Ever since Patti Page sang "How much is that Doggie in the Window," songs about dogs have remained popular. After all, dogs are man's best friend; it would only make sense that we would immortalize them in song. Let's have some fun and look at some of the famous "dog songs" and some of the lyrics that endear dogs to us.
The Fauves, a band from Australia tell us that, "Dogs Are The Best People" in their song by that title on their album Flashlight. Way back in 1965, Davy Jones of The Monkees recorded the song, "Gonna Buy Me a Dog," where he claims that he's gonna buy him a dog because he needed a friend now. Then there was Lobo with the hit "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo."
It's just ironic that the musician Cat Stevens would write a song called, "I Love My Dog." But the lyrics are true-to-life as they say:
"I love my dog as much as I love you
But you may fade, my dog will always come through.
All he asks from me is the food to give him strength
All he ever needs is love and that he knows he'll get"
Who can forget Snoopy's Christmas a/k/a Snoopy vs. The Red Baron? And how many middle-aged people can still sing the Scooby Doo Theme Song? What about "There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-o!" and "Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?"
If you're into country music, you might know "You Gotta Quit Kickin' My Dog Around."
The Byrds had a hit with "Old Blue," with the lyrics:
"My old Blue he was a good old hound
You'd hear him hollering miles around
When I get to Heaven first thing I'll do
I'll grab my horn and call for Blue"
Elvis had a tune called "Old Shep" that told us:
"When I was a lad
And Old Shep was a pup
Over hills and meadows we'd stray
Just a boy and his dog
We were both full of fun
We grew up together that way"
The lyrics to the Pet Shop Boys song, "I Want A Dog" say:
"I want a dog,
To walk in the park
When it gets dark, my dog will bark
At any passers-by
Oh, (oh oh) you can get lonely
I want a dog"
Blake Shelton sang "Ol' Red" with the lyrics:
"Now Ol' Red he's the damnedest dog that I've ever seen
Got a nose that can smell a two day trail
He's a four legged tracking machine
You can consider yourself mighty lucky
To get past the gators and the quicksand beds
But all these years that I've been here
Ain't nobody got past Red"
Brother and sister team The Fiery Furnaces, tell us in their song, "My Dog was Lost But Now He's Found,":
"I kicked my dog
I was mean to him before
I guess that's why he walked out my door
I really wish I could see him some more
I looked under the mats and I asked all the cats
I went to the vet have you heard anything yet
My dog was lost but now he's found
My dog was lost but now he's found"
And then again, some songs that we think are about dogs aren't really about dogs at all, such as Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog," Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog," George Clinton's "Atomic Dog," and the popular song a couple of years ago by The Baha Men, "Who Let The Dogs Out." For instance, "Golden Retriever" by Super Furry Animals is really about a gold-digging woman, as is "Hair of the Dog" by Nazareth.
There will continue to be songs about dogs because we love them so much. There will be silly kid songs, funny country songs, and serious love songs - all about dogs.
