Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear

About Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear

"Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear" is a song written by Randy Newman, about a sincere young man of modest means named Simon Smith who entertains affluent ("well-fed") members of the public with his dancing bear. Newman later said the song was a major stepping point in his writing style. "That was the first one I wrote like that. I was writing a song, believe it or not, for Frank Sinatra Jr. And it was called something like “Susie” or “Mary” and I just all of a sudden couldn't do it. So I ended up somewhere with “coat to wear” and “dancing bear”. There I was, and I just sort of followed it on. And then I was never the same. And I never wrote particularly conventional songs after that."While Frank Sinatra Jr. never recorded the finished song, it was popularized in the UK by the Alan Price Set under the title "Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear", reaching #4 on the Record Retailer chart in 1967. Randy Newman recorded his own version for his 1972 album Sail Away. The song has also been covered by such diverse artists as Harry Nilsson, Morrissey, Harpers Bizarre, Bobby Short, Akiko Yano, and Okkervil River. more »

Year:

1998

2:03

124 Views

Playlists:

#2

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I may go out tomorrow if I can borrow a coat to wear
Oh  I'd step out in style with my sincere smile and my dancing bear
Outrageous  alarming  courageous  charming
Oh  who would think a boy and bear
Could be well accepted everywhere
It's just amazing how fair people can be

Seen at the nicest places where well fed faces all stop to stare
Making the grandest entrance is Simon Smith and his dancing bear
They'll love us, won't they?
They feed us, don't they?
Oh, who would think a boy and bear
Could be well accepted everywhere
It's just amazing how fair people can be

Who needs money when you're funny?

The big attraction everywhere
Will be Simon Smith and his dancing bear
It's Simon Smith and the amazing dancing bear

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Randy Newman

Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter,arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant (and often satirical) pop songs and for film scores. more »

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