If you go back hundreds of years, two things were very different: 1-Written materials were more labor intensive to produce, and the literacy rate was much lower than it is now. So “Call and Response” singing was a useful tool in sharing cultural stories. Here’s a fun one, just follow me and repeat everything I do after I do it.
THE BEAR SONG Key C
C
The other day (the other day)
C
I saw a bear (I saw a bear)
G7
A great big bear (a great big bear)
C
A-way up there (a-way up there)
C F
The other day I saw a bear,
G7 C
A great big bear a-way up there.
2 He looked at me (he looked at me) I looked at him (I looked at him)
He sized up me (he sized up me) I sized up him (I sized up him)
He looked at me, I looked at him; He sized up me I sized up him.
3 He said to me Why don’t you run?
I see you ain’t got any gun.
He said to me why don’t you run? I see you ain’t got any gun.
4 And so I ran away from there.
And right behind me was that bear
And so I ran away from there, and right behind me was that bear.
5 In front of me there was a tree
A great big tree, Oh glory be!
In front of me there was a tree, a great big tree Oh glory be!
6 The nearest branch was ten feet up.
I had to jump and trust to luck
The nearest branch was ten feet up; I had to jump and trust to luck.
7 And so I jumped into the air.
And missed that branch away up there
And so I jumped into the air, and missed that branch away up there.
8 Now don’t you fret and don’t you frown
I caught that branch on the way back down.
Now don’t you fret and don’t you frown; I caught that branch on the way back down.
9 That’s all there is . . . there ain’t no more.
Until I meet that bear once more.
That’s all there is; there ain’t no more, until I meet that bear once more.
