“The Teddy Bear Song“
Barbara Fairchild
Written by Don Earl and Nick Nixon
Billboard
#1 (2 weeks)
March 17 – March 24, 1973
Barbara Fairchild ended up being typecast by her sole No. 1 hit, with kid-themed records becoming her bread and butter after “Teddy Bear Song“ made her a star.
So it’s surprising how besides the point the Teddy Bear is to the song’s central message. It could’ve been any inanimate object that the song is centered around, and it would still work, because the whole point is wishing that you didn’t have feelings that could be hurt and a heart that could be broken.
The same basic conceit was executed spectacularly by Tami Neilson this year on “Neon Cowgirl,” and has been done poorly about the Tin Man by genre superstars Kenny Chesney and Miranda Lambert.
This one splits the difference in quality. It isn’t cheesy at all, which is no small feat given the song’s central metaphor. But it’s not terribly interesting either. Fairchild deliver this song with a weariness that sets the mood well but never moves beyond that one emotional beat.
Tanya Tucker covered it for her What’s Your Mama’s Name album and knocked it out of the park, if you want to hear the song reach its full potential.
“The Teddy Bear Song” gets a B.
Every No. 1 Single of the Seventies
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I loved this song as a kid but kind of cringe when I hear it today. But there’s still a sweetness to it that is nice.
It’s a shame she was typecast with these types of songs because she has a nice voice.
Well, like it or not, “The Teddy Bear Song” was of its time and of the Countrypolitan sound that was dominating Nashville back then. And it got enough AM Top 40 airplay to get to #32 on the Hot 100.
Hot take: “The Tin Man” is one of my favorite Kenny Chesney songs.
Also hot take: I think this song is sappy unlistenable garbage. She is one of the least surprising one-hit wonders ever, in my opinion. It’s the same “ultra-sappy but taken dead-seriously” pocket as, say, Ray Stevens’ “Everything Is Beautiful” or, to bring it up again, Red Sovine’s “Teddy Bear”.
I’m sure she might have some deep cuts that might land with me, but boy was this a bad first impression.
I have no desire to hear any ofthose songs again, except for Ray Stevens’ “Everythng is Beautiful,”–but I’d lop off the intro by the “Children’s chourus.”
The song as that 1970s “Aquarius”–“I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”–inclusiveness vibe. Aside from being sappy, the intro contradicts the wole mood by making what’s otherwise a totally secular and universal song explicitly Christian.
And “Beauthiful” and “Misty” are probabl the only Ray Stevens songs I’d ever want to hear again.
“A-“. I love this song but will agree that it’s definitely for those who love 70’s music. Good performance and yes, the Tanya version is very good. I always thought Dolly or Donna Fargo would have done good on this song.
I like it but it’s very 70s with all that entails. I love the old stuff as much as the new and try to listen to it with that in mind. I like how non sappy the song is.
The only other song I know of Barbara Fairchild’s is her cover of Mississippi by Pussycat which I prefer all around over this one, though.
For anyone who might care. I stumbled across a cover version by Jean Shepard. One of the true pioneers for female country singers and I think it actually might be my favorite version of this song.
I’ve only heard Tanya Tucker’s (definitely superior) cover but I will check that one out if it is on Youtube.
“B+-“. I really like this song, but it is definitely dated. Barbara sings it well but it really doesn’t play to her strengths. “Kid Stuff” reached #1 on Record World but lesser hits like “Mississippi” and “Standing In Your Line” are far better songs.
After her charting days were over, she gravitated to Christian/Gospel music where she released some excellent recordings.
The strangest cover of this song: Waylon & Willie on the WWII album.
I agree with those who say the song is sappy and dated. But I always thought the Barbara Fairchild album it was taken from was better than most of the covers-heavy junk Columbia pages out at the time. When it got the obligatory Sony music digital re-release to extend the copyright a couple years ago, I was pleased to hear it stood up well.
I am a sucker for songs about conflicted adult emotions, especially when run through the comforts of childhood. As for the ’70s sonic trappings of the production, I am reminded of a Tom Russell lyric: “You know how to get a cowboy to eat a horse turd?/ Put it in a pie shell.”