Oh, the scene is wide an dreary an the sun is settin red,
An the grey-black sky of winters comin closer overhead.
Oh, the sun is settin bloody with a blood-line on the snow,
An across it to the westward you can see old Bruin go;
You can see old Shaggy go,
You can see the brown Bear go,
An hes draggin one leg arter, an hes travellin pretty slow.
We can send a long shot arter, but he doesnt seem to know
Theres a thin red line behind him where its dripped across the snow;
He is weary an hes wounded, with his own blood hes half-blind,
He is licked an hes defeated, an hes left some cubs behind;
Yes, hes left some cubs behind;
Oh, hes left some cubs behind;
To the tune of sixty thousand he has left some cubs behind.
Oh, theyve pulled him by the nose-ring and theyve baited him in pits,
An they bluffed him, an they bruised him, an they mostly gave him fits;
But he hugged em badly one time when they tried him in his den
An hell make it warm for someone when he comes back East again;
When the Bear comes back again,
When hes lopin round again,
Therell be lively times for Jacko when the Bear comes back again.
Oh, we chased him out of TurkeyI dont know for what idea,
It took two dogs an a lion for to beat him in Crimea;
Hes goin home to lick his wounds, hes goin to his den,
But hell make it warm for someone when he comes South-East again,
When the Bear comes back again,
When old Bruin comes again,
He will make some dead to die on when he comes back from his den.
Keep a sharp look-out behind you, every way you turn, my lad,
It dont matter who you might be, for you bet the Bear is mad;
Keep a sharp look-out to Norard, to the South an West an East,
For he mostly always finds you where you most expect him least;
Where you most expect him leastest,
Where you most expect him least,
Oh, youll catch him grabbin for yer where you most expect him least.