It’s the dog days of summer, and the best and safest way to travel during this unusual year is by car. But if you’re planning a road trip, you should also have excellent road trip songs. And if dogs are coming along, why not include a few songs about man’s best friend? Although these featured songs aren’t for everyone, they can give you some ideas.
Songs About Dogs For Your Music Playlist
Cracker Jack (1974) – Dolly Parton
Cracker Jack tells the story of a child named Lucy Jane who finds an abandoned puppy dog along a riverbank. As cute as can be with a spot around one eye, Cracker Jack quickly becomes Lucy Jane’s faithful companion. He was included in Dolly Parton’s landmark album Jolene, Cracker Jack, the name of a television episode from her 2019 Netflix series Heartstrings. In the program, it is sadly revealed that Cracker Jack dies after being bitten by a rattlesnake. The legendary country western singer loves animals so much that she also made a PETA advertisemenSheshe has her song Will He Be Waiting For in that ad Me.
Hey Bulldog (1969) – The Beatles
Appearing on the Yellow Submarine album, this upbeat tune was initially intended to have lyrics about a frog. But the song’s title changed after Paul McCartney misread John Lennon’s handwriting. Not realizing it was “Hey Bullfrog” McCartney barked like a dog during the recordings. Lennon liked it so much that he kept it in for the final pressing. Even if you try to Google “Hey Bullfrog,” you’ll get the YouTube video for “Hey Bulldog.” Either way, sheepdog, bulldo,g, and bullfrog appear in the lyrics. On a side note, Yellow Submarine was originally one of the songs on the Revolver album. It wasn’t until the following year that the namesake album became a hit.
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Hound Dog (1952) – Big Mama Thornton
Although there’s a more recognizable version, the first-ever recording of “Hound Dog” was performed by Big Mama Thornton. Moreover, the song written by teenagers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoler was initially intended for Mama Thornton. One of the earliest songs to fuse R&B with rock and roll, “Hound Dog” has been recorded over 250 times. The most notable one,s of course, is the 1956 version by Elvis PresleThishi. The early Elvis hit is said to be one of the best-selling singles of all time. Furthermore, “Hound Dog” also ranks among Rolling Stone magazine’s greatest songs.
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I Love My Dog (1966) – Cat Stevens
Released early in his career, “I Love My Dog” was the first single ever by Cat Stevens. He tells a poignant story about when he finds an abandoned dachshund. The story continues as he takes him in and describes his love for his dog as much as you. Although this early song received minor attention, Stevens became best known for hit songs in the 70s, like “Moonshadow,” “Morning Has Broken,” and “Peace Train.” Furthermore, he’s a 2014 inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. In addition, he’s a 2019 inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Martha My Dear (1968) – The Beatles
From the White Album, the lively “Martha My Dear” had fans wondering who Paul McCartney was singing about. Many presumed it was written for his ex-girlfriend Jane Asher, who had recently broken off their engagement. But according to Paul, the song was about his beloved English Sheepdog, Martha. His loyal dog companion lived until he was 15, passing away at Paul’s famous home in Mull of Kintyre in Scotland. Of course, if you’re a big fan of McCartney’s Wings, you know he wrote a song about this home.
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Me And You And A Dog Named Boo (1971) Lobo
Outdated for the younger crowd, this song still has lyrics that any contemporary road-trippers can appreciate. The debut single by American solo artist Lobo, he sings about “travelin’ and livin’ off the land” with his faithful dog Boo. The song takes Lobo and Boo on an across-country trip while encountering summer rain in Georgia and bright lights in LA. Lobo followed up with several other records, including his No. 2 hit “I’d Love You To Want Me.” On a side note, Lobo has a large fanbase outside the United States. In fact, he has been very popular in Southeast Asia.
Old Blue (1969) – The Byrds
An old folk song that dates back to the late 19th century, Old Blue has been covered by dozens of music artists. The most prevalent version about an old hound dog came from the 60s rock band The Byrds. According to the lyrics, Old Blue chased an opossum up a tree but didn’t do well. The song appeared on the band’s album Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde. Only two of the band’s five original members contributed to the album. Joan Baez, Pete Seeger,r, and JJ Cal have also recorded Old Bluee.
Old King (1992) – Neil Youg
From his acclaimed album Harvest Moon, Neil Young sings about his travels on a tour bus with his hound dog named Elvis. Changing his name in the lyrics to “avoid confusion, ion,” Young says Old King ran after a deer. Despite attempts to locate the dog, King never returned, and as Young describes, Beded was “riding on Jimi Hendrix’s bus.” Occasionally, Neil Young will play this song live in concern t. He performed it at the 2004 Farm Aid show.
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The Promised Land (1978)– Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen’s anthemic song only mentions about “the dogs on Main Street ’cause they understand”. But The Promised Land was a better choice here than The Monkee’s Gonna Buy Me A Dog or Patti Page’s How Much Is That Doggie In the Window. And especially for a 2020 summer music playlist. From the album Darkness On The Edge Of Town, this song chronicles Springsteen’s road trip to Utah and Nevada a year earlier.
Who Let The Dogs Out (2000) – Baha Men
A longtime staple at sporting events, Who Let The Dogs Out was wildly popular when it hit the airwaves. Performed by the Bahamian group Baha Men, the song earned a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2001. Loveor hatee Itt, Who Let The DogsOutu,t was one of the most popular songs of thedecaded,,e and its YouTube video has nearly 63.5 million views. Although this song seems out of place, it’s among the most familiar of all dog songs.
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About The Author:
Randy Yagi is an award-winning freelance writer who served as the National Travel Writer for CBS Local from 2012 to 2019. More than 900 of his stories still appear in syndication across 23 CBS websites, including CBS New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. His other stories have also appeared in the Daily Meal, CBS News, CBS Radio, Engadget, , NBC and Radio.com. He is a Media Fellow of Stanford University.