Waltzing With Bears
(source: "Rise Up Singing", Peter Blood and Annie Patterson, 1992.)

Thanks very much to Micki Pagan and Allison Moeck, who helped me piece together this song.

My Uncle Walter goes waltzing with bears,

It's a most unbearable state of affairs.

Every Saturday night, he creeps down the stairs,

Goes out the back door and goes waltzing with bears.

Chorus:

He goes wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, waltzing with bears,

Raggy bears, shaggy bears, baggy bears too,

There's nothing on earth Uncle Walter won't do,

So he can waltzing go waltzing with bears.

I went to his room in the middle of the night,

I crept to his side and I turned on the light.

But to my surprise he was nowhere in sight,

I think Uncle Walter goes waltzing at night.

We bought Uncle Walter a new coat to wear,

But when he came back it was covered with hair.

And lately I've noticed there's several new tears,

I think Uncle Walter's been waltzing with bears.

We told Uncle Walter that he should be good,

And do all the things that we said that he should.

But I know that he'd rather be out in the woods

I'm afraid we'll lose Uncle Walter for good.

We begged and we pleaded "oh please don't you stay",

And we managed to keep him for almost a day.

But the bears all barged in and they took him away,

Now he's dancing with Pandas and he can't understand us

And the bears all demand at least one dance a day.