A popular song from 1952.
Words and music by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment:
Lyrics
1. With a Ranger’s hat and shovel
And a pair of dungarees
You will find him in the forest
Always sniffin’ at the breeze
People stop and pay attention
When he tells ’em to beware
‘Cause ev’rybody knows
That he’s the Fire Preventin’ Bear
Chorus
Smokey the Bear, Smokey the Bear
Prowlin’ and a growlin’ and a sniffin’ the air
He can find a fire before it starts to flame
That’s why they call him Smokey
That was how he got his name
2. You can take a tip from Smokey
That there’s nothin’ like a tree
Cause they’re good for kids to climb in
And they’re beautiful to see
You just have to look around you
And you’ll find it’s not a joke
To see what you’d be missin’
If they all went up in smoke
3. You can camp upon his doorstep
And he’ll make you feel at home
You can run and hunt and ramble
Anywhere you care to roam
He will let you take his honey
And pretend he’s not so smart
But don’t you harm his trees
For he’s a Ranger in his heart
4. If you’ve ever seen the forest
When a fire is running wild
And you love the things within it
Like a mother loves her child
Then you know why Smokey tells you
When he sees you passing through
“Remember, please be careful
It’s the least that you can do”
Sung here by Vancha March: