Teddy Bear (Let Me Be Your) – Elvis Presley

Penned by Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe for Elvis Presley’s second feature film, Loving You, this song, coupled with the film’s title track, claimed the summit of the pop charts on July 8, 1957. It maintained its reign for seven weeks, coinciding with the movie’s release. Exploiting a mistaken belief in Elvis’s teddy-bear affection, stemming from a false rumor, the songwriters cleverly tapped into the fans’ response, resulting in an inundation of cuddly companions. On the day following Christmas, Presley generously donated the amassed collection, numbering in the thousands, to the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.

This musical piece showcased a gentler facet of The King, portraying sweetness rather than sensuality—a potential effort to mitigate the controversy surrounding his provocative hip movements that had scandalized censors at the time.

The television sitcom Full House occasionally featured the song as a lullaby for the character Michelle, performed by the Elvis enthusiast Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) alongside Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) and Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier). Subsequently, the trio reprised their roles on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, serenading the host as a source of solace during his departure from the talk show.

Beyond its dominance on the pop charts, the track also secured the pinnacle positions on the R&B Best Sellers List and the country charts.

In 1994, country singer Tanya Tucker covered the song for her Elvis tribute album, It’s Now or Never. Additionally, ZZ Top featured their rendition on their 30th-anniversary album, XXX, in 1999.

The song found its place in the 1989 Jerry Lee Lewis biopic Great Balls of Fire!, with Dennis Quaid portraying the titular role and Michael St. Gerard as Elvis. Furthermore, it was incorporated into the 1998 fantasy Pleasantville, starring Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon.