“If you go down in the woods today you better not go alone
It’s lovely down in the woods today but safer to stay at home”
Don’t blame composer John Walter Bratton if your children are scared by these song lyrics. Composed in 1907, Bratton’s The Teddy Bears Picnic did not actually contain any lyrics until 1932 when they were added by lyricist Jimmy Kennedy. Bratton, an American composer and producer, was prominent during the late 19th and early 20th-centuries. Bratton’s music is most associated with Tin Pan Alley, a term which eventually became synonymous with the genre of popular music produced in New York City (and London) during the late 1880s until the 1950s. Although Bratton composed for such classic musical comedies as Star and Garter (1900) and The Man from China (1904), “The Teddy Bears Picnic” remains one of his most well-known compositions. Its continued relevance, however, might be attributed to one of Britain’s most prolific lyricists. Although the motivation behind the lyrics is unclear, with the help of Jimmy Kennedy, Bratton’s composition has been recorded by numerous well-known musicians such as Henry Hall, Bing Crosby, and Jerry Garcia. The lyrics were also published as a popular children’s book by Green Tiger Press in the 1980s.
But, Bratton wasn’t the only Tin Pan Alley musician composing songs about animals. Harry Von Tilzer, born Harold Gumm, composed “Isn’t She the Busy Little Bee” in 1917 with lyricist Garfield Kilgour. After running away to join the circus when he was still a teenager, Von Tilzer settled in New York City in the 1890s and began performing and writing songs. Von Tilzer’s musical success in the late 19th-century was the starting point for what would become an immensely successful music publishing career. Von Tilzer opened Harry Von Tilzer Music Publishing Co. in 1902 and went on to work with legends such as Irving Berlin and George Gershwin in addition to composing hundreds, possibly thousands, of original songs. Adding to his prestige, it is speculated that Von Tilzer is responsible for coining the term Tin Pan Alley.
To see more sheet music featuring animals look at our online finding aid Sheet music featuring animals, 1844-1917 (MS Thr 904)
[Thanks to Ashley M. Nary, Archival Assistant, for contributing this post.]
