THE BEAR

[JOHN NOAKES]

look, I'm sorry to start up a whole new thread, but I've trawled through the entire forum and not seen a single thread dedicated to this song.

Having got all of MMJ's releases I find myself playing this classic more than any other. I keep going back to it! Is it just me? Does anyone else find this one of the most astonishing compositions they have ever heard.  The dark lyrics, the sinister drums, full of foreboding and then the best bit!!!!  The hairs stand up on the back of my neck as the tempo rises to the most beautiful climax to a song I HAVE EVER HEARD.

Jim's live vocal on Acoustic Citsuoca is remarkabe and gives this song an almost religous purity. How can someone, probably not out of his teens at the time, compose something so complex and definitive??????????????

It has been known to make me cry.

There!!!  I've admitted it.  No doubt humiliation will follow.

[loper]

I don't believe it!!!

I forgot to log in!!!

Now everyone knows it's me.

The humiliation!!!!


Incidently,  doesn't Jim (and the guys no doubt)compose the most astonishing, climatic and beautiful endings to his songs.

The ending of One Big Holiday is exquisite.

[antoniostrohs]

Amen,my brother.Totally agree,one of my all time faves

[sweatboard]

This is the song that started it all for me.  I remember the first time I heard it, I've never been hit like that by a song, especially on the first listen.  Was my very favorite for quite a long time and still holds a very special place with me.  I asked a local band to learn it (they never did) My friend said "yeah but The Bear is just an ok average song, you should have asked them to learn another)  I almost cried.  But I've learned The Bear on my acoustic now so Screw them.

[thebigbang]

There's just one thing . . . about their catalog. Most of the songs are so great that every time I listen to one, I find myself thinking that it could be one of my favorites.  The Bear definitely does that to me.

I think I'll start a thread about which songs we do not like very much. Since there are only a couple I don't think too highly of, it will be easier to do than try and explain all the reasons I love the others so much.

[MMJ_fanatic]

I find The Bear "heartbreakingly beautiful and haunting" all at once.  My favorite thing about it is the underlying theme of hope--keep trying for whatever it is you want out of your time here

[EC]

BOYS!!  What lovely posts today!!

Oh, you make my heart ache.  

I was just warming up the old vocal chords in the shower to The Bear.  It is, in fact, astonishing.

And listen, don't you ever think that anyone's gonna stone you for being honest about your feelings about a song on this board.  In fact, bring it on, because it is SO nice to read.

[inertiatic_jpc]

I don't believe it!!!

Incidently,  doesn't Jim (and the guys no doubt)compose the most astonishing, climatic and beautiful endings to his songs.

The ending of One Big Holiday is exquisite.

that is so right, like lowdown too

[TheMadHatter]

I heard it for the first time and was instantly taken to THAT place.And if your any kind of music lover,you know exactly where im talking about.The only way to explain it is like warm water flowing over your whole soul.Ultimate happiness and utter sadness coils up around you but it feels so good,like someone else finally feels the exact same way as you do.

[EC]

YEAH!  Good music is the best thing in the world!!

[MMJ_fanatic]

A truly great song is like a good travel agent--it takes you to a place you had no idea you wanted to got to but desperately needed to visit...

[loper]

An appropriate and beautiful song for the Tsunami Appeal CD.

[Tore]

Yes, this song is one of my favourite MMJ songs. Great! The highlight of Tennessee Fire, along with Heartbreakin Man and They Ran.

[Oz]

Ah, 'The Bear'... I remember, back in the days, when TTF was just released, every week I would stalk the DJ in my favourite pub with requests. The two songs I asked for the most were 'The bear' and 'Come on up to the house' by Tom Waits. Most of the people in that pub hated both songs, because they were too slow according to them, and the DJ hated them as well, but every once in a while he would do me a favor (mostly around 04:00 or later) and play them. Aaah, good times...   ;D

[PapaJoeBear]

 Posted by: MMJ_fanatic  
A truly great song is like a good travel agent--it takes you to a place you had no idea you wanted to got to but desperately needed to visit...  

Whoa! Thats a great little saying! I love it!

On a side note, if I can get all of the equipment I need which is doubtful (but it could happen) I plan on doing a reggae version of The Bear for the next tribute album. Its all in my head, I just got to lay the tracks. Ummmm multi-layered vocal harmonies... ;)

PapaJoeBear

[MMJ_fanatic]

oooo a reggae version of the bear sounds verrrry intriguing

[Godfather]

why does mmj use a bear (song and album cover)as a symbol for the group. other than of course it looks cool.

[sweatboard]

My theory goes back to the awakening ideas, coming out of hybernation, Still Moving, Being Extreamely Alive, etc.

Of course in many images he's flanked by the skeletons, which just enhances how alive the bear is.

And, if you have ever seen the band play live it looks like a bunch of bears up on stage.  Like those bears from the disneyland show on crack or something.  What is the name of those bears again?  They made a movie about them I think.  

[EC]

I know the bears you're talking about, Brian.  They play in a band, right?  One of them wears a hat?  I remember that.  

In one of the articles that Riny told me about recently, Jim talks about the bear image.  Lemme see if I can find it.  

[tomEisenbraun]

i think its in the Guitar World Acoustic article, when they talked about messing around with the taxidermied bear.