"Bears" by Doug Newman (original song) and Yosemite

These are some video shots of Yosemite National Park that I took on a trip I took this summer. I wrote "Bears" while I was camping in the area around Mammoth Lakes, California in the Eastern Sierras on the same trip. I did see one bear alongside the road when I was riding the tour bus n the Yosemite Valley Park. When I was there half the park was obscured by smoke - not Yosemite Valley though, from a prescribed burn that was going on. I heard the burn got out of hand though and jumped a line so I don't know how much of the park is left to see right now. I'm just kidding, I'm sure most of it's still there. I'm using an open E tuning on the mandolin. I should also mention that I realized about a year after I wrote the tune that the chorus' melody is the same as the old Appalachian standard "Cindy, Cindy" that's been covered by a lot of people like Merle Haggard and Johnie Cash, so I can't claim credit for that.

8/10 note: I've got some new lyrics for "Bears" that I came up with a while back (not sung here). I've posted new takes of the song with the new lyrics here at my channel too. Here are the new lyrics:

Bears

Bears in the bushes
Bears in the trees
Bears thinkin' they're gonna get some food outta me

Bears in the bushes
Bears in the trees
Daggum you ole' bears ain't gettin' no food outta me

Get along bears in the bushes
Get along bears in the trees
Get along bears in the bushes
You ain't gonna get no food from me

Bears in the bushes
Bears in the trees
Bears thinkin' they're gonna get some food outta me

Interlude

Bears got my peaches
Bears got my peas
Looks like them ole bears done got some food out of me

Bears ate my chicken
Bears ate my cheese
Da gum you ole' bears
You even licked up all of my grease

Get along bears in the bushes
Get along bears in the trees
Get along bears in the bushes
You ain't gettin' no mo' food outta' me

Bears in the bushes
Bears in the trees
Daggum you ole' bears
Ain't gettin' mo' food outta me

Get along bears
Get along bears

by Doug Newman
© 2009/2010 Sandthistle Music / ASCAP

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Doug
• Newman
• Yosemite
• National
• Park
• Bears
• Rogue
• Mandolin
• Original
• Bluegrass
• Folk
• Eastern
• Sierra
• Mountain
• Range
• Mammoth
• Lakes
• California
• travel log
• photography
• nature
• hiking

[dgnewman1]

Thanks Bro! I'll have to carefully check the footage to see if I can spot any myself.

[dwightonew]

This song is destined for the campfires of Winfield---it cries out like a mythic Siren to fiddle and jug, to flat pick and banjo, "Come! Play! Play until the bear eats you!" Seeing as how there are no bears in Winfield, the song could be played, perhaps, all night long. On a side note, after careful review, I believe I spotted no less than five bears in your video footage.

[dgnewman1]

Thanks!

[ComfortInnBishop]

"Bears in the bushes, Bears in the trees" I'll be singing that song all day. I hope our guests don't mind. Cute song, great video, thanks for sharing.