"Rock-A-Bye Your Bear" is The Wiggles' breakthrough hit and the very first song written by the band. It is believed to be the most performed Wiggles song, being performed at every documented Wiggles concert along with "Hot Potato".
Origins[]
| “ |
I don't know if I should admit this or not, but the classic song Rock-a-Bye Your Bear was written in the bathroom. I was in the bathroom at home, and thought, I'm sure I can write something quickly, so I did: Everybody clap, everybody sing. Bow to your partner, then you turn around... That's all I came up with, and when we met up in the lecture hall later that day, Anthony asked if I'd written anything. I sang the words and melody I had come up with that morning. He completed the song with: Hands in the air, rock-a-bye your bear, bear's now asleep. And so was born one of the classic children's songs of modern times - even if I do say so myself. |
” |
| —Greg Page, writer of this song from the Now and Then book | ||
Listen[]
Lyrics[]
Original version[]
Everybody clap
Everybody sing (la la la la la)
Bow to your partner
Then you turn around
Hands in the air, rock-a-bye your bear
Bear's now asleep
Shh, shh, shh
Bear's now asleep
Shh, shh, shh
Everybody clap
Everybody sing (la la la la la)
Bow to your partner
Then you turn around
Hands in the air, rock-a-bye your bear
Bear's now asleep
Shh, shh, shh
Bear's now asleep
Shh, shh, shh
Turn that trumpet down! The bears are trying to sleep!
The Wiggles Movie Soundtrack[]
Everybody clap
Everybody sing (la la la la la)
Bow to your partner
Then you turn around (Yippee!)
Hands in the air, rock-a-bye your bear
Bear's now asleep
Shh, shh, shh
Bear's now asleep
Shh, shh, shh
Everybody clap
Everybody sing (la la la la la)
Bow to your partner
Then you turn around (Yippee!)
Hands in the air, rock-a-bye your bear
Bear's now asleep
Shh, shh, shh
Bear's now asleep
Shh, shh, shh
(music fades out; cheers and applause)
Taking Off![]
Everybody clap
Everybody sing (la, la, la, la, la)
Bow to your partner
"G'day!"
"G'day!"
And then you turn around (Yippee!)
Hands in the air
Rock-a-bye your bear
Bear's now asleep (shh-shh-shh)
Bear's now asleep (shh-shh-shh)
Everybody clap
Everybody sing (la, la, la, la, la)
Bow to your partner
"Ah, g'day!"
"G'day!"
And then you turn around (Yippee!)
Hands in the air
Rock-a-bye your bear
Bear's now asleep (shh-shh-shh)
Bear's now asleep (shh-shh-shh)
Bear's now asleep (shh-shh-shh)
Bear's now asleep (shh-shh-shh)
Bear's now asleep (shh-shh-shh)
Español (Mece a Tu Osito)[]
Vamos aplaudir, Vamos a cantar
(La-la-la-la-laaaa!)
Salude tu pareja
Y una vuelta dar
Alzar las manos, Mece tu osito
El oso se durmió (Shh-shh-shh)
El oso se durmió (Shh-shh-shh)
Vamos aplaudir, Vamos a cantar
(La-la-la-la-laaaa!)
Salude tu pareja
Y una vuelta dar
Alzar las manos, Mece tu osito
El oso se durmió (Shh-shh-shh)
El oso se durmió (Shh-shh-shh)
The Taiwanese Wiggles (小熊晚安)[]
大家拍拍手
大家一起唱 (啦啦啦啦啦)
夥伴們敬禮
轉呀轉一圈
高高舉起手
跟小熊說 good night
小熊睡着了 (噓噓噓)
小熊睡着了 (噓噓噓)
大家拍拍手
大家一起唱 (啦啦啦啦啦)
夥伴們敬禮
轉呀轉一圈
高高舉起手
跟小熊說 good night
小熊睡着了 (噓噓噓)
小熊睡着了 (噓噓噓)
小熊睡着了 (噓噓噓)
小熊睡着了 (噓噓噓)
Song Credits[]
Written by Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt, Anthony Field and Greg Page, published by Wiggly Tunes Pty Ltd.
ReWiggled: A Tribute To The Wiggles[]
© 2011 Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd.
Recorded at Sing Sing Studios, Melbourne.
Spiderbait appear courtesy of Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd.
Nursery Rhymes[]
Vocals: Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce, Emma Watkins
Acoustic Guitar: Anthony Field
Bass Guitar: Jeff McCormack
Six-String Banjo: Anthony Field
Piano: Lachlan Gillespie
Trivia[]
- Greg wrote the majority of this song.
- Anthony came up with the opening hook, while Phillip Wilcher transcribed and played it.
- Jeff, Lachy or John have fallen asleep after the song, especially when performed live.
- Clare Field was featured in the 1993 version of this song as a 4-year-old.
- Near the end of the original 1991 album version, Anthony is heard saying "Turn that trumpet down! Bear's trying to sleep!".
- The instrumental track has three main versions. 1991-1996, a trumpet starts the song, from 1997 onward, an accordion starts the song, and in the Taking Off recording, it starts with a piano instead. More recent versions have either a banjo or an organ starting the song.
- This song is usually one of the first few songs performed in their concerts.
- It was the first animal song to be performed.
- Anthony or Murray have played the guitar in this song.
- The trumpet heard in the 1991 version was played on Jeff's Fairlight CMI.
- The "yippee!" after "Then you turn around" wasn't yet added until late 1993 concerts.
- On The Wiggles' YouTube channel, the original 1993 version of this song (taken from the Hot Potatoes! The Best of The Wiggles (2010) DVD) was uploaded on February 14th 2016 during Valentine's Day and the Nursery Rhymes version was uploaded on May 4th 2017. Then on January 24th 2019, the Wiggle Around Australia version was uploaded. On July 4th, 2022, the Wiggly Nursery Rhymes version was uploaded. On January 9th 2023 during International Choreographers Day, the 2023 variation was uploaded.
- In The Wiggles Movie, the music presented features an acoustic guitar but instead Murray is playing his Red Starry Guitar. This later happened in Fruity Fun when Wags played the blue Maton Mastersound MS500.
- The 2013 version (which was uploaded to YouTube on July 20, 2017) was filmed in a live studio with a teddy bear mascot who is sleeping at the end until the Wiggles wake him up. This can be seen in the 1st season of Ready, Steady, Wiggle!.
- Since 1999, Wiggly Tunes had the publishing rights in the US and the following year, they got the publishing rights for Australia & New Zealand.
- This is the first song to be credited only under Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt, Anthony Field and Greg Page.
Goofs[]
- On both versions of the Hot Potatoes! The Best of The Wiggles DVD in the bonus features, it says it has the original 1991 music video for this song, but it actually has the 1993 music video for this song.
- Rock-A-Bye Your Bear's song title has "Rock-A-Bye" spelled as one word in the 1993 version.
- During the Summer Holiday Fun Tour!, both Jeff and John both fell asleep and had narcoleptic episodes after the song was performed making it the first time in Wiggles history, that 2 purple Wiggles fall asleep at the same time. In addition, rather than having them both wake up at the same time, they woke both of them up separately with John going first and then Jeff after.
Performances/Appearances[]
- The Wiggles
- The Wiggles Movie Soundtrack
- Wiggle Time!
- 大家來Wiggle! (Taiwan)
- Magical Adventure! A Wiggly Movie: 3 Bonus Songs
- LIVE Hot Potatoes!
- 4 Song CD
- Karaoke Songs 3
- ITunes LIVE
- The Wiggles' Big Birthday!
- ReWiggled: A Tribute to The Wiggles (performed by Spiderbait)
- Celebration!
- Dorothy the Dinosaur's Beach Party!
- Taking Off!
- The Wiggles Meet The Orchestra!
- Let There Be Rock-a-Bye Your Bear
- Fruit Salad TV
- Wiggly Nursery Rhymes
Let's Wiggle[]
The Wiggles (TV Series 1)[]
12-minute versions (Sprout exclusive)[]
- Episode 10 (from Wiggle Time!)
22-minute versions[]
- Jeff the Mechanic (from Wiggle Time!)
The Wiggles (TV Series 2)[]
Lights, Camera, Action, Wiggles![]
11-minute versions[]
22-minute versions[]
Wiggles Time[]
- Rock-A-Bye Your Bear (from Wiggle Time!)
The Wiggles Show! (TV Series 1)[]
11-minute versions[]
- Episode 2 (3-second acapella during the Wigglehouse segment)
- Episode 4
- Episode 18 (LIVE)
- Episode 30 (LIVE)
- Episode 34
- Episode 43
- Episode 48 (LIVE)
22-minute versions[]
- Dorothy's Ballet (3-second acapella during the Wigglehouse segment)
- Making Pies
- A Wiggly Mystery (LIVE)
- S.S Feathersword (LIVE)
- The Train Dance (LIVE)
- Help Find Jeff
- Picking Flowers (LIVE)
The Wiggles Show! (TV Series 2)[]
11-minute versions[]
- Episode 1 (Wigglehouse segment)
- Episode 8 (LIVE)
- Episode 13 (LIVE)
- Episode 15 (Sailing Around The World segment)
- Episode 39 (LIVE)
22-minute versions[]
- Fruity Fun (Wigglehouse segment)
- Shh! Shh! Shh! (LIVE)
- The Gorilla Dance (LIVE)
- Pirate Radio (Sailing Around The World segment)
- Sydney Harbour (LIVE)
The Wiggles Show! (Latin America)[]
- Episodio 3
- Episodio 4 (Sailing Around The World segment)
- Episodio 10 (LIVE from Concierto Wiggly segment)
- Episodio 13 (Acapella during the Wigglehouse segment)
- Episodio 14
- Episodio 20
- Episodio 25 (LIVE from Concierto Wiggly segment)
Wiggly Songtime! (TV Series 1)[]
Ready, Steady, Wiggle! (TV Series 1)[]
- Taba Naba
- Simon Goes Quackers! (LIVE])
- Toot Toot! (LIVE at Wigglehouse)
- Emma's Missing Bow
- Is That Captain Feathersword? (LIVE)
- Slow Motion Anthony
- Joannie Works with One Hammer (LIVE)
- Professor Simon's Musical Challenge (Arabic)
Ready, Steady, Wiggle! (TV Series 2)[]
- Apples and Bananas (LIVE at Wigglehouse)
- Simon's Brush with Fame (LIVE)
Emma! (TV Series 1)[]
Wiggle Town! (TV Series)[]
Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle![]
- Dancing Is So Much Fun (Singing Barbers)
- Numerals Are Nice (LIVE)
- Soccer Fun (LIVE from Yarrabah School)
- Do The Twist! (LIVE)
Wiggle Time![]
The Wiggles' World[]
Live from Hot Potato Studios[]
Ready, Steady, Wiggle! (TV Series 3)[]
- The Instruments We Love to Play (Brief Instrumental Stings)
Fruit Salad TV[]
Ready, Steady, Wiggle! (TV Series 4)[]
Ready, Steady, Wiggle! (TV Series 5)[]
Ready, Steady, Wiggle! (TV Series 6)[]
Wiggle and Learn (2024 YouTube Series)[]
Videos[]
