Would You Rather Be a Tammany Tiger Than a Teddy Bear?
Words by Jeff Branen
Music by W.R. Williams
Published 1908

The greatest fighter in this land, you know he's hard to beat,
Is our old fighter Uncle Sam, who'd rather fight than eat,
When he goes hunting candidates there's trouble in the air
He takes his blunderbuss along and loaded too, for bear

[chorus]
Would you rather be a Tammany Tiger
Than a Teddy Bear?
Even though the "Grand Old Party"
Gets the lion's share.
There's only one safe place you see that's dear old Lincoln N.E.B.
Would you rather be a Tammany Tiger than a Teddy Bear?

For years the elephant has been the whole menagerie,
The tow'r of strength and emblem of the mighty G.O.P.
But now perhaps the end has come, of Teddy Bear commands
And Uncle Sam awakes to find, an elephant on his hands

[repeat chorus]

When Uncle Sam goes scouting he's the daddy of them all,
For Uncle Sammy never shoots that something doesn't fall,
So listen for the awful crah, when he brings down that pair,
Ohio's baby elephant and New York's Teddy bear

[repeat chorus]