Descendents is an American punk rock band from Lomita, California formed i… Read Full Bio ↴Descendents is an American punk rock band from Lomita, California formed in 1978 by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson. They are known for being one of the early bands in the hardcore punk scene to sing instead about more personal and comical topics reflective of their own lives.

Shortly after forming they enlisted Milo Aukerman and made what started out a surf band into a full fledged punk unit. Descendents have diverged from their punk peers, perhaps because of the Beach Boys influences, and sang about topics that touched many young punks' lives like parents, food, girls and being rejected.

This band separated due to Milo actually going to college (he attended the University of California, San Diego) just like the title of their debut. This and other constraints have made them famous for their long hiatuses, which are sometimes a decade span in length. The band has now spread out across their country of origin and their future is somewhat uncertain.

Lead singer Milo Aukerman currently resides in Newark, Delaware. He was a biochemist for the internationally known DuPont Chemical company, which is based out of Delaware. However, whenever the end of Descendents seemed to be approaching, Milo popped up again and the band released a new record. Aukerman then later returned to his academic duties in teaching biochemistry. He then quit his academic life to pursue a career in music fulltime.

I Wanna Be A Bear
Descendents Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Got your jourdache jeans
Got your pretty long hair
Dinner and a movie powder your nose
Take their honey for lay
Just like pay
You're just a human being on this planet
You're just flesh and blood like all the rest
You'll get old and have a wrinkled ass

Humans are ses I want to be a bear
I want to shit in the woods
In my cave hunt my prey
Could be you, I want to have food
Burgers not berries
Ladies are women but women are ladies
Got a baited hook you are calling it
Your cherry
You want to settle down

And you want to get married
I don't want to smell your muff

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to the Descendents' song "I Wanna Be a Bear" convey a sense of disillusionment with human society and its norms. The singer is critiquing the superficiality and artificiality of modern life - from the expensive jeans and dinner-and-a-movie dates to the obsession with youth and beauty. The line "just like pay" implies that these activities are transactional, and perhaps that the women the singer is addressing are being used for sex. The chorus then offers a contrast to this society, with the singer yearning for the simple life of a bear, with its primal needs and lack of societal expectations.

Furthermore, the mention of hunting and prey suggests a desire for dominance and power, a rejection of the restrictions of human society. The line "burgers not berries" could represent a rejection of the healthy living and the "natural" lifestyle that many people aspire to, or a preference for human comforts rather than living in the wild. Then, the singer seems to take a specific aim at women, with the line "ladies are women but women are ladies" suggesting a dissatisfaction with the expectations society places on women. The significance of the final line, "I don't want to smell your muff," is unclear; it could be interpreted as a crude joke or a further rejection of societal norms around sex and relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

Got your jourdache jeans
You're wearing your trendy jeans

Got your pretty long hair
You have beautiful long hair

Dinner and a movie powder your nose
You freshen up before going out on a date

Take their honey for lay
You sleep with someone just for the sake of it

Just like pay
It's like an exchange of goods or services

You're just a human being on this planet
You're nothing special, just a regular person

You're just flesh and blood like all the rest
You're just like any other human being

You'll get old and have a wrinkled ass
You will age and your body will change

Humans are ses I want to be a bear
I want to be a bear because they're not as judgmental as humans

I want to shit in the woods
I want to live freely without societal expectations

In my cave hunt my prey
I want to live off the land and fend for myself