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"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.
  • Traditionally, the purple wiggle falls 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.
  • 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.

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 2023 summer holiday 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[]

Let's Wiggle[]

The Wiggles (TV Series 1)[]

12-minute versions (Sprout exclusive)[]
22-minute versions[]

The Wiggles (TV Series 2)[]

Lights, Camera, Action, Wiggles![]

11-minute versions[]
22-minute versions[]

The Wiggles Show! (TV Series 4)[]

11-minute versions[]

22-minute versions[]

The Wiggles Show! (TV Series 5)[]

11-minute versions[]
22-minute versions[]

The Wiggles Show! (Latin America)[]

Wiggly Songtime! (TV Series 1)[]

Ready, Steady, Wiggle! (TV Series 1)[]

Ready, Steady, Wiggle! (TV Series 2)[]

Emma! (TV Series 1)[]

Wiggle Town! (TV Series)[]

Wiggle, Wiggle, Wiggle![]

Wiggle Time![]

The Wiggles' World[]

Live from Hot Potato Studios[]

Ready, Steady, Wiggle! (TV Series 3)[]

Fruit Salad TV[]

Ready, Steady, Wiggle! (TV Series 4)[]

Ready, Steady, Wiggle! (TV Series 5)[]

  • The Wiggles Early Concerts
  • Dorothy the Dinosaur's Birthday Party Tour
  • Big Red Car Tour
  • Wake Up Jeff! Tour
  • The Wiggles 1997 Tour
  • The Wiggles Big Show (1997)
  • The Wiggles 1998 Tour
  • Toot Toot Show!
  • The Wiggles 1999 Tour
  • The Wiggly Big Show Tour
  • It's a Wiggly Wiggly World UK Tour
  • Yule Be Wiggling Christmas Show
  • The Wiggles at Wonderland, Sydney
  • The Wiggles' 10th Birthday Tour
  • Wiggly Party: Live in Concert
  • North American Tour
  • Wiggly Safari Tour
  • Wiggly Safari Show
  • The Wiggles Live In Concert! (2003 Tour)
  • Lights, Camera, Action, Show!
  • The Wiggles In Concert!
  • United States Tour 2004
  • Santa's Rockin'! Live In Concert
  • The Wiggles LIVE in Concert Tsunami Relief Benefit Concert!
  • The Wiggles Live In Concert! (2005 tour)
  • 2005 New Zealand Tour
  • The Wiggles 2005 UK Tour
  • Sailing Around the World Live!
  • LIVE Hot Potatoes! (2005 tour)
  • The Wiggles Live in Concert (2006 tour)
  • Wiggledancing! Live On Stage
  • The Wiggles: Live at Disney World
  • Racing to the Rainbow Show
  • G'Day USA Aussie Family Concert
  • The Wiggles Live In Concert! (2007 tour)
  • Wiggledancing! Live In Concert (UK tour)
  • Racing to the Rainbow Live!
  • Pop Go The Wiggles Show!
  • Pop Go The Wiggles Live!
  • The Wiggles' Concert for UNICEF
  • LIVE Hot Potatoes! (2008 tour)
  • You Make Me Feel Like Dancing Tour!
  • The Wiggles Go Bananas! Live in Concert
  • The Wiggles Big, Big Show In The Round
  • Wiggly Circus
  • Greatest Hits In The Round
  • Ukulele Baby! Live In Concert
  • The Wiggles' Big Birthday Show!
  • Getting Strong Live in Concert!
  • The Celebration Tour!
  • The Wiggles Meet The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
  • Dorothy the Dinosaur's Beach Party 2012
  • Christmas Celebration Tour!
  • The Wiggles' Wiggly Songtime! Show
  • Taking Off!: Live in Concert
  • Ready, Steady, Wiggle! Tour
  • Apples & Bananas Tour
  • The Wiggles Big Show! (2014 Tour)
  • Rock & Roll Preschool Tour!
  • The Wiggles BIG SHOW! & CinderEmma
  • Wiggle Town Tour!
  • DANCE DANCE! The Wiggles BIG SHOW!
  • Wiggle Around Australia Tour
  • Wiggle Around New Zealand Tour
  • The Wiggles Big Show! (2017 Tour)
  • Wiggly Christmas Big Show!
  • Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle! Tour
  • Wiggle Pop! Big Show
  • Wiggle Fun Tour!
  • Party Time Big Show
  • The Wiggles Live at the Sydney Opera House 2020
  • Wiggly Christmas Show
  • We're All Fruit Salad! (Tour)
  • The OG Wiggles Reunion Tour!
  • Fruit Salad TV Big Show Tour
  • The Great Wiggly Road Trip Tour!
  • The Wiggles Superhero Tour
  • The Wiggles Big Show (2022 Tour)
  • Holiday Party Big Show
  • Summer Holiday Fun Tour!
  • Hello! We're The Wiggles In Concert
  • Ready, Steady, Wiggle! Tour! (2023 tour)
  • Wiggly Big Day Out Tour!
  • The OG Wiggles Reunion for Heart of the Nation

  • Videos[]

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