Teddy Bear

Teddy Bear
Song
Artist	Melanie Martinez
Albums	Cry Baby, Cry Baby's Extra Clutter
Recorded	May 6th, 2014
Released	August 14th, 2015
Genre	Alternative pop • Dream pop • Electropop
Length	4:05 (See official versions)
Label	Atlantic Records Warner/Chappell Music
Writer(s)	Melanie Martinez Phoebe Ryan Felix Snow
Producer(s)	Felix Snow
Cry Baby chronology
"Play Date"
"Teddy Bear"
"Cake"

"Teddy Bear" is a song by Melanie Martinez, featured as the fifteenth track on the deluxe version of her debut album, Cry Baby.

Background

On July 19^th, 2014, Melanie posted a tweet with emojis representing some songs intended to appear in the album, with "✨💕🐻" possibly representing this song.

Official Versions

• Final version — 4:05
  • Official instrumental — 4:00
• Demo 2 — 4:05

Theme

The song was written about a child (who may be Cry Baby), likely a little girl. After the child got a living, talking teddy bear, whom she loved, she was very happy, until the toy begins to act strangely. She begins to lose hope in her bear, and she’s unsure if she should trust him anymore, although she is not scared. As the song goes on, the more dangerous and insane the toy becomes: hiding small knives under her bedsheets, crumpling photographs of her, and threatening her. It takes a turn for the even worse after the teddy bear attempts to kill her, and the child realizes she really is scared.

Lyrics

• Explicit version
• Clean version

[Verse 1]
Stitched you up, put you together
With cotton and feather
Gave you love, put my heart inside you
Oh what could I do
When you started talking in your sleep
Saying things you'd do to me
I didn't care
I wasn't scared
Now I'm finding knives under the sheets
Crumpled photographs of me
I'm in despair
Should I be scared?

[Chorus]
Teddy bear, you were my teddy bear
You were comforting and quiet
How did love become so violent?
Oh, teddy bear, you were my teddy bear
Everything was so sweet until you tried to kill me

[Verse 2]
I threw you out, I didn't outgrow you
I just didn't know you
But now you're back
And it's so terrifying how you paralyze me
Now you showing up inside my home
Breathing deep into the phone
I'm so unprepared
I'm fucking scared

[Chorus]
Teddy bear, you were my teddy bear
You were comforting and quiet
How did love become so violent?
Teddy bear, you were my teddy bear
Everything was so sweet until you tried to kill me

[Bridge]
(Melanie sample)
I'm fucking scared

[Chorus]
Teddy bear, you are my teddy bear
You were comforting and quiet
How did love become so violent?
Teddy bear, you were my teddy bear
Everything was so sweet until you tried to kill me

[Verse 1]
Stitched you up, put you together
With cotton and feather
Gave you love, put my heart inside you
Oh what could I do
When you started talking in your sleep
Saying things you'd do to me
I didn't care
I wasn't scared
Now I'm finding knives under the sheets
Crumpled photographs of me
I'm in despair
Should I be scared?

[Chorus]
Teddy bear, you were my teddy bear
You were comforting and quiet
How did love become so violent?
Oh, teddy bear, you were my teddy bear
Everything was so sweet until you tried to kill me

[Verse 2]
I threw you out, I didn't outgrow you
I just didn't know you
But now you're back
And it's so terrifying how you paralyze me
Now you showing up inside my home
Breathing deep into the phone
I'm so unprepared
I'm scared

[Chorus]
Teddy bear, you were my teddy bear
You were comforting and quiet
How did love become so violent?
Teddy bear, you were my teddy bear
Everything was so sweet until you tried to kill me

[Bridge]
(Melanie sample)
I'm scared

[Chorus]
Teddy bear, you are my teddy bear
You were comforting and quiet
How did love become so violent?
Teddy bear, you were my teddy bear
Everything was so sweet until you tried to kill me

Gallery

Melanie in the studio with Felix and Phoebe.

Video

Melanie Martinez - Teddy Bear

Trivia

• Despite being on the deluxe version of Cry Baby, this song is not officially part of Cry Baby's story, along with the songs "Cake" and "Play Date."
• The song's 2nd demo's original file name was "melaniephoebe arrange 2x teddy bear 5.6.14."
• This song was certified gold by the RIAA on November 24^th, 2021, making it the last song to be certified from the album.
• In the song's breakdown, it is possible to hear Melanie sing the lyrics, "Threw you out, I didn't outgrow you", six times reversed.
• Melanie sings "la" a total of 90 times in this song.
• This song was recorded in the same session as "Cooties."
• Melanie collaborated with the company Lime Crime to make a lipstick called Teddy Bear, which was named after the song.
• In the clean version of this song, it only blocks out the line, "I'm fucking scared" once. When it repeats, you can clearly hear Melanie singing it.
• This is the second longest song on the deluxe version of Cry Baby, the longest being "Alphabet Boy."
• This is the second song by Melanie that has a reversed message in it, the first one being "You Love I."
• The official instrumental was leaked on July 31^st, 2020.
• The song was planned to be on the standard version of Cry Baby but was scrapped from it.