The Bear Band Serenade
Pete Renoudet Lyrics
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In the good ol' key of G
Zeke and Zeb and Ted and Fred
And a bear named Tennessee
Zeke's a-twangin' on the banjo
And a-tappin' with his feet.
While bangin' on a dishpan
Zeb's a-sawin' on the fiddle
With a crooked hickory bow
When the spirit moves that bruin,
He can make that fiddle go
Brother Ted is on the corn jug
Now, I mean that bear can blow
He also plays the washboard
With a handle of a hoe
And big Fred's playin' mouth harp.
He plays it kinda sad
He never took a lesson,
He just picked it up from Dad
And li'l ol' Tennessee Bear
Is a-featured on the thang
Sounds just like a guitar,
But it's only got one string
So clap your hands and
Stomp your feet and
Try to keep right with 'em
One sure thing the Bear Band's got
Is real ol' country rhythm
Yeah, clap your hands and
Stomp your feet and
Try to keep right with 'em
One sure thing the Bear Band's got
Is real ol' country rhythm
The Bear Band Serenade by Pete Renoudet is a cheerful and upbeat song that describes the performance of a bear band in the key of G. The lyrics depict the individual bears, each playing their respective instruments, including Zeke on the banjo, Zeb on the fiddle, Ted on the corn jug and washboard, Fred on the mouth harp, and Tennessee on the thang, which sounds like a guitar with only one string. The bears are described as being skilled musicians who play with real ol’ country rhythm, evidenced by Zeke's foot tapping, Zeb's sawing on the fiddle, and Ted's impressive ability to blow on the corn jug.
One of the interesting aspects of the song is that it anthropomorphizes animals, portraying them as sophisticated musicians, which is both humorous and imaginative. The lyrics also reflect the cultural significance of country music, which is embedded in American history and has gained popularity in various parts of the world. The song celebrates the joy of music and invites listeners to participate by clapping their hands and stomping their feet.
Overall, The Bear Band Serenade is a lighthearted song that showcases the talents of a group of bears who play with passion and spirit. It highlights the power of music to evoke emotions and create a sense of community, and illustrates the joy that comes from sharing music with others.
Line by Line Meaning
The Bear Band bears will play now
The group of musical bears will begin a performance
In the good ol' key of G
The music they will play is in the key of G
Zeke and Zeb and Ted and Fred
The names of the four bears in the band are Zeke, Zeb, Ted, and Fred
And a bear named Tennessee
There is one more bear in the band named Tennessee
Zeke's a-twangin' on the banjo
Zeke is playing the banjo and making it twang
And a-tappin' with his feet.
While playing, Zeke is also tapping his feet
While bangin' on a dishpan
Zeke is making rhythm by hitting a dishpan with a utensil
With a real ol' country beat
The music Zeke is playing has a traditional country sound
Zeb's a-sawin' on the fiddle
Zeb is playing a fiddle and making it 'saw' back and forth
With a crooked hickory bow
Zeb is playing the fiddle with a bow made of hickory wood
When the spirit moves that bruin,
When Zeb is inspired or emotional, he can play the fiddle even better
He can make that fiddle go
Zeb has great skill and can create a lot of sound and rhythm with the fiddle
Brother Ted is on the corn jug
Ted is playing an instrument called a 'corn jug'
Now, I mean that bear can blow
Ted is very good at playing the corn jug and can 'blow' really well
He also plays the washboard
In addition to the corn jug, Ted is also playing a washboard
With a handle of a hoe
The handle of a hoe is being used as a drumstick to play the washboard
And big Fred's playin' mouth harp.
Fred is playing a harmonica
He plays it kinda sad
The music Fred is playing is a little sad in tone
He never took a lesson,
Fred did not have a teacher to learn how to play the harmonica
He just picked it up from Dad
Fred learned how to play the harmonica from his father
And li'l ol' Tennessee Bear
The smallest bear in the band is named Tennessee
Is a-featured on the thang
Tennessee has a main part in the performance
Sounds just like a guitar,
The instrument Tennessee is playing sounds like a guitar
But it's only got one string
However, the instrument only has one string instead of the standard six strings of a guitar
So clap your hands and
The audience is invited to participate with the band
Stomp your feet and
The audience is encouraged to stomp their feet as well
Try to keep right with 'em
People should try to keep a steady rhythm with the band
One sure thing the Bear Band's got
The band definitely has something very special
Is real ol' country rhythm
What the band possesses is a very authentic, genuine 'country' sound to their music
Contributed by Connor Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.