Oh, the scene is wide an- dreary an- the sun is settin- red,
An- the grey-black sky of winter-s comin- closer overhead.
Oh, the sun is settin- bloody with a blood-line on the snow,
An- across it to the westward you can see old Bruin go;
You can see old Shaggy go,
You can see the brown Bear go,
An- he-s draggin- one leg arter, an- he-s travellin- pretty slow.
We can send a long shot arter, but he doesn-t seem to know-
There-s a thin red line behind him where it-s dripped across the snow;
He is weary an- he-s wounded, with his own blood he-s half-blind,
He is licked an- he-s defeated, an- he-s left some cubs behind;
Yes, he-s left some cubs behind;
Oh, he-s left some cubs behind;
To the tune of sixty thousand he has left some cubs behind.

Oh, they-ve pulled him by the nose-ring and they-ve baited him in pits,
An- they bluffed him, an- they bruised him, an- they mostly gave him fits;
But he hugged -em badly one time when they tried him in his den-
An- he-ll make it warm for someone when he comes back East again;
When the Bear comes back again,
When he-s lopin- round again,
There-ll be lively times for Jacko when the Bear comes back again.

Oh, we chased him out of Turkey-I don-t know for what idea,
It took two dogs an- a lion for to beat him in Crimea;
He-s goin- home to lick his wounds, he-s goin- to his den,
But he-ll make it warm for someone when he comes South-East again,
When the Bear comes back again,
When old Bruin comes again,
He will make some dead to die on when he comes back from his den.

Keep a sharp look-out behind you, every way you turn, my lad,
It don-t matter who you might be, for you bet the Bear is mad;
Keep a sharp look-out to Nor-ard, to the South an- West an- East,
For he mostly always finds you where you most expect him least;
Where you most expect him leastest,
Where you most expect him least,
Oh, you-ll catch him grabbin- for yer where you most expect him least.