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This page is about the song. For other uses, see: The Bear and the Maiden Fair (disambiguation)
Bear and maiden fair promo brienne a

Brienne's imprisonment in Harrenhal ironically parallels the song.

"From there, to here. From here! To there! All black and brown and covered in hair!"
―The opening stanzas of the song[src]

"The Bear and the Maiden Fair"[1] is a popular song in Westeros.

History[]

House of the Dragon: Season 1[]

Laenor Velaryon and Qarl Correy sing "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" as they are returning to the Red Keep after drinking together.[2]

Game of Thrones: Season 3[]

Locke and his men from House Bolton sing the song as they make their way to Harrenhal after capturing Jaime and Brienne.[3]

Locke and his men later tauntingly sing the song at Harrenhal when they force Brienne to fight in a bear pit. They stop when Jaime intervenes and saves her from the bear.[4]

Musicians play the song during the reception feast following the marriage of Tyrion and Sansa.[5]

The musicians at the wedding of Lord Edmure and Roslin Frey perform the song during the feast.[6]

Game of Thrones: Season 4[]

It is performed at the wedding of Joffrey and Margaery.[7]

A Mole's Town whore burps out the melody, in attempt to impress visitors from the Night's Watch.[1]

Lyrics[]

A bear there was
A bear, a bear
All black and brown
And covered in hair

Three boys, a goat
And a dancing bear
They danced and spun
Up to the fair

How sweet she was
And pure and fair
The maid with honey
Up in her hair

He smelled her all
On the summer air
The maid with honey
Up in her hair

From there, to here. From here! To there!
All black and brown and covered in hair!
He smelled that girl on the summer air!
The bear! The bear!
The maiden fair!

Oh, I'm a maid, and I'm pure and fair!
I'll never dance with a hairy bear!
I called a knight, but you're a bear!
All black and brown and covered in hair!

He lifted her high in the air!
He sniffed and roared and he smelled her there!
She kicked and wailed, the maid so fair!
He licked the honey all up in her hair!

From there to here. From here! To there!
All black and brown and covered in hair!
He smelled that girl on the summer air!
The bear! The bear!
The maiden fair!

And the bear, the bear!
The maiden fair!
And the bear, the bear!

She sighed and she squealed and she kicked the air!
Then she sang: My bear! My bear so fair!
And off they went into the summer air!
The bear, the bear,
And the maiden fair!

From there to here. From here! To there!
All black and brown and covered in hair!
He smelled that girl on the summer air!
The bear! The bear!
The maiden fair!

And the bear, the bear!
The maiden fair!
And the bear, the bear!
The maiden fair!
And the bear, the bear!

Behind the scenes[]

The producers of Game of Thrones enlisted Brooklyn indie rock band The Hold Steady to record a version of the song, with music composed by Ramin Djawadi.[8] Their cover of the song plays during the end credits for episode 3 of Season 3, "Walk of Punishment".

The Hold Steady were enthusiastic about the project because guitarist Tad Kubler knew Peter Dinklage (they used to play pool together in Brooklyn) and had become a fan of the show through the association. Producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss received the finished version of the song while working with George R.R. Martin in Santa Fe, and the three of them drank tequila while listening to the song. The producers were so pleased by the final song that they have offered Kubler a cameo appearance in a future season of the show.[9]

Gary Lightbody, the lead singer of Northern Irish rock band Snow Patrol, sings the song in the episode "Walk of Punishment" itself. In a cameo appearance, he plays a Bolton soldier in Locke's group who take Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth prisoner.[3]

In the books[]

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" is a somewhat ribald song popular among the smallfolk and the nobility as well. It describes in a humorous tone the story of a hairy bear that, while going to a fair with a band of three boys and a goat, rescues a maiden who was hoping for a knight. The lyrics used so far in Season 3 of the TV series are slightly rearranged from the version in the books.

Book version[]

A bear there was, a bear, a bear!
All black and brown, and covered with hair!
Oh, come, they said, oh come to the fair!
The fair? Said he, but I'm a bear!
All black, and brown, and covered with hair!

And down the road from here to there.
From here! To there!
Three boys, a goat, and a dancing bear!
They danced and spun, all the way to the fair!

Oh, sweet she was, and pure, and fair!
The maid with honey,
In her hair! Her hair!
The maid with honey in her hair!

He smelled the scent on the summer air!
The bear! The bear!
All black and brown and covered with hair!
He smelled the scent on the summer air!
He sniffed and roared and smelled it there!
Honey on the summer air!

Oh, I'm a maid, and I'm pure and fair!
I'll never dance with a hairy bear!
A bear! A bear!
I'll never dance with a hairy bear!
He lifted her high into the air!
The bear! The bear!

I called for a knight, but you're a bear!
A bear! A bear!
All black and brown and covered with hair!
She kicked and wailed, the maid so fair,
But he licked the honey from her hair!
Her hair! Her hair!

Then she sighed and squealed and kicked the air!
My bear! She sang. My bear so fair!
And off they went, from here to there,
The bear, the bear, and the maiden fair.

References[]

External links[]

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