Bestest Friend and I are doing a blog project. Each day we will write a blog post on a pre-determined theme chosen by a random noun generator. The theme for the twenty-ninth day of the month is "Song."
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Recently, I had a discussion with my husband about how there aren't enough songs about dogs. There are songs with dogs in them, but I wanted songs about dogs as central characters. My dog is so central to my life that I don't understand why there are all these songs about cocaine and guns, which play no role in my life at all, but so few about dogs. Here's my list.
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Ol' Red by Blake Shelton - Guy murders his wife, goes to jail. He gets put in charge of training their bloodhound who usually tracks runaways. Guy has his cousin ship him a girl dog and then when the guy escapes, the bloodhound takes off towards his girlfriend dog, not the escaped murderer. I love a story song, I love a song about dogs. I love this song.
I'll Take the Dog by Jean Shepard and Ray Pillow - Classic country song about a couple who are separating. They can't decide who will take the dog, though, so in the end they stay together. It's so good.
Man of the Hour by Norah Jones - Hilarious. She picks the dog over her boyfriend. Look, I get this decision.
The More Boys I Meet by Carrie Underwood - Carrie, like Norah, thinks her dog is better than dudes. I mean, yeah.
Like My Dog by Billy Currington - I've been unkind to Currington on this blog before and I'm unrepentant about it. But this song is basically a rebuttal to the Underwood song, so fair's fair. This guy thinks his dog is better than his girlfriend. Also, there's a dog on the album cover, so Currington wins some points for that.
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Cracker Jack by Dolly Parton - Oh, just a sweet song about a childhood dog.
Feed Jake by Pirates of the Mississippi - The take home point of this song is that you need to make sure you have plans for your pets if something happens to you and you DIE. If I die before I wake/Feed Jake
My Dog and Me by John Hiatt - You GUYS. This is the song we all wanted! Just a guy and his dog living their lives together. Perfect in every way.
It's Just a Dog by Mo Pitney - This is maybe the saddest dog song. Just don't listen to this one if you're feeling fragile. He rescues a dog, lives his life with the dog, and then, well, you know what happens.
I Love My Dog by Cat Stevens - Okay, fine. This is it, too. THE song about dogs!
Those are my ten songs. I have created a Spotify playlist with them. What songs am I missing?
I am unfamiliar with all of these songs, and looking at the artists who sing them, I can see why. The preponderance of them are country.
ReplyDeleteA quick google search led me <a href="http://https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/best-songs-about-dogs/>here</a>, The Best Songs About Dogs: A Tribute To Our Four-Legged Friends. A cursory glance shows that your titles are there as well as a Beatles song (!?) and a Pink Floyd song, too. Who knew?
Sorry--my coding was poor: here's the url by itself https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/best-songs-about-dogs/
DeleteWhat I really learned from this list is that the narrator in "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Ha!" is a dog! Who knew?!
DeleteWait- I'm reading Nance's comment. There's a Beatles song about a dog? I'm trying to think what it is, and I can't. Hmmm! And I say, what about cats? There REALLY aren't enough songs about cats!
ReplyDeleteAccording to the list, the song "Martha My Dear" by the Beatles was written about a dog. However, if you didn't KNOW that, you could read it as just a pep talk to a friend. I don't think it would fit into the stringent "about dogs and not code for something else" requirement I've created. Ha!
DeleteSongs about cats. I shall take on this challenge next month! (Although, I can really only come up with two songs right now that even mention cats, so this might be even harder!)
I don't really listen to country, other than super-old-school country like Kenny and Dolly and Willie, and although I like Cat Stevens I have never heard of that song, or any of the others. Not a one! The only dog song I can think of off the top of my head is Me and You and a Dog Named Blue.
ReplyDeleteRight? And Me and You and a Dog Named Boo doesn't really fit my criteria very well since Boo isn't really involved in any of their traveling hijinks. Isn't it crazy? Dogs are so important to my life - even when I didn't have one! You'd think there'd be more songs!
DeleteI haven't heard ANY of these songs...ever!
ReplyDeleteWell, fire up that playlist and give them a listen!
DeleteI don't know any of these songs either!! But I don't listen to much country! I can't think of any that you've missed that I know of, though!
ReplyDeleteI think dogs + country music is really a good combo. Nothing like a good farm dog to liven up a song.
DeleteOkay, I need to know the genesis of this list. Are these songs you already knew and loved? Or did the post idea generate the list? I have respect and admiration for both methodologies, by the way. I just... I am gobsmacked by the number of songs on this list! You said "there aren't many songs about dogs" and I nodded along, like, "yes, I agree, there's BINGO, and not much else." But then you have A WHOLE LIST. I am going to listen to your Spotify list with my daughter because she will love it.
ReplyDeleteOh! Good question! Three of the songs came to mind immediately (Ol' Red, I'll Take the Dog, and Feed Jake). I did a bit of a deep dive into Parton's catalog because there isn't a theme Dolly hasn't had a song on and came up with Cracker Jack. The others I had to do some research on. I hope Carla does love these songs, but that Mo Pitney song is sad, sad, sad, so be aware!
DeleteBINGO- lol lol lol
DeleteIn the vein of BINGO, how about "How much is that Doggie in the Window?" and "Me, You, and a Dog Named Boo" :D I do not know any of the songs on your list, NGS, going to give it a listen... If you're looking for dog poems, I got you: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/collections/144992/dog-poems
ReplyDeleteI'm scared to look at the dog poems. I'm sure a lot of them are too sad for me!
DeleteAlso, if you need a earworm: "Who Let the Dogs out? (Woof, woof, woof)"
ReplyDeleteNo. Just no.
Deletetoo late
DeleteEverything Reminds Me of My Dog by Jane Siberry!
ReplyDeletePerfect! Added to the playlist!
DeleteSongs about dogs. Now there's an idea.
ReplyDeleteOn a different note, have you read "The Art of Racing in the Rain"?
I have not read that book because I don't read books where dogs die. I know my limits!
DeleteOh that puppy face is just adorable.
ReplyDeleteThank you! She's definitely a cutie.
DeleteMe & You and A Dog named Boo comes to mind, from my childhood.
ReplyDeleteLately, the best song about a dog is from Chris Stapleton: Maggie. It will tug at your heart.
I knew NONE of these. Absolutely none. This is not surprising, as I'm completely clueless about many things related to music. I know what I know and like and... not much else. Not great for pushing one's musical boundaries, great for singing along, badly out of tune.
ReplyDelete