to stop Brad and say, “Oh, yeah, I know you … you’re the bear song guy.” It is such a great song that kids of all ages (including 30 full-grown adults at the tryout) can sing along and enjoy!

It’s a repeat song, which means the leader sings the fist line of the first verse, and the others repeat it. It goes like this:

The other day (group repeats), I met a bear (group repeats), With tennis shoes (group repeats), a dandy pair (group repeats). All sing together: “The other day, I met a bear… With tennis shoes, a dandy pair.”

He looked at me (group repeats), I looked at him (group repeats), He sized me up (group repeats), I sized up him (group repeats). All sing together: “He looked at me, I looked at him … He sized me up, I sized up him.”
He said to me (group repeats), “Why don’t you run? (group repeats), I see you don’t (group repeats), have any gun (group repeats).” All sing together: He said to me, “Why don’t you run? … I see you don’t, have any gun.”

So I did run (group repeats), away from there (group repeats), and right behind (group repeats), me came that bear (group repeats). All sing together: “So I did run, away from there … and right behind, me came that bear.”

Ahead of me (group repeats), I saw a tree (group repeats), A great big tree (group repeats), oh golly-gee (group repeats). All sing together: “Ahead of me, I saw a tree … A great big tree, oh golly-gee.”

The only branch (group repeats), was 10 feet up (group repeats), I’d have to jump (group repeats), and trust my luck (group repeats). All sing together: “The only branch, was 10 feet up … I’d have to jump, and trust my luck.”

And so I jumped (group repeats), into the air (group repeats), But I missed that branch (group repeats), away up there (group repeats). All sing together: “And so I jumped, into the air … But I missed that branch, away up there.”

Now don’t you fret (group repeats), now don’t you frown (group repeats), ‘cuz I caught that branch (group repeats), On the way back down (group repeats).
All sing together: “Now don’t you fret, now don’t you frown … ‘cuz I caught that branch, On the way back down.”

The moral is (group repeats), no shocking news (group repeats), Don’t talk to bears (group repeats), in tennis shoes (group repeats). All sing together: “The moral is, no shocking news … Don’t talk to bears, in tennis shoes.”

That’s all there is (group repeats), there is no more (group repeats), Unless I meet (group repeats), that bear once more (group repeats). All sing together: “That’s all there is, there is no more, Unless I meet, that bear once more.”

The end, The end (group repeats), The end, The end (group repeats), The end, The end (group repeats), The end, The end echo). All sing together: “The end, The end, The end, The end … The end, The end, The end, The end.”

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