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 Turkey, I 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.