The Bear and the Maiden Fair (song)

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

Season 3
Locke and his men sing the song as they make their way to Harrenhal after capturing Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth.

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

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 it 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!

Chorus version
He lifted her high in the air,

He sniffed and roared and smelled her there,

She kicked him, veiled the maid so fair,

but he licked the honey from her hair.

From there to hear, from here to there.

All black and brown and cowered with hair,

He smelled that girl in summer air,

''The bear! The bear! and the maiden fair.''

Video




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. Their cover of the song plays during the end credits for episode 3 of Season 3, "Walk of Punishment".

Gary Lightbody, the lead singer of British 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.

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.

Book version
A bear there was, a bear, a bear!

All black and brown, and covered with hair!

''The bear! The bear!''

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!

''The fair! The fair!''

[...]

Oh, sweet she was, and pure, and fair!

The maid with honey in her hair!

''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.