I’d Rather be a Bear

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What’s not to like? Bears get to eat a lot, get fat, and then sleep the winter months away. Their enviable lifestyle is rounded out by laying in the sun all summer and then going back to bed when it gets cold. A gentle pizzicato bass line keeps this song bouncing along. The melody includes an echo of the melody line, or the opportunity for singers to try “bear-voice impersonations.”

The legato chorus is a pleasant stylistic contrast while maintaining the “call and response” style of the verses. This is a perfect song for mixed skill-level groups, classroom singers and anyone who wants a song that is both entertaining for the singers and their listening audience.

Listen to the Donna & Andy performance track:

Download Includes:

  • Vocal score
  • Director/piano score
  • Lyrics
  • Accompaniment – with melody guide
  • Accompaniment – piano
  • Donna & Andy band – instrumental track
  • Donna & Andy – performance track
  • Colouring page

I'd Rather be a Bear

Audio & Lyrics

Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the accompaniment with melody guide for I'd Rather be a Bear.

I'd Rather be a Bear - composed by Donna Rhodenizer - lyrics - SAMPLE

Part of a Song Collection

I'd Rather be a Bear is part of the award winning song collection "Blue Skies and Pirates" Click the link to see more about this fun collection for elementary-aged kids, choirs and solo vocal students. The 110-page book provides the vocal score, full score and separate lyrics pages for 12 songs. Enjoy! 

Please note: audio tracks for the e-book version are sold separately. Print copies include CD (24 tracks)

Stream or Purchase audio tracks

Stream or Purchase from many streaming sites including:   Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, Deezer.

The Blue Skies and Pirates  CD (Donna & Andy performance and instrumental) tracks (24) are available for download or physical CD on this website.

Colouring Page - download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you listen to the song I'd Rather be a Bear. Enjoy 35 more colouring pages when you get a "Top of the Class" Donna & Andy Membership.

I'd Rather be a Bear - coloring page

Composer's Notes

I’d Rather be a Bear

I had made plans to run some errands, but the day was cold and snowy. As I looked out the window I debated whether or not it was worth venturing out into the cold or if I should wait for a different, and hopefully warmer, day. I wondered if it was an option to avoid the cold completely by staying in my nice, warm house until spring arrived. Hmmm. Bears get to do that!  They go to sleep in the fall when the weather starts to get cold, they sleep all winter, and they wake up in the lovely spring weather. If a bear is awakened from its winter sleep, it might be grumpy and nobody says, “Stop being a grump!” It is just accepted as a characteristic of their personality. Bears also get to eat all summer and get fat – on purpose! And they get to wear a lovely fur coat wherever they go. Seems to me, a bear has a pretty good life! This wintery thought process inspired the song, I’d Rather be a Bear.

The recording process brought another fun element to this song. The sung phrase, “I’d rather be a bear” is echoed by a spoken response. Andy and I had a great time thinking of different ways to do the echoes. We thought about recording multiple tracks and changing our voices each time to create a group response. Then we had a super idea! We had 8-10 musicians lined up to play on the recording to create our band backing tracks. As each instrumental musician came into the studio, we requested that they would say the line, “I’d rather be a bear” so we could record it and add the voices together to create our group of bears. At first, the musicians were hesitant, but once they started adding their “bear voice impersonations” they had a blast trying to make their bear voice sound different than everyone else’s. You can hear the end result in the Donna & Andy performance track for I’d Rather be a Bear. It turned out to be one of our favourite tracks on the Blue Skies and Pirates  CD.

You're Invited

When you have enjoyed singing this song and doing the activities with your students - please drop by again and leave a Review on this page. Thanks!

Please send us your performing video - we might be able to post it on this page!

Included in this 

12 Song Collection

Blue Skies and Pirates - Song Collection - by Donna Rhodenizer
3 Songbooks - by Donna Rhodenizer and Andy Duinker (Donna & Andy)

Related Products: Ages 10 and under

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My Treehouse
Mister Santa, I’ve Been Good
Listen Friends
Jolly Sailors
Jiggle Wiggle Freeze
It’s Raining Cats and Dogs
I’m Gonna Build a Snowman
I Need a Home for my Dinosaur
How Do You Say Hello to a Ghost?
Hey Santa, Ho Santa
Garden Symphony
Four Snow Friends
Five Little Snowflakes
Father Christmas & In the Winter
Ed the Invisible Dragon
Christmas Recipe
Christmas Pudding
Christmas A to Z
Bedtime Tango
Because
A Gift for Me
5 Valentine Singing Games
5 New Singing Games
5 Halloween Songs
4 Dances

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A3 – D5

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