He has written songs for Sesame Street and The Weekly Reader, has starred in an Emmy Award-winning television show for children and has been featured regularly on The Learning Channel.
Polisar works with literacy groups, media specialists, reading teachers and Title I programs in the schools and has won a Special Library Recognition Award for his "ability to communicate with and excite children to read."
Polisar's song "All I Want Is You" is featured, re-recorded and with a guitar/harmonica combo, on the soundtrack for the 2007 Motion Picture "JUNO".
Our Dog Bernard
Barry Louis Polisar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Til one warm summer day.
Our dog Bernard hit the boulevard;
He just up and ran away.
He left a note taped to the door
"I'm tired of this life," it said.
"I'm tired of eating dog food
He ran off with the bus driver,
He's living with her now I'm told.
Spends all his time watching TV,
Getting fat and growing old.
Oh Bernard, Bernard, please come back,
You know that I love you.
I'll let you ride in the four-wheel-drive.
I'll make it all up to you
The song "Our Dog Bernard" by Barry Louis Polisar tells the story of a family's dog who decides to leave his backyard one day and run off with the bus driver. The opening lines describe the life that Bernard led before he left - a simple and mundane one in the backyard of his family's house. However, one warm summer day, Bernard decides to leave without explanation. He leaves a note expressing his dissatisfaction with his life and all the things he's tired of - eating dog food, getting chased off of the bed, and living in the backyard.
As the song progresses, we learn that Bernard has made quite the life for himself since he left. He's living with the bus driver now and spends his time watching TV and getting fat. The chorus of the song, "Oh Bernard, Bernard, please come back, you know that I love you. I'll let you ride in the four-wheel-drive. I'll make it all up to you", is a plea from the family to Bernard asking him to come back home. They miss him and want him to know that he's loved and wanted.
The lyrics of the song may seem humorous and lighthearted at first, but upon further analysis, one can interpret a deeper message about the importance of companionship and love. The song highlights the bond that people can form with their pets and how losing that connection can be difficult. It also speaks to the idea that animals can have thoughts and feelings too, and that they may have their own desires and needs. Overall, the song "Our Dog Bernard" is a fun and charming tale with a heartwarming message.
Line by Line Meaning
Our dog Bernard lived in the back yard
Bernard, our dog, used to live in the backyard of our house
'Til one warm summer day.
But one hot summer day, something happened that changed everything
Our dog Bernard hit the boulevard;
Bernard escaped and ran into the busy streets
He just up and ran away.
Bernard ran away without saying a word
He left a note taped to the door
Bernard left a note on the door before leaving
"I'm tired of this life," it said.
The note expressed Bernard's weariness of life
"I'm tired of eating dog food
Bernard detested his diet of dog food
And getting chased off of the bed."
Bernard was not fond of the punishment of being chased off the bed
He ran off with the bus driver,
Bernard escaped by running off with the bus driver
He's living with her now I'm told.
He has now taken shelter with the bus driver
Spends all his time watching TV,
He spends most of his time watching TV, doing nothing productive
Getting fat and growing old.
He has become sluggish and overweight as time went by
Oh Bernard, Bernard, please come back,
We plead for Bernard to return, showing how much we care
You know that I love you.
We hope Bernard understands how we feel about him
I'll let you ride in the four-wheel-drive.
We'll let Bernard use our four-wheel drive car as a way of apologizing
I'll make it all up to you
We'll compensate and make up for everything wrong we have done to Bernard, if he comes back
Contributed by Mila G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@barrylouispolisar
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@TheCDS4444
Ah, a dog who ran away to "spend his nights down in darkened barrooms, smoking cigarettes and drinking beer." With modern culture's PC atmosphere, Barry Lou would never be allowed on TV now ;)