Song lyrics to Say It With a Slap (1947) Written by Buddy Kaye and Eliot Daniel, Performed by Dinah Shore and Chorus in Walt Disney’s Fun and Fancy Free
[Editor’s note: Say It With a Slap is, frankly, a weird little song. The concept is, when a boy & girl bear fall in love, they slap each other. The hero of the story, Bongo, has been raised in a circus … And doesn’t know this. And his would-be girlfriend is heartbroken that he won’t slap her. As I say, a weird little song …]
When a bird loves a bird he can twitter
When a puppy falls in love he can yap
Every pigeon likes to coo when he says I love you
But a bear likes to say it with a slap
When a whippoorwill’s in love he can whipper
All the horses neck and all the turtles snap
Every deer and every dove has a way of makin’ love
But a bear likes to say it with a slap
You can ask any bear, oh, there’s nothin’ to compare
With a love tap strong or weak.
So if you’re ready for romance,
And you ever get the chance,
Grab your girl
Give her your cheek
So when love comes along don’t be silly,
Never ever waste your time like a sap,
Let the others hug and kiss
But the bare facts are this
That a bear likes to say it with a slap
Slap, slap
Give me a love tap
Grab your bears and swing ’em wide
Shake their fur and scratch their hide
Give her a slap, give her a cuff
Go ’round that floor and strut your stuff
He slapped her once and he missed her jaw
And he wound up smackin’ his mother-in-law
Now here comes grandpa gettin’ in line
And here comes baby bear behind
Ohh …
When a bird loves a bird he can twitter
When a puppy falls in love he can yap
Every pigeon likes to coo when he says I love you
But a bear likes to say it with a slap.
When a whippoorwill’s in love he can whipper
All the horses neck and all the turtles snap
Every deer and every dove has a way of makin’ love
But a bear likes to say it with a slap
You can ask any bear, oh, there’s nothin’ to compare
With a love tap strong or weak.
If you’re ready for romance,
And you ever get the chance,
Grab your girl
Give her your cheek
So when love comes along don’t be silly,
Never ever waste your time like a sap,
Let the others hug and kiss
But the bare facts are this
That a bear likes to say it with a slap
Slap, slap