# I'm looking for a dark and creepy version of "Teddy Bears' Picnic" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2011, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035 "2011-01-26T09:52:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/1 "2011-01-26T09:52:47Z")
Some friends and I are considering making a film and using a spooky version of _Teddy Bears’ Picnic_ on the soundtrack. We may end up composing our own version, but if there’s an existing spooky, slow, dark, perhaps discordant, version out there already I’d love to hear it for inspiration. Anybody know of any? Admittedly the song is already kind of creepy, I think it was intended to be a little bit nightmarish, in a Roald Dahl kind of way, so that may hinder or help matters. Any instrumentation is fine, though I’m hoping for something sort of Danny Elfman-esque. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Amazing\_Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@The\_Amazing\_Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Amazing_Hanna)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/2 "2011-01-26T10:49:30Z")
Isn’t it [plenty creepy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZANKFxrcKU&playnext=1&list=PLD0B71210ED27717E&index=38) already? I mean, the opening chords… the disturbing falsetto… toys that come alive (possessed by Satan, no doubt)… the theme of “for the love of god, don’t go down to the woods”… and what, exactly, are they the bears going to eat on their picnic? “If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a quick demise…” ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/3 "2011-01-26T11:02:35Z")
It’s creepy but perky. I want the perkiness eliminated. ---
**Author:** ![Kim\_o\_the\_Concrete\_Jungle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ee7513/32.png) [@Kim\_o\_the\_Concrete\_Jungle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kim_o_the_Concrete_Jungle)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/4 "2011-01-26T13:34:19Z")
I was going to recommend Tiptoe by Toys Went Berserk, but there’s no clip of it on Youtube. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/5 "2011-01-26T14:01:19Z")
> [@The\_Amazing\_Hanna](#): > > “If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a quick demise…” Not sure if that was serious, but the actual lyric is “big suprise”, not “quick demise”. Although I prefer your version. It does warn us: > [@](#): > > If you go out in the woods today, > You’d better not go alone. > It’s lovely out in the woods today, > But safer to stay at home. Seems that there is a chance of death by rapacious teddy bear, but it’s by no means a certainty. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/6 "2011-01-26T14:46:03Z")
Just popping in to mention the old radio show [Big Jon and Sparky](http://bigjohnandsparky.com/) which i made it a point to listen to every Saturday morning in my pre-TV years. That was their theme song, but I don’t recall a spooky version. Danse Macabre Night on Bald Mountain Fingal’s Cave Overture In the Hall of the Mountain King all have a touch of spooky to my ear. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/7 "2011-01-26T14:49:47Z")
Wow, I am freaking out. I have been discussing with my brother for several years making a dark and creepy version of Teddy Bear’s Picnic. My plan was to have it over muffled industrial percussion and bass, quietly tinny piano, and a really deep croaky voice reciting the verse in a menacing style; druing the chorus a voice would join in in the background, screaming the words as if in pain. That specific song. ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/8 "2011-01-26T14:59:19Z")
I remember it being performed/sung a few times in the movie **A Zed and Two Naughts** …I don’t know if it was specially creepy, but the movie itself certainly was. Check that out if you are able to. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/9 "2011-01-26T15:14:13Z")
The version in **[The Singing Detective](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1aQfox1F20)** is creepy, but more for the visuals (the music is from the original link). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/10 "2011-01-26T15:35:50Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The version in **[The Singing Detective](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1aQfox1F20)** is creepy, but more for the visuals (the music is from the original link). The comments on that clip are fun! I hadn’t noticed before how much Ricky Gervais and Michael Gambon resemble each other! [![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WckQavBHSmw/RmjEtTdERXI/AAAAAAAAAXk/uKqoGVYFjS4/s400/singing1_gal.jpg) ](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WckQavBHSmw/RmjEtTdERXI/AAAAAAAAAXk/uKqoGVYFjS4/s400/singing1_gal.jpg) [http://cdn.mos.totalfilm.com/images/r/ricky-gervais-finds-his-pru-female-lead-800-75.jpg](http://cdn.mos.totalfilm.com/images/r/ricky-gervais-finds-his-pru-female-lead-800-75.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![limegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@limegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/limegreen)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/11 "2011-01-26T17:01:27Z")
I have never heard of the movie The Singing Detective…and watching that Youtube clip has left me gobsmacked. That was…disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/12 "2011-01-26T17:27:04Z")
Wasn’t that the theme song for “Grizzly Man”? ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/13 "2011-01-26T17:33:14Z")
> [@limegreen](#): > > I have never heard of the movie The Singing Detective…and watching that Youtube clip has left me gobsmacked. That was…disturbing. That clip is from the 1986 TV series, not the 2003 film (they are both the same story). I think the TV series is supposed to be the better version. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Norse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/big_norse/32/9954_2.png) [@Big\_Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Norse)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/14 "2011-01-26T20:09:45Z")
Well, my time on the board has circled in on itself. My very first post on this board was in a thread about the TV show _Angel_ where I asked if there was any significance to the evil vampire singing [“Teddy Bears’ Picnic.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulless_%28Angel%29) I got no response then, but this thread has answered the question for me: Because some people find it creepy. I never thought of it as anything but a happy song about frolicking teddy bears. Now I know. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/15 "2011-01-26T20:14:54Z")
> [@Big\_Norse](#): > > Well, my time on the board has circled in on itself. > > My very first post on this board was in a thread about the TV show _Angel_ where I asked if there was any significance to the evil vampire singing [“Teddy Bears’ Picnic.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulless_%28Angel%29) I got no response then, but this thread has answered the question for me: Because some people find it creepy. I never thought of it as anything but a happy song about frolicking teddy bears. Now I know. Permit me to share your sense of closure on such a thing. All things come to those who wait. If only some of those dead threads of mine from back then (2003, too) would find themselves answered. It makes me wonder once again at what percentage of questions asked and issues raised go unresolved and unanswered. The number of “0 Replies” threads continues to amaze me. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/16 "2011-01-26T20:25:17Z")
Just poking around on Youtube, [this version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqZEKtO-8pc) is creepy but probably not in the way you want it. Unless you need the singing, is [this cello version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utlA9YbVoFY) spooky enough? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/17 "2011-01-26T22:28:15Z")
> [@panamajack](#): > > Unless you need the singing, is [this cello version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utlA9YbVoFY) spooky enough? That’s still too perky, but if it was slower and in a different key it would probably be perfect. Looks like we may have to make our own. Maybe we can commission a similar local string quartet to do it for us. ---
**Author:** ![retterath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@retterath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/retterath)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/18 "2011-01-26T23:54:31Z")
I don’t know about creepy, but how’s 'bout Ska? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/wLV0ISq8DjQ/hqdefault.jpg "Bad Manners - Teddy Bears Picnic") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLV0ISq8DjQ) ---
**Author:** ![pohjonen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pohjonen/32/423_2.png) [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/19 "2011-01-27T00:41:41Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Wasn’t that the theme song for “Grizzly Man”? Why yes, it was! https://www.youtube.com/embed/6OLGs-EoY4s?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035/20 "2011-01-27T01:47:41Z")
> [@Big\_Norse](#): > > Well, my time on the board has circled in on itself. > > My very first post on this board was in a thread about the TV show _Angel_ where I asked if there was any significance to the evil vampire singing [“Teddy Bears’ Picnic.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulless_%28Angel%29) I got no response then, but this thread has answered the question for me: Because some people find it creepy. I never thought of it as anything but a happy song about frolicking teddy bears. Now I know. The band that did the theme for Angel, Darling Violetta, also has a version of Teddy Bear’s Picnic. It’s not really that dark or creepy, though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-looking-for-a-dark-and-creepy-version-of-teddy-bears-picnic/569035.md?page=2)