DOGS GET THEIR DAY ON THESE TUNES

One of my favorite songs ever (no surprise) is “Atomic Dog” by George Clinton, a paean to the canine world. Then a friend told me about “Maggie’s Song,” by Chris Stapleton. So I listened to it (so bittersweet).

So I started thinking: With so many love songs, there should be many written about our best friend, the dog. And there are!  Everyone from Cat (ironically) Stevens to Procol Harum has written songs about, or for, their dogs.

Here are some I put together, with the help of the very knowledgeable uDiscover Music.  Some may make you smile, some you may want to avoid since they’ll make you cry. LMK what I missed.

1. 1. “Atomic Dog” by George Clinton. The first of many dog songs he’d unleash over the years.
   2. “Martha My Dear” by the Beatles, about  Paul McCartney’s Old English sheepdog, Martha
   3. “Who Let the Dogs Out?” by Baha Men
   4. “Maggie’s Song” by Chris Stapleton: About the passing of the Stapleton family’s beloved rescue dog.
   5.  “Old Shep” by Elvis Presley: A tear-jerking classic about a boy and his childhood dog. The song was actually composed in 1935 by Red Foley, with lyrics by Willis Arthur, about Foley’s dog.
   6. “(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window?” by Patti Page: Recorded in 1953, Page totally revamped the song toward the end of her life, for fear that her original might encourage puppy mills. The new version, “(Do You See) That Doggie in the Window?” explicitly shifts the focus from buying a puppy at a commercial pet store to adopting homeless animals from shelters.
   7. “Gonna Buy Me a Dog” by The Monkees: A heartbroken guy decides to replace his ex with a loyal pup.
   8. “I Wanna Be Your Dog” by The Stooges: A double entendre punk hit for Iggy and the guys.
   9. “Ol’ Red” by Blake Shelton: Tells the story of an escaping prison inmate who relies on a bloodhound.
   10. “Shannon” by Henry Gross: A 1976 pop hit written about the tragic loss of a pet.
   11.  “Feed Jake” by Pirates of the Mississippi: A 1990s country favorite about prioritizing what’s important in life.
   12. “Everything Reminds Me of My Dog” by Jane Siberry: She loves her dog so much that she sees him in everyone she meets. One guy on the subway reminds her of the dog, so she keeps feeding him cookies.
   13. “Every Dog Will Have His Day” by Procol Harum: Unlike “Salty Dog,” this song is really about canines. Raunchy.
   14. “Old King” by Neil Young: An infectious tribute to his dog, who used to tour with him. As he once explained, the name “King” was an in-joke; the real dog’s name was Elvis.
   15. “Seamus” by Pink Floyd: The song is named after the Border Collie belonging to Humble Pie leader Steve Marriott, who could howl on cue. A live version, with the borzoi Mademoiselle Nobs doing vocals, was in the film “Pink Floyd Live in Pompeii.”
   16. “My Dog and Me” by John Hiatt: Celebrating the human-canine bond. It starts with “How many times can one dog pee?” and ends with Hiatt and his buddy curling up beside the fire.
   17. “Cracker Jack” by Dolly Parton: The song is about Jack, a sick stray she rescued and brought back to health.
   18. “Old Blue” by The Byrds: The Byrds actually wrote three songs about dogs – “Fido,” “Bugler” and “Old Blue,” the latter a bluegrass number for a faithful friend.
   19. “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo” by Lobo: A good road song, a good dog song.
   20. “Shannon” Henry Gross: A heartstring puller, with a Beach Boys sound – the dog Shannon belonged to Carl Wilson.
   21. “Rover” by Jethro Tull: There’s a whole menagerie on Tull’s “Heavy Horses” album, with songs from the perspective of cats, mice, moths and horses. The family dog gets his day on “Rover.” Ian Anderson is a confirmed animal lover.
   22. “Gonna Buy Me a Dog” by The Monkees: A guy loses his girlfriend and decides to replace her with a companion animal.
   23. “Rain Dogs” by Tom Waits: The gritty-voiced singer identifies with the worn-out, homeless dogs that roam his town after a storm.
   24. “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp” by Led Zeppelin: Robert Plant doesn’t reveal until the last verse that the loving companion he’s singing about is his dog, Strider; he also references   “Old Shep.”
   25. “The Dog” by Rufus Thomas: Thomas teaches you how to dance – kinda like dogs.
   26.  “I Love My Dog” by Cat Stevens and Yusuf Lateef. The singer loves his dog as much as his partner, but figures his dog will stay longer.
   27. “Quiche Lorraine” by The B-52’s: The title dog runs away, but is sporting dyed green hair and designer jeans, so should be easy to spot.
   28. “Snoopy vs. the Red Baron” by The Royal Guardsmen: The RG did several Snoopy songs, but this was the big hit.
   29. “Gulliver/It’s Hay Chewed” by Elton John: A sad song about having to put a beloved dog to sleep.
   30. “For All Our Days,” by Ian G  Music & Media. Found this, and thought it was sweet to include.