About The Song
“Teddy Bear Song” was written by Don Earl and Nick Nixon and recorded by Barbara Fairchild in June 1972. Produced by Jerry Crutchfield for Columbia Records, the single was released in December of that year with “(You Make Me Feel Like) Singing a Song” as the B-side. It appeared on her album *A Sweeter Love* and quickly became the breakthrough hit of her career.
The record reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in March 1973 and held the top position for two weeks. It also crossed over to the pop market, peaking at number thirty-two on the Billboard Hot 100. In Canada the song topped the country chart as well. The success earned Fairchild a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Female the following year.
The lyric presents a woman reflecting on a painful breakup and the emotional toll of adult relationships. She imagines herself as a teddy bear on a department-store shelf—complete with button eyes, a red felt nose, and a sewed-on smile—free from dreams, regrets, or the capacity to be hurt. The refrain “I wish I was a teddy bear” captures a desire to escape the complications of love by returning to a simple, unfeeling object of childhood comfort.
Fairchild’s clear, straightforward delivery and the polished early-1970s country production gave the song broad appeal. The childhood imagery stood out on country radio at a time when many hits focused on more conventional adult themes. The record’s success led to a series of similarly themed follow-ups, including the top-ten hit “Kid Stuff,” which continued to explore memory and emotional vulnerability through a childlike lens.
Prior to “Teddy Bear Song,” Fairchild had scored several modest country hits after signing with Columbia in the late 1960s. The number-one success of this single elevated her profile nationally and defined her public image for much of the decade. Although she continued to chart through the mid-1970s, none of her later releases matched the commercial impact of her signature recording.
Within the country music of the early 1970s, Barbara Fairchild’s “Teddy Bear Song” remains a distinctive hit. Its combination of a memorable concept, strong chart performance, and lasting association with the artist has kept it among the more recognizable country singles of its time.
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Lyric
I wish I had button eyes and a red felt nose
Shaggy cotton skin and just one set of clothes
Sitting on a shelf in a local department store
With no dreams to dream and nothing to be sorry for
I wish I was a Teddy Bear
Not living or loving or going nowhere
I wish I was a Teddy Bear
And I’m wishing that I hadn’t fallen in love with you
I wish I had a wooden heart and a sawdust smile
Then your memory wouldn’t come around hurting all the time
I’d have a sewed on smile and a pretty twinkle in my eye
And I never would have ever had to learn how to cry
I wish I was a Teddy Bear
Not living or loving or going nowhere
I wish I was a Teddy Bear
And I’m wishing that I hadn’t fallen in love with you
I wish I had a string you could pull to make me say
“Hi, I’m Teddy, ain’t it a lovely day”
Then I’d know every time I spoke the words were lies
And no one would know the mess I made of my life
I wish I was a Teddy Bear
Not living or loving or going nowhere
I wish I was a Teddy Bear
And I’m wishing that I hadn’t fallen in love with you
And I’m wishing that I hadn’t fallen in love with you