About The Song
“Teddy Bear” was the only Mann-Lowe tune that Presley recorded, and it is believed they wrote it specifically for Elvis, due to his alleged fondness for stuffed animals. During a Vancouver, B.C., press conference in 1957, Elvis was asked about his collection of teddy bears. “It got started from a rumor,” he explained. “It was an article came out that I collected stuffed animals, and I was swamped with ’em. Actually, I mean naturally I keep ’em because the people give ’em to me, but I never even thought of collecting stuffed animals in my life … I have ’em all over the walls and in the basement and in the chairs, and everywhere else.”
During his final Ed Sullivan Show appearance on January 6, 1957, Elvis revealed how the rumor resulted in a flood of teddy bears arriving at his Memphis home. “We’d like to thank everybody for the wonderful Christmas presents and Christmas cards, and birthday presents that came in. I got exactly two hundred and eighty-two teddy bears over the Christmas holidays. We have the walls lined with them.”
Later that January, Elvis was in Hollywood recording music for his second film, Paramount’s Loving You. “Teddy Bear” probably wasn’t on the original list of songs, but, according to Jorgensen, producer Hal Wallis “loved” the song so much that it was added to the soundtrack. Elvis recorded it the morning of January 16, 1957, at Paramount’s huge Scoring Stage in Hollywood.
“Teddy Bear” entered Billboard’s Top 100 chart at #47 on June 24, 1957, and shot to the top in short order. In its second week, it rose to #4, where it stayed for a second week before taking over the #1 spot from Pat Boone’s “Love Letters in the Sand” on July 15. “Teddy Bear” then settled in at the top of the chart for 7 weeks. (In Elvis’ career, only “All Shook Up,” at 8 weeks, spent longer at #1 than “Teddy Bear.”)
hat summer in 1957, “Teddy Bear” dominated the “Cashbox Best Selling Singles List.” It was the top selling record in the country for 3 weeks and among the top 4 for over two months. It remained on Billboard’s Top 100 pop chart for 25 weeks. It was #1 for all of July and August 1957, and remained in the top 5 for a total of 12 weeks.
Video
Lyric
Baby let me be
Your lovin’ Teddy Bear
Put a chain around my neck
And lead me anywhere
Oh let me be (oh let him be)
Your teddy bearI don’t wanna be a tiger
Cause tigers play too rough
I don’t wanna be a lion
‘Cause lions ain’t the kind
You love enoughI just wanna be
Your Teddy Bear
Put a chain around my neck
And lead me anywhere
Oh let me be (oh let him be)
Your Teddy BearOh baby let me be
Around you every night
Run your fingers through my hair
And cuddle me real tight
Oh let me be (oh let him be)
Your Teddy BearI don’t wanna be a tiger
Cause tigers play too rough
I don’t wanna be a lion
Cause lions aren’t the kind
You love enou-ou-ou-oughJust wanna be your Teddy Bear
Put a chain around my neck
And lead me anywhere
Oh let me be (oh let him be)
Your teddy bear
Oh let me be (oh let him be)
(Your teddy bear)
I just wanna
Be your Teddy Bear (ooh)