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Wiki of Westeros

The Bear and the Maiden Fair is a popular song in Westeros.

History

Season 3

Locke and his men from House Bolton sing the song as they make their way to Harrenhal after capturing Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth.[1]

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.[2]

Musicians play the song during the reception feast following the (forced) marriage of Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark.[3]

The musicians at the wedding of Lord Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey perform the song during the feast.[4]

Season 4

It is also performed at the wedding  of King Joffrey Baratheon and Lady Margaery Tyrell.[5]


Lyrics

The Hold Steady version

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, right to the fair!

Oh, sweet she was, and pure, and fair!
The maid with honey up in her hair!
He smelled her 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!
When he licked the honey from her hair!

From there to here. From here! To there!
All black and brown and covered with 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.[6] 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 whilst working with George R.R. Martin in Santa Fe, and the three of them drank tequila whilst 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.[7]

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.[8]

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.

See also

References

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