Songs get written about all sorts of weird things. And normal things of course. Love, peace, rockin’, beer, being the best, dancing … some of the old favourites. But then you have really strange subjects for lyrics, subjects that make you wonder how someone ever came up with the idea, or thought it would work in a song? And sometimes, despite that, it does. Sometimes of course it doesn’t.
This section ain’t about how successful or otherwise a song is, but simply about how out-there the subject matter is. There’s no shortage of strange song titles and strange lyrics, but this one has always intrigued me. Even though I loved the song as a kid, and still do, it seems the most offbeat sort of thng to write about. Of course it isn’t: I’m sure there are far weirder songs out there. But it’s as good a place as any to start, and it’s the one that made me think of writing this section.
Love me love my dog --- Peter Shelley --- 1975 (Magnet)
This guy may have been a one, or two-hit wonder, but let’s just give him credit for what he did for music. Not the above song: that I’ll come to. But as a talent scout for Magnet Records in the seventies he not only discovered the basic elements of King Crimson, but signed Chris Rea and also created the whole persona of Alvin Stardust. The man worked, I tell you!
But to the abovementioned. It’s not really a choice you give any woman --- or man --- now is it? It’s not so much a case of “Me or the dog”, more “Me AND the dog or no me”. I’m not certain I’d see any woman being emotionally blackmailed like that and giving in. Some people just hate dogs (bastards) or are afraid of them. Many women don’t like them because they mess up their tidy home (fifties reference ahoy!) and then of course there’s the noise of the barking. Not to mention the vet bills, though we assume Shelley would have stumped up for those himself. He’s hardly likely to have said “Look honey I want to keep my dog. Oh, and I want you to help with the vet bills!” A little too much I would think for any woman.
The song is of course at its heart the tale of a man who can’t bear to part with his best friend. It’s made clear in the lyric that he laid this out when he and the unnamed girlfriend got together, but now she’s having second thoughts and he’s saying, look, me and Rover here come as a package. Dump one of us, you dump both. Seems at the end he may regret that, as she doesn’t back down and he leaves, doggie in tow. Ahhh!
You can look at it two ways I suppose. Firstly it’s a man who loves his pet so much that he can’t bear to be parted from him, and is prepared to lose the girl he (supposedly) loves if she can’t accept him. The other angle is that it’s a selfish guy who doesn’t care that his woman hates/fears dogs and does not intend to give him up despite her protestations and her ultimatum. Or is it his? His I think. The whole attitude prevalent in the song is “accept this or I’m outta here”. So it doesn’t really look like she’s telling him to go, though there could very well have been a sit-down in which she said “We need to talk about Rover. Or Bonzo. Or whatever he’s called.”
Happy ending? Maybe. Shelley does not back down and he leaves with his dog. Doggy wins, master remains with him. But he loses the girl in the process. So is it a satisfactory conclusion? Well you could I suppose always say the girl was being stubborn. As an animal lover and pet owner I know there is nobody --- nobody --- I would be prepared to give up my cats for, and if they didn’t understand then they could just hop on the bus Gus. Mind you, if they were actually allergic … well that would just be too bad. I can understand Shelley’s devotion to his dog here; I’d be the same about my cats.
But it is a weird thing to write about. What woman would accept such a situation? I love you but I love my dog more? Interestingly, Shelley’s other hit was “Gee baby”, which makes me wonder if the lyric contained the line “Gee baby, why don’t you like my dog?” It doesn’t but still it would be interesting, wouldn’t it?
Freedom is a dusty road heading to a highway:
Californian skyways will lead us where we wanna stay.
Suddenly a summer breeze breaks a misty mornin':
There's a new day dawning we'd better be on our way.
So love me love my dog;
We've lived the road too long to break up.
Love me live my life and travel through this land.
I can't leave a friend I promised that before we started;
So love me love my dog;
If you can't understand then we'll head up land.
When I leave this town today Lord you know I'll miss you.
Baby I won't kiss you. you'll only make me wanna stay.
Though it's hard to say goodbye can't you see it's over?
Guess I'm just a loner heading on his way.
I tell you now
So love me love my dog;
We've lived the road too long to break up.
Love me live my life and travel through this land.
I can't leave a friend I promised that before we started;
So love me love my dog;
If you can't understand then we'll head up land.
So love me love my dog;
If you can't understand
Then I guess we'll have to move on out up land.
C'mon boy!