Our title is an homage to one of the greatest bands not yet inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame—a howling travesty! So, first, a bark out to Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night, who recently passed away this month.
We acknowledge that ranking and selecting, by nature, are subjective. One person’s Baha Men is another’s Led Zeppelin. Therefore, you will not find “Who Let the Dogs Out” by Baha Men in our chart. But you will hear Robert Plant sing about Strider.
We, here at Give A Paw Canine Wellness’s Nose to the Ground surveyed a wide- reaching demographic of canines, tabulated their favorites, and compiled this tribute to talented songwriters, musicians, and the dogs that inspired the tracks. The participants have demonstrated a depth of music history knowledge that rivals “Wolf” man Jack!
Scientific testing conditions? None, really. A simple survey containing hundreds of songs generated by our panel of ex-pawts. “Dog” or “Dogs” in the title or lyric? Sure!
Name of song’s main canine subject? Abso-woofly! Metaphors or other symbolic overtures? Why not?
After doing some sniffy time with our list, you are most welcome to suggest songs, omitted here, that would be included in your bone-fide Top 10 Chart.
Go ahead and settle in with a bully stick, and count down with us . . .
“Cracker Jack (Dolly Parton, 1974, Songwriter: Dolly Parton)
Charming song. But can anyone say BIG HAIR?
Once I had a little dog
I called him Cracker Jack
He had a spot around one eye That looked just like a patch His legs were way too long
And he was awkward as could be He wouldn’t much to look at
But he looked alright to me
I found him by the river bank
Just wondering about
He was cold and hungry
And his ribs were sticking out
I snapped my fingers, whistled
When he came, I picked him up
I was just a kid and Cracker Jack was just a pup
I took him home and fed him ‘Til he couldn’t eat no more I took him to my room
And put a blanket on the floor
After that beside my bed Is where he’d always sleep
Each night in my prayers
I prayed the lord his soul to keep
Cracker Jack
The best friend that I ever had was Cracker Jack
But he was more than that A play mate, a companion
He was love and understanding
That was Cracker Jack
The best friend that I ever had was Cracker Jack
But he was more than that
Everything a kid could want I had in Cracker Jack
Cracker Jack would run to meet me
After school each day He’d jump and wag his tail And look at me as if to say
“I love you and I’ve missed you and I’m glad you’re home again”
I knew just how you felt
‘Cause me and Cracker Jack was friends
Through the woods and fields We would often roam about And when we got in trouble We would help each other out
I could run almost as fast as Cracker Jack could run
We had a lot in common and we had a lot of fun
He was always with me when I was growing up We shared each other’s good times
And we shared each other’s love He only lives in memories now But often I think back
To the days of childhood
The days of Cracker Jack
Cracker Jack
The best friend that I ever had was Cracker Jack
But he was more than that
A play mate, a companion
He was love and understanding
That was Cracker Jack
The best friend that I ever had was Cracker Jack
But he was more than that
Everything a kid could want I had in Cracker Jack
“Gonna Buy Me a Dog” (The Monkees, 1966, Songwriters: Bobby Hart/Tommy Boyce)
The Monkees caused the American (and worldwide) pop culture to go bananas! Since March 1956, when the Billboard 200 began publication on a consistent, weekly basis, no one else has had four No. 1 albums in a calendar year. And only eight acts have had three No. 1 albums in a calendar year. The Beatles achieved this feat three times. Elvis Presley did it twice.
Now?
You know my girl, now?
No?
You know, my girl just called me up
And she woke me from my sleep
You should have heard the things she said You know she hurt my feelings deep
I’m gonna buy me a dog
A dog? (A dog?)
Why? (Why?)
‘Cause I need a friend now
Babe, you need all the friends
You can get, I’m tellin’ you
I’m gonna buy me a dog
My girl, my girl don’t love me no how
Don’t ruin my song man It’s the only song I have
It was already ruined when it was wrote Uh, where’s the verse?
She used to bring me my, my newspaper You don’t even know where it’s at ‘Cause she knew where it was at
She used to keep me so contented But I can teach a dog to do that
I’m gonna buy me a dog
You couldn’t teach a dog to do that You can only train elephants ‘Cause I need a friend now
I need a friend now (now), yeah
I’m gonna buy me a dog
A dog, here Rover, Fido, Spot!
My girl, my girl don’t love me no how
One (two), three (four)
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, hike! Hike! (Hike!)
I was late on that one
I just got back from Africa, you know I was playing cards with the natives Oh, Zulus?
No, I usually won, ah, ah!
I wish I had a glass of water
Why? You thirsty?
No, I want to see if my neck leaks
I’d buy a raccoon, but John already has one
Thirty-five bucks
Where do I come in, here?
I, I’m gonna buy me a dog Dog!
A dog hmm! (Yeah!)
As I need a friend now
Yeah, yeah
Boop, boop, sh-bop, bop, ramalama
I’m gonna buy me a dog Want my girl?
My girl don’t love me no how, how Now, now brown cow
I think I’m gonna buy me a dog, yes sir I’m gonna buy me a dog
If I was looking for a word to describe what I’m gonna buy I think dog would be the word
Would it? Would it be dog? (It would be dog)
It would come springing from my lips Dog
Springing from!
Let’s get out of here, come Springing from my
Is that it Tony? Can you turn it off please? Can somebody open the door and let us out? They are coming to take us away!
“Me and You and a Dog Named Boo” (Lobo, 1971, Songwriter: Kent Lavoie)
As classic as early 1970s folk-pop could get. This tune fetched acclaim for Lobo, which happens to mean “wolf”
I remember to this day, the bright red Georgia clay How it stuck to the tires after the summer rain
Will power made that old car go, a woman’s mind told me that it’s so Oh, how I wish we were back on the road again
Me and you and a dog named Boo Travellin’ and livin’ off the land Me and you and a dog named Boo How I love bein’ a free man
I can still recall the wheat fields of St. Paul
And the mornin’ we got caught robbin’ from an old hen Old Mac Donald, he made us work
But then he paid us for what it was worth Another tank of gas and back on the road again
Me and you and a dog named Boo Travellin’ and livin’ off the land Me and you and a dog named Boo How I love bein’ a free man
I’ll never forget that day we motored stately into big L.A. The lights of the city put settlin’ down in my brain
Though it’s only been a month or so, that old car’s buggin’ us to go
You gotta get away and get back on the road again
Me and you and a dog named Boo Travellin’ and livin’ off the land Me and you and a dog named Boo How I love bein’ a free man
Me and you and a dog named Boo Travellin’ and livin’ off the land Me and you and a dog named Boo How I love bein’ a free man
Me and you and a dog named Boo Travellin’ and livin’ off the land
“Luna’s Gone” (Mary Chapin Carpenter, 2004, Songwriter: Mary Chapin Carpenter)
A true story, and MCC informed her fans that the wandering dog found her way back home!
Was it a light only she could see? A gypsy’s spell, a mystery
Something to cause our girl to roam Was it a song only she could hear?
Whispering charms in her ears Causing her to leave our happy home Guess, the light of the moon
Is all we’ve got to go on
Guess, we’re never going to know And she’s not telling no one
Luna’s gone, she’s gone away
All day long I call her name, Luna’s gone
There wasn’t a sign of wanderlust A quarrel, a breach of faith or trust Nothing to give us one thin clue
Her eyes like the moon in a heart-shaped face Astonishing speed, amazing grace
Little wild child, we loved so true Guess, the wind in the trees
Is all she left behind her Guess, it’s part of the plan To know we’ll never find her
You might also like
Luna’s gone, she’s gone away
All day long I call her name, Luna’s gone
The end has come, verse and chapter I’ll miss that girl forever after
She left us now, the way she came No amount of love could tame her Free as the wind that blows Guess, she couldn’t resist
The lure of the open spaces
You won’t find her
In Miami Beach or Vegas Luna’s gone, she’s gone away
All day long I call her name, Luna’s gone Luna’s gone, she’s gone away
All day long I call her name, Luna’s gone Luna’s gone, she’s gone away
All day long I call her name, Luna’s gone
“Dog Years” (Maggie Rogers, 2017, Songwriters: Douglas Schadt/Margaret Rogers)
The title refers to the concept of living life to the fullest and maximizing time during a period of rapid life changes. The song is a “see you soon” to college friends and a reflection on life moving too fast (like “dog years”).
I count my time in dog years
Swimming in sevens, slow dancing in seconds Oh, and I’m the one that loves you
Oh, and I’m the one that loves you
I spend my time daydreaming And sure as the sea
It’s just you and me
Oh, and I’m the one that loves you Oh, and I’m the one that loves you
And if you had a bad week Just let me touch your cheek Oh, and I’ll be there waiting When you get frustrated
I know things are changing But, darling, I’m saying
I’ll be singing you in all of my songs
Come what may
I’ll still stay inside your mind For all of time
Singing, ooh
We will be alright in the afterlife
Of all that is shifting and shaking my system I know your rhythm
And I know, I know, I know, I know, I know That I’m the one that loves you
Oh, and I’m the one that loves you
And if you had a bad week Let me sing you to sleep Oh, and I’ll be there waiting If you start to get jaded
I know things are changing But, darling, I’m saying
I’ve been here all along
Come what may
I’ll still stay inside your mind For all of time
Singing, ooh
We will be alright (ooh)
Not in vain, we’ll still stay the same Inside your mind
For all of time Singing, ooh
We will be alright In the afterlife
In the afterlife, hmm
I count my time in dog years, dog years, dog years, dog years, dog years
We will be alright (dog years, dog years) We will be alright (dog years, dog years)
In the afterlife (dog years, dog years, dog years, dog years) We’re singing, baby, we will be alright (dog years, dog years) We will be alright
We will be alright
“Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” (Led Zeppelin, 1970, Songwriters: Jimmy Page/Robert Plant/John Paul Jones)
For Robert Plant’s blue-eyed merle dog, Strider, the song’s name means “Hill of Gold” in Welsh, the country where the band rented a cottage and wrote many of the songs for Led Zeppelin III.
Yeah, caught you smiling at me
That’s the way it should be
Like a leaf is to a tree, so fine (let’s hear it) Yeah, all the good times we had
I sang love songs so glad
Always smiling, never sad, so fine
As we walk down the country lane
I’ll be singing a song, hear me calling your name Hear the wind within the trees
Telling Mother Nature ’bout you and me
Yeah, if the wind was so right
Or the boat we choose is right
The road we choose is always right, so fine Yeah, can your love be so strong
When so many loves go wrong?
Will our love go on and on and on and on and on and on?
As we walk down the country lanes
I’ll be singing a song, hear me calling your name Hear the wind within the trees
Telling Mother Nature ’bout you and me
My-my, la-la-la
Come on now, it ain’t too far
Tell your friends all around the world Ain’t no companion like a blue-eyed Merle
Come on now, well, let me tell you
What you’re missing, messin’ ’round these brick walls Everybody
Yeah, of one thing I am sure
It’s a friendship so pure
Angels singing all around my door, so fine Yeah, ain’t but one thing to do
Spend my natural life with you
You’re the finest dog I knew, so fine
When you’re old and your eyes are dim There ain’t no old Shep gonna happen again We’ll still go walking down country lane
I’ll sing the same old song, hear me call your name Strider
“Dog & Butterfly” (Heart, 1978, Songwriters: Ann Wilson/Nancy Lamoureaux Wilson/Susan Ennis)
Ann Wilson has said she was inspired when she looked out a window and saw a dog relentlessly chasing a butterfly. She saw the song as an inspiration when things get tough to “keep going after it.”
There I was with the old man Stranded again so off I’d ran
A young world crashing around me No possibilities of getting what I need He looked at me and smiled
Said no, no, no, no, no child
See the dog and butterfly Up in the air he likes to fly Dog and butterfly
Below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft ground, laughing She don’t know why, she don’t know why
Dog and butterfly
Well I stumbled upon your secret place Safe in the trees you had tears on your face
Wrestling with your desires frozen strangers Stealing your fires, the message hit my mind Only words that I could find
See the dog and butterfly Up in the air he like to fly
Dog and butterfly below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft ground Laughing to the sky, up to the sky
Dog and butterfly
We’re getting older the world’s getting colder For the life of me I don’t know the reason why Maybe it’s livin’ making us give in
Hearts rolling in taken back on the tide We’re balanced together ocean upon the sky
Another night in this strange town Moonlight holding me light as down Voice of confusion inside of me
Just begging to go back where I’m free
Feels like I’m through
Then the old man’s words are true
See the dog and butterfly Up in the air he like to fly
Dog and butterfly, below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft ground With a little tear in her eye
She had to try, she had to try
Dog and butterfly, yeah
Up in the air he like to fly
The dog and butterfly, below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft ground, laughing She don’t know why
But she had to try, she had to try
Dog and butterfly
“Man of the Hour” (Norah Jones, 2009, Songwriter: Norah Jones)
Norah Jones, Ravi Shankar’s Grammy-winning daughter, composed this whimsical tribute to her pet poodle, Ralph, underscoring the superior companionship of a dog over a fickle boyfriend. It serves as a lighthearted, autobiographical reflection on finding unconditional love in her pet.
That’s what he said
But I can’t choose between a vegan And a pot head
So, I chose you Because you’re sweet
And you give me lots of lovin’ And you eat meat
And that’s how you became My only man of the hour
You never lie
And you don’t cheat
And you don’t have any baggage tied To your four feet
Do I deserve To be the one
Who will feed you breakfast, lunch, and dinner And take you to the park at dawn
Will you really be
My only man of the hour
I know you’ll never bring me flowers But flowers, they will only die
And though we’ll never take a shower together I know you’ll never make me cry
You never argue You don’t even talk
And I like the way you let me lead you When we go outside and walk
Will you really be
My only man of the hour My only man of the hour My only man of the hour Ruff
“Shannon” (Henry Gross, 1976, Songwriter: Henry Gross)
The Beach Boys’ Carl Wilson with his Samoyed, and friend, Henry Gross, with his Irish Setter, each had dogs named Shannon. Sadly, Wilson’s dog perished in an auto accident. Gross wrote this as a tribute to their Shannon’s.
Another day is at end Mama says she’s tired again
No one can even begin to tell her I hardly know what to say
But maybe it’s better that way
If papa were here, I’m sure he’d tell her
Shannon is gone, I hope she’s drifting out to sea She always loved to swim away
Maybe she’ll find an island with a shaded tree Just like the one in our backyard
Mama tries hard to pretend Things will get better again
Somehow, she’s keeping it all inside her
But finally the tears fill our eyes
And I know that somewhere tonight
She knows how much we really miss her
Shannon is gone, I hope she’s drifting out to sea She always loved to swim away
Maybe she’ll find an island with a shaded tree Just like the one in our backyard
Just like the one in our backyard
Ah, ah Ah, ah
Kong roll, please . . .
“Martha My Dear” (Beatles, 1968, Songwriter: Paul McCartney)
The U.K.’s most famous Old English Sheepdog in the 1960s! And with Spanish subtitles, yet!
Martha my dear,
Though I spend my days in conversation, Please remember me.
Martha my love, Don’t forget me, Martha my dear.
Hold your head up,
You silly girl,
Look what you’ve done.
When you find yourself in the thick of it,
Help yourself to a bit of what is all around you, silly girl.
Take a good look around you,
Take a good look, you’re bound to see That you and me
Were meant to be
For each other, silly girl.
Hold your hand out,
You silly girl,
See what you’ve done.
When you find yourself in the thick of it,
Help yourself to a bit of what is all around you, silly girl.
Martha my dear,
You have always been my inspiration,
Please be good to me.
Martha my love, Don’t forget me, Martha my dear.
“Hound Dog” (Elvis Presley/Big Mama Thornton)
“I Love My Dog” (Cat Stevens)
“Little Boys Grow Up and Dogs Get Old” (Luke Bryan)
“Old King” (Neil Young)
“Walking the Dog” (Aerosmith)
Bone-Deep
