Monday’s Music Moves Me: SONGS WITH ANIMALS IN THE TITLES

It’s Monday and you know what that means: It’s time for some kickass music with Monday’s Music Moves Me! Today’s theme is especially fun and near & dear to my heart. It was chosen by our August Conductor, Mary over at Jingle Jangle Jungle (she’s also my battle partner in the Ultimate Dog v Cat Battle of the Bands Tournament and if you haven’t been checking it out, you need to start because even though we’re coming up on Round Three, it’s not too late to jump in and play along. DO IT! IT’S FUN!)

Anyway, Mary’s brilliant theme for today’s 4M post is SONGS WITH ANIMALS IN THE TITLE. Now you know I jumped all over that one, right? I think I’ve put together a pretty cool post for you all today. First up is the Welcome to My Zoo playlist. There are zillions of songs with animals in the titles; here I’ve listed only a bunch of my particular favorites. We’re going to start out hard to get your blood circulating and your heart pumping, and then we’ll gradually slow it down to a nice mellow flow of incredible music. Below is the list of the songs along with a few tidbits of background information. Scroll through and pick out which songs you want to hear or simply hit PLAY and let it run. It’s a great playlist to just listen to while doing your thing. If and when you have time, be sure to check out some of the videos because there are quite a few cool ones in there.

Then, I have a few other neat surprises, as in three other (short) playlists (The Funny Farm playlist comes up after this one and then there’s a Beatles Block of Animal Rock, and then, well, you’ll see. For sure the one at the end I think you’ll really dig). So hang out with me for a bit and let’s take a joyride through my animal kingdom. Let’s Rock!

The Welcome to My Zoo playlist songs include:

Animal by Def Leppard – from the 1987 Hysteria album; this song about a raging animal lust took three years to complete. This was Def Leppard’s first hit in their native England. Even Pyromania, which was a massive hit album in America, was largely ignored in their home country. “Animal” was the song that finally broke through in the UK, and it earned them their first appearance on the popular music TV show Top Of The Pops).

The Zoo by the Scorpions – a song by the German hard rock band Scorpions, from their 1980 Animal Magnetism album. It was written by group members Rudolf Schenker (guitar) and Klaus Meine (vocals). Schenker wrote much of the music during the band’s first tour of the United States in 1979. When Meine first heard Schenker’s riff, it reminded him of the band’s earlier visit to a street in New York City humorously referred to as a “zoo”. Meine later composed the song’s lyrics, which contain references to city streets, especially New York’s 42nd Street.

Walkin’ the Dog by Aerosmith – from the debut album AEROSMITH, 1973. The song “Walkin’ the Dog” is a cover of a song originally performed by R&B singer Rufus Thomas from Memphis, Tennessee. The lyrics make references to children’s nursery rhymes, especially Miss Mary Mack.

Sick as a Dog by Aerosmith – from ROCKS, Aerosmith’s fourth studio album released in 1976. AllMusic described Rocks as having “captured Aerosmith at their most raw and rocking.” Previously, Aerosmith had recorded three albums: Aerosmith (1973), Get Your Wings (1974), and the breakthrough LP Toys in the Attic (1975), which produced Top Ten hit “Walk This Way” and the popular “Sweet Emotion.” Although often derided by critics, the band had amassed a loyal fanbase following from relentless touring and their ferocious live shows. They also began living the rock-and-roll lifestyle to the hilt, indulging their already considerable appetite for drugs. However, their hedonistic lifestyle did not appear to hamper them creatively; Rocks was considered by many fans, critics, and fellow musicians to be one of the highlights of their career. Guitarist Joe Perry later recalled, “There’s no doubt we were doing a lot of drugs by then, but whatever we were doing, it was still working for us.”

Of this song, lead guitarist Joe Perry said, “Tom (Hamilton) played rhythm guitar on “Sick as a Dog.” I played bass for the first half of the song. Then I put the bass down and played guitar in the end, and Steven picked up the bass and played it for the rest of the song – all live in the studio! One take.”

Hair of the Dog by Nazareth – “Hair of the Dog” is the title track of Nazareth’s 1975 album Hair of the Dog. It is sometimes called “Son of a Bitch” because of the repeated lyric in the hook (“Now you’re messing with a son of a bitch”). The song is about a charming and manipulative woman who can get men to acquiesce to her every need. The singer is letting her know that she has met her match in him, a self-described “son of a bitch.”

As a standalone song, it only charted in Germany, where it peaked at #44. In the United States, because the Hair of the Dog album was a top-20 hit on the album charts, the song received extensive airplay on album-oriented rock stations (despite “bitch” being a borderline profanity) and remains in the playlist of most classic rock formatted stations. In the USA, it was released as the B-Side of “Love Hurts.”

Black Dog by Led Zeppelin – from the untitled but commonly referred to Led Zeppelin IV album, 1971. This song was also used in my Round One of the Ultimate Dog v Cat Battle of the Bands Tournament, where it came out the victor of that round. You can read more about the song over at that post.

Dog Eat Dog by Ted Nugent – from 1976’s Free-For-All; this is the album that inspired the many air-guitar “mini-concerts” that my friend JoAnn and I used to put on in the girls bathroom in high school. Yes, I played air-guitar. Don’t say it… And this was the other contender in Round One of the Dog v Cat Battle.

Cat Scratch Fever by Ted Nugent – from the 1977 album of the same name. Cat Scratch Fever is a real condition: it’s an infectious disease caused by a cat scratch that usually affects young children. AND I HAD IT! I remember having to be taken to the doctor and told that I had Cat Scratch Fever. That’s probably why I liked that song so much. Nugent, however, changes the meaning to make it much more lustful, with the “cats” being women. The song is about sex and his rampant desire for it, or put more succinctly by Nugent, it’s “about pussy.” Go figure. PS: Mary used this song in her Round One of the Dog v Cat Battle at Jingle Jangle Jungle.

War Pigs by Black Sabbath – from my favorite Black Sabbath album, Paranoid, 1970. The original title of “War Pigs” was “Walpurgis”, dealing with the witches’ sabbath. “Walpurgis is sort of like Christmas for Satanists. And to me, war was the big Satan”, said bassist and lyricist Geezer Butler. “It wasn’t about politics or government or anything. It was Evil itself. So I was saying ‘generals gathered in the masses / just like witches at black masses’ to make an analogy. But when we brought it to the record company, they thought ‘Walpurgis’ sounded too Satanic. And that’s when we turned it into ‘War Pigs’. But we didn’t change the lyrics, because they were already finished.”

White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane – “White Rabbit” is a song written by Grace Slick and recorded by the American rock band Jefferson Airplane for their 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow. It was released as a single and became the band’s second top-10 success, peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song uses imagery found in the fantasy works of Lewis Carroll—1865’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its 1871 sequel Through the Looking-Glass—such as changing size after taking pills or drinking an unknown liquid. Slick claimed the composition was supposed to be a slap to parents who read their children such novels and then wondered why their children later used drugs.

Monkey On My Back by Aerosmith  – written by Aersomith frontman Steven Tyler & lead guitarist Joe Perry for the 1989 album Pump. The song is one of Aerosmith’s most straightforward songs about how the band overcame drug abuse and addiction, and got the “monkey off their back.” In the video The Making of Pump, Steven Tyler discusses how it was one of the few songs on Pump with profane lyrics, in the line “feeding that fuckin’ monkey on my back”. But Tyler felt he needed to make use of the word, to be more harsh and garner more attention on the issue. He felt it would make kids’ ears perk up and listen to the lyrics and message of the song, which was more effective in telling the consequences of drug use, rather than the attitude of the time which was simply “just say no”.

Shake Me Like a Monkey by Dave Matthews Band  – from the album Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, 2009. Matthews told Relix magazine about this piece of stutter-stepping funk: “Of all the songs on the album, this one, in a way, is the most throwaway lyric. But it’s not really throwaway because it’s like an invitation: Don’t be all highfalutin! Don’t be too good to feel good! Don’t be too hip to f–kin’ understand! Wake the f–k up! Get off your ass and feel some s–it…” More on this interview at Songfacts.

Monkey Man by the Rolling Stones – from the 1969 album Let It Bleed; Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote “Monkey Man” as a tribute to Italian pop artist Mario Schifano, whom they met on the set of his movie Umano Non Umano! (Human, Not Human!)

Shock the Monkey by Peter Gabriel – from the 1982 album Peter Gabriel, his fourth eponymous album. It is sometimes known by the title Security. The song is sometimes mistaken as being about shock therapy, but Gabriel has said it is a song about jealousy.

Black Sheep by Gin Wigmore – from New Zealand pop-singer Gin Wigmore’s 2011 album Gravel & Wine. I was first introduced to Gin Wigmore because her music was used in the VH-1 reality show Mob Wives (which I really liked and miss now that it’s not on anymore!

Black Sheep of the Family by Rainbow – from the album Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, released in 1975

Peace Frog by The Doors – from the 1970 album Morrison Hotel. The line in the lyrics “Blood in the streets in the town of New Haven” likely refers to Morrison’s December 9, 1967 arrest at the New Haven Arena during a concert. After an altercation with a police officer backstage, Morrison made the incident known to the concert audience, and was arrested for attempting to incite a riot. A similar line about Chicago probably refers to the conflict surrounding the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The video in my playlist points to some of his altercations with police and arena security.

Barracuda by Heart – the first single from Heart’s second album Little Queen in 1977.  Ann Wilson revealed in interviews that the song was about Heart’s anger towards Mushroom Records’ attempted publicity stunt involving her and her sister Nancy Wilson in a made-up incestuous affair. As producer Michael Flicker put it: “‘Barracuda’ was created conceptually out of a lot of this record business bullshit. Barracuda could be anyone from the local promotion man to the president of a record company. That is the barracuda. It was born out of that whole experience.”

Stray Cat Blues by the Rolling Stones – from the Stones 1968 Beggars Banquet album; The song is told from the perspective of a man lusting after having illegal sex with a 15-year-old groupie, reasoning that “it’s no hanging matter, it’s no capital crime.”

Honky Cat by Elton John – from the 1972 album Honky Château, the album’s lead-off track

Little Red Rooster by the Rolling Stones – “Little Red Rooster” (or “The Red Rooster” as it was first titled) is a blues standard credited to arranger and songwriter Willie Dixon. The song was first recorded in 1961 by American blues musician Howlin’ Wolf in the Chicago blues style. The Rolling Stones were among the first British rock groups to record modern electric blues songs. In 1964, they recorded “Little Red Rooster” with original member Brian Jones, a key player in the recording. Their rendition, which remains closer to the original arrangement than Cooke’s, became a number one record in the UK and continues to be the only blues song to reach the top of the British chart. The Stones frequently performed it on television and in concert and released several live recordings of the song. “Little Red Rooster” continues to be performed and recorded, making it one of Willie Dixon’s best-known compositions.

Dixie Chicken by Little Feat – Dixie Chicken is the third studio album by the American rock band Little Feat, released in 1973. The album is considered their landmark album with the title track as their signature song that helped further define the Little Feat sound.

Law Dogs by the Doobie Brothers – a more recent release, “Law Dogs” comes from the Doobie Brothers thirteenth studio album, World Gone Crazy, released on September 28, 2010. It debuted at number 39 on the Billboard top 200 albums chart, their highest charting position since 1989. Per guitarist Tom Johnston, “Part of the inspiration of ‘World Gone Crazy’ is the world has gotten a little nuts. And between the wars that we’ve had, between violence in the streets and most of the cities, what people are doing to each other around the world is not stuff that would have happened 20 years ago.”

Crocodile Rock by Elton John – This song was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and was released in October 1972 in the UK and in November 1972 in the U.S. as a pre-release single from his forthcoming 1973 album Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player. It became his first U.S. number-one single, reaching the top spot on 3 February 1973, and stayed there for three weeks.

This tells the story of a guy in the ’50s and ’60s who frequented a restaurant where the patrons loved an obscure dance called the Crocodile Rock. Because of all the events that happened in the ’60s, however, this unknown little dance forever vanished into history and no one cared anymore. Even his girlfriend, who also enjoyed “burning up to the Crocodile Rock,” left him. It’s a catchy little song with really sad lyrics.

Elton performed this on The Muppet Show when he appeared on a Season Two episode in 1977. A very popular song with kids, it made for a great opening number, with Elton performing in a swamp with a crocodile chorus. It’s pretty adorable. See for yourself:

The Lion Sleeps Tonight by the Tokens – A hunting song originally sung in Zulu in what is now Swaziland, the original title was “Mbube,” which means lion. This was popularized in the 1930s by South African singer Solomon Linda, who recorded it in 1939 with his group, The Evening Birds. Apparently they were a bold bunch, and got the idea from when they used to chase lions who were going after the cattle owned by their families.

There is a lot of background to this song and I’m just too darn tired to go into it so look it up if you’re interested. To keep this short and sweet, The Tokens (Hank Medress, Jay Siegel, and Phil and Mitch Margo) had a #1 hit with this song during the holiday season in 1961-62.

Eye of the Tiger by Survivor – in 1982, “Eye of the Tiger” was composed by American rock band Survivor. It was released as a single from their third album of the same name Eye of the Tiger and was also the theme song for the film Rocky III, which was released a day before the single.

Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran – “Hungry Like the Wolf” is a song by the British new wave band Duran Duran. Written by the band members, the song was produced for their second studio album Rio. The song was released in May 1982 as the band’s fifth single in the United Kingdom. It reached the top 5 of the UK Singles Chart.

The music video for “Hungry Like the Wolf” was directed by Russell Mulcahy and filmed in the jungles of Sri Lanka, and evoked the atmosphere of the film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Although the band initially failed to break into the US market, MTV placed the “Hungry Like the Wolf” video into heavy rotation. Subsequently, the group gained much exposure; the song peaked at the number 3 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1983, and Duran Duran became an international sensation. The video won the first Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video in 1984.

I Love My Dog by Cat Stevens – “I Love My Dog” is a song written by Cat Stevens, and was his first single, appearing the following year on his debut album Matthew and Son. Stevens later acknowledged that he had essentially written the lyrics to the music of American jazz multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef’s “The Plum Blossom”, from his 1961 Eastern Sounds. Yusuf indicated that he “told Yusef Lateef about it, gave him a big check, and in fact, started paying him royalties.” The song is now released with credits that include Yusef Lateef.

I’ll Be Doggone by Marvin Gaye – “I’ll Be Doggone” is a 1965 song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye and released on the Tamla label. The song talks about how a man tells his woman that he’ll be “doggone” about simple things but if she did him wrong that he’d be “long gone”.

It became his first million-selling record and his first number-one single on the R&B chart, staying there for two weeks, and was the first song Gaye recorded with Smokey Robinson as one of the songwriters of the record. The song was co-written by Robinson’s fellow Miracles members Pete Moore and Marv Tarplin. The Miracles also sang background on this recording, along with Motown’s long-standing female back-up group, The Andantes, and Miracle Marv Tarplin played lead guitar. “I’ll Be Doggone” gave Marvin his third top-ten pop hit, where it peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, with that number matched by his follow-up record, “Ain’t That Peculiar”. (BTW, this song was also a contender in my Round Two Dog v Cat battle of soft rock dog songs and it came out the victor.

Fox on the Run by Sweet – In this song, the band is addressing a groupie, who is the “fox on the run.” Apparently she’s had more than one go with the band, as Brian Connolly sings that she doesn’t look the same – probably a bit more worn from her lifestyle. He also makes it clear that he has no interest in hearing her talk and certainly doesn’t want to know her name.

Sweet was produced by the glam rock architects Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, who also wrote most of their songs, including all of their hits to this point. “Fox On The Run” was written by the band – Brian Connolly, Stephen Priest, Andrew Scott, Michael Tucker – and included on their 1974 album Desolation Boulevard.

After the album was released, the band parted ways with Chapman and Chinn and produced their own material. Their first effort was a reworking of “Fox On The Run,” which was originally helmed by Chapman/Chinn. Defying predictions of disaster, Sweet proved quite capable on their own, and the new version of “Fox,” with a bright chorus and bold echo, became a global hit, reaching #2 UK and charting across Europe (it was #1 in Germany, where Sweet was wildly popular). It also became one of the few American hits for the band when it was released in the US as the follow-up to their single “Ballroom Blitz.”

A Horse with No Name by America – from America’s self-titled debut album, “A Horse with No Name” is a song written by America’s Dewey Bunnell. It was the band’s first and most successful single, released in early 1972 in the United States, and topped the charts in several countries.

Wild Horses by Rolling Stones – “Wild Horses” is a song by the Rolling Stones from their 1971 album Sticky Fingers, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

Year of the Cat by Al Stewart – “Year of the Cat” is a single by Scottish singer-songwriter Al Stewart, released in July 1976. The song is the title track of his 1976 album Year of the Cat, and was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London in January 1976 by engineer Alan Parsons. The song reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1977. Although Stewart’s highest charting single on that chart was 1978’s “Time Passages”, “Year of the Cat” has remained Stewart’s signature recording, receiving regular airplay on both classic rock and folk rock stations.

Cat’s in the Cradle by Harry Chapin – “Cat’s in the Cradle” is a 1974 folk rock song by Harry Chapin from the album Verities & Balderdash. The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1974. As Chapin’s only No. 1 hit song, it became the best known of his work and a staple for folk rock music. Chapin’s recording of the song was nominated for the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

Dog and Butterfly by Heart – “Dog & Butterfly” is a song recorded by the rock band Heart. It is the title track to the band’s fourth studio album Dog & Butterfly and was released as the album’s second single. The song is a more subdued effort from the band, differing from past hard rock-oriented hits, as Ann and Nancy Wilson pulled from their folk music influences. The song charted moderately in the US in 1979, peaking at #34 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although it enjoyed only moderate chart success, the song has gone on to be viewed as a classic and has remained a set-list staple consistently through the years.

When Doves Cry by Prince – “When Doves Cry” is a song by American musician Prince, and the lead single from his 1984 album Purple Rain. It was a worldwide hit, and his first American number one single, topping the charts for five weeks. According to Billboard magazine, it was the top-selling single of the year. Following Prince’s death, the song re-charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number eight, its first appearance in the top 10 since the week ending September 1, 1984.

The music video (directed by Prince himself) was released on MTV in June 1984. It opens with white doves emerging from double doors to reveal Prince in a bathtub. It also includes scenes from the Purple Rain film interspersed with shots of The Revolution performing and dancing in a white room. The final portion of the video incorporates a mirrored frame of the left half of the picture, creating a doubling effect. The video was nominated for Best Choreography at 1985’s MTV Video Music Awards. The video sparked controversy among network executives who thought that its sexual nature was too explicit for television.

Seagull by Bad Company – from English supergroup Bad Company’s eponymous debut album, released in June 1974. Written by Paul Rodgers and Mick Ralphs. Paul Rodgers (Classic Rock Revisited January 12, 2001): “Every song that we have done has its own story. ‘Seagull’ was written sitting on the beach. Music is about atmosphere. The best way to create the atmosphere is to actually be there. You don’t have to imagine it. It is right there. With Seagull, you could see the horizon. You can include that in the songs. That is what writing songs is all about; creating mood and atmosphere.” Bad Company was the first concert I ever attended, back in 1976 in Niagara Falls, NY. Back then the cost for a concert ticket was $6. Holy shit, I’m old!

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis – “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” is the first song from Genesis’s 1974 album of the same name. The song was released as a single in the U.S.. Although it did not chart, it was frequently played on American FM radio stations.

Like other songs on the album, the music and lyrics in “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” are partially derived from 1960s soul songs. The end of the song features the words “They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway. They say there’s always magic in the air” from The Drifters’ song “On Broadway”.

Freebird by Lynryd Skynyrd – a power ballad by American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. The song was first featured on the band’s debut album (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd) in 1973. It is considered to be Lynyrd Skynyrd’s signature song, is used as a finale during their live performances, and is their longest song, often going well over 14 minutes when played live.

Okay, this next one’s a stretch but I’m including it anyway because it’s all about a horse. I remember hearing it all the time on my transistor radio way back when. Here’s Wildfire by Michael Martin Murphy – This haunting soft rock song from 1975 describes a disillusioned homesteader captivated with the tragic story of a girl and her lost horse. The Nebraska girl died in a blizzard one year searching for Wildfire, her beloved horse that had broken out of his stall. Now their ghosts wander free, and the farmer, having lost his crops to weather, imagines joining them in death.

 

Hey, you’ve arrived at the next stop in our animal tour:

The Funny Farm

Here’s an animal playlist that should give you some giggles…or at least a smile or two. Enjoy!

 

Dead Skunk by Loudon Wainwright III – a 1972 novelty song

See Ya Later Alligator by Bill Haley – a 1950s rock and roll song written and first recorded by American singer-songwriter Bobby Charles but was a Top Ten hit for Bill Haley and His Comets in 1956.

What’s New, Pussycat? by Tom Jones – the theme song for the eponymous movie, sung by British singer Tom Jones, and written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1966, it peaked at number 3 in the U.S. and was Jones’ second entry on the Top 40.

Puppy Love by Paul Anka – a popular song written by Paul Anka in 1960 for Annette Funicello, whom he was dating at the time. Anka’s version reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Rockin’ Robin by Michael Jackson – written by Leon René under the pseudonym of Jimmie Thomas and recorded by Bobby Day in 1958. It was Day’s biggest hit single, becoming a No. 2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent one week at the top of the charts (number one hit) in R&B sales.

Michael Jackson recorded his own version of “Rockin’ Robin” in 1972, which was released as a single from his gold-certified solo album titled Got to Be There. It was the biggest hit from the album, hitting No. 1 on the Cash Box singles chart and peaking at no. 2 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts.

This was one of my favorite songs back then…Of course, it was perfect for me as I was 10 years old.

Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog by the Three Dog Night – “Joy to the World” is a song written by Hoyt Axton and made famous by the band Three Dog Night. The song is also popularly known by its opening lyric, “Jeremiah was a bullfrog.” Three Dog Night originally released the song on their fourth studio album, Naturally, in November 1970, and subsequently released an edited version of the song as a single in February 1971.

The song, which has been described by members of Three Dog Night as a “kid’s song” and a “silly song,” topped the singles charts in North America, was certified gold by the RIAA, and has since been covered by multiple artists.

The song is featured prominently in the film The Big Chill. It is sung by a child character at the beginning and the Three Dog Night recording is played over the end credits. It is also played at the end of every Denver Broncos home victory.

Rock Lobster by the B-52s – “Rock Lobster” is a song written by Fred Schneider and Ricky Wilson, two members of The B-52’s. It is part of the band’s 1979 self-titled debut album. The song became one of their signature tunes and it helped launch the band’s success.

“Rock Lobster” was the band’s first single to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, where it reached No. 56. A major hit in Canada, the single went all the way to No. 1 in the RPM national singles chart.

According to a “Behind the Vinyl” video with Fred Schneider for CHBM-FM, the song was mostly inspired by a discotheque in Atlanta called “2001”, where instead of having a light show, the club featured a slide show with pictures of puppies, babies and lobsters on a grill.

The song’s lyrics describe a beach party while mentioning both real and imagined marine animals (“There goes a dogfish, chased by a catfish, in flew a sea robin, watch out for that piranha, there goes a narwhal, here comes a bikini whale!”), with absurd noises accompanying each, provided by Kate Pierson on the higher-pitched sounds and Cindy Wilson the lower-pitched ones. The chorus consists of the words “Rock Lobster!” repeated on top of a keyboard line.

If you’re going to watch one video from this group, be sure to watch this one. It just about killed me the other night. I had been working on my post for hours and was just about to take a quick break and run to the bathroom but the Rock Lobster video started and I couldn’t move from my seat. I could feel the expression on my face as perplexed but oddly interested and I just couldn’t turn away. I truly had to pee so bad but I just couldn’t leave until the video ended. I was immobilized by sheer entertainment. I have always enjoyed this song and think it’s a riot. I get a real kick every time I hear it. But I had never seen it performed live. I was fascinated at the bizarre performance. The lead vocals dude: just couldn’t get enough! It’s that, um, interesting…

Who Let the Dogs Out by the Baha Men – “Who Let the Dogs Out?” is a song performed by the Bahamian group Baha Men, released as a single on July 26, 2000. The song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, as well as topping the charts in Australia and New Zealand, and reached the Top 40 in the United States. It was Britain’s fourth biggest-selling single of 2000, and went on to become one of the highest-selling singles of the decade not to reach number-one. The track went on to win the Grammy for Best Dance Recording on the 2001 Grammy Awards.

Muskrat Love by Captain & Tenille – “Muskrat Love” is a soft rock song written by Willis Alan Ramsey. The song depicts a romantic liaison between two anthropomorphic muskrats named Susie and Sam. It was first recorded in 1972 by Ramsey himself for his sole album release Willis Alan Ramsey. The song was originally titled “Muskrat Candlelight” referencing the song’s opening lyric. A 1973 cover version by the rock band America—retitled “Muskrat Love” for the lyrics that close the chorus—was a minor hit reaching number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. (REALLY?? I didn’t know that! Did you??) In 1976, a cover by pop music duo Captain & Tennille resulted in the song’s highest profile, peaking at number four on the Hot 100 chart. It also reached number two on the Cash Box chart, which ranked it as the 30th biggest hit of 1976. Now THAT just blows me away…

Spiders & Snakes by Jim Stafford – “Spiders & Snakes” is a 1974 hit song recorded by Jim Stafford and written by Stafford and David Bellamy. It was the second of four U.S. Top 40 singles released from his eponymous debut album and also the highest-charting.

The song is about a boy who, although he is shy, has a girl who likes him named Mary Lou. He makes faltering attempts to respond to her when they are alone, which finally include trying to give her a frog. She promptly protests and summarily rebuffs him. Still in school, they later develop a more mature relationship with the boy as the initiator instead of Mary Lou, but when they are once again alone she nonetheless feels the need to remind him, still nervous, that she does “not” like spiders and snakes, or any other such similar creatures, and that it takes something else to satisfy her loving desires.

“Spiders and Snakes” was one of the top hits of 1974, spending one week at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100. In Canada, the song reached number one. The song spent five and a half months on the US charts, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA on March 8, 1974.

Brown Chicken, Brown Cow by Trace Adkins – “Brown Chicken Brown Cow” is a song recorded by American country artist Trace Adkins. It was released in January 2011 as the third and final single and the opening track from his ninth studio album Cowboy’s Back in Town. “Brown Chicken Brown Cow,” takes Adkins’ video catalog to a whole new level — puppets.

Adkins, who serves as the narrator during the video, sings a tale of two lovers, Bobby Jo and Betty (also puppets), who make a habit of running off to the barn for some alone time. The farm animals, including the brown chicken and brown cow, have front row seats to their farmers’ escapades.

The song, which uses a sexual innuendo on “bow chicka bow wow” (an onomatopoeia for music in pornography), was withdrawn after only nine weeks, and Adkins later apologized for releasing it.

The song is actually the punch line to a sexual joke — the online Urban Dictionary refers to “brown chicken brown cow” as “an onomatopoeic imitation of the guitar riff commonly used in 1970’s porn movies.” Despite its adult-themed lyrical content, Atkins was not afraid to release it. “I kinda pushed for that to be the first single,” from his new album, he told GAC. “I said, ‘Let’s just throw a hand grenade in the room right off the get-go.’ I said, ‘It’s a dangerous record. I know that, but I’m not afraid of it.’ Everybody else by committee was kinda like ‘Oh, I don’t know about that.’”

I included more details on the making of the song and the public and professional flack that Adkins received because of it in my Kaleidoscope of Color Songs – Brown Edition post. Take a jump over there if you want to read more about this hilarious song.

 

The Beatles Block of Animal Rock

It seems that the Fab Four were definitely into animals too. They had so many songs with animals in the titles that I decided we ought to take a pit stop on this little journey and kick back with an exclusive Beatles Block of Rock. Enjoy!

The playlist features the following Beatles classics:

Hey Bulldog – from Yellow Submarine, 1969

Rocky Raccoon – from the 1968 double album The Beatles (aka the “White Album”)

Octopus’ Garden – written and sung by Ringo Starr (credited to his real name Richard Starkey) from the Beatles’ 1969 album Abbey Road. George Harrison, who assisted Ringo with the song, commented: “‘Octopus’s Garden’ is Ringo’s song. It’s only the second song Ringo has ever written, mind you, and it’s lovely.” He added that the song gets very deep into the listener’s consciousness “…because it’s so peaceful. I suppose Ringo is writing cosmic songs these days without even realizing it.” It was the last song released by the Beatles featuring Starr on lead vocals.

Blackbird – from the 1968 double album The Beatles (aka “the White Album”). The song was performed as a solo effort by Paul McCartney. The song was also written by McCartney, although it is credited to Lennon–McCartney. McCartney has stated that the lyrics of the song were inspired by hearing the call of a blackbird in Rishikesh, India, as well as by the unfortunate state of race relations in the United States in the 1960s.

I Am the Walrus – released in November 1967. It was featured in the Beatles’ television film Magical Mystery Tour in December of that year, as a track on the associated Magical Mystery Tour album. Since the single and the double EP held at one time in December 1967 the top two slots on the British singles chart, the song had the distinction of being at number 1 and number 2 simultaneously.

Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except for Me & My Monkey – from the 1968 double album The Beatles (aka “the White Album”). The song was written by John Lennon (and credited to Lennon–McCartney).

 

Ah, we’re nearing the end of our journey through this musical jungle. To close this post, I thought it only fitting to slow it down with probably the most appropriate album for our 4M theme today, Pink Floyd’s 1977 concept album: ANIMALS. This is by far their best album, in my humble opinion. Of course I have a strong attachment to 1973’s Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd’s eighth album, as most of my generation does. But Animals — Wow! Now that is an album that I spent many a night tripping to.

Animals is the tenth studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd. It was first released in January 1977 by Harvest Records in the United Kingdom and by Columbia Records in the United States. It is a concept album that provides a scathing critique of the social-political conditions of late 1970s Britain, and presents a marked change in musical style from their earlier work. Animals was recorded at the band’s Britannia Row Studios in London, but its production was punctuated by the early signs of discord that, three years later, would culminate in keyboardist Richard Wright leaving the band. The album’s cover image, a pig floating between two chimneys of the Battersea Power Station, was conceived by the band’s bassist and lead songwriter Roger Waters, and was designed by long-time collaborator Storm Thorgerson.

The album was released to generally positive reviews in the United Kingdom, where it reached number 2 on the UK Albums Chart. It was also a success in the United States, reaching number 3 on the US Billboard 200. It scored on US charts for half a year and these steady sales have resulted in its certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) at 4x platinum.

Loosely based on George Orwell’s political fable Animal Farm, the album’s lyrics describe various classes in society as different kinds of animals: the combative dogs, the despotic ruthless pigs, and the “mindless and unquestioning herd” of sheep. Whereas the novella focuses on Stalinism, the album is a critique of capitalism and differs again in that the sheep eventually rise up to overpower the dogs. The album was developed from a collection of unrelated songs into a concept which, in the words of author Glenn Povey, “described the apparent social and moral decay of society, likening the human condition to that of mere animals”.

The album is comprised of only 5 songs (4 really, because the first and last song on the album is a two-parter: Part 1 opens the album and Part 2 closes it. The songs, and their meanings, are listed below:

Pigs on the Wing (Part 1)

Dogs

Pigs (3 Different Ones)

Sheep

Pigs on the Wing (Part 2)

The following playlist includes each of the Animals songs in order of their appearance on the album. So, take a deep breath, find a mellow space, smoke a joint if you have one, put on the headphones and take a dreamy trip into this social commentary classic.

“Pigs on the Wing” is a two-part song, opening and closing the album. According to various interviews, it was written by Roger Waters as a declaration of love to his new wife Carolyne Christie. This song is significantly different from the other three songs on the album, “Dogs”, “Pigs”, and “Sheep” in that the other songs are dark, whereas this one is lighter-themed, as well as also being much shorter in duration at under a minute and a half while the others are over 10 minutes in length.

“Dogs”: Fitting into the album’s Orwellian concept of comparing human behavior to various animals, “Dogs” concentrates on the aggressive, ruthlessly competitive world of business, describing a high-powered businessman. The first two verses detail his predatory nature — outwardly charming and respectable with his “club tie and a firm handshake, a certain look in the eye and an easy smile”, while behind this facade he lies waiting “to pick out the easy meat…to strike when the moment is right”, and to stab those who trust him in the back. Subsequent verses portray the emptiness of his existence catching up to him as he grows older, retiring to the south rich but unloved: “just another sad old man, all alone and dying of cancer”, and drowning under the weight of a metaphorical stone.

The final verse explores a number of aspects of business life and how it compares to dogs, for example taking chances and being “trained not to spit in the fan”, losing their individuality (“broken by trained personnel”), obeying their superiors (“fitted with collar and chain”), being rewarded for good behaviour (“given a pat on the back”), working harder than the other workers (“breaking away from the pack”) and getting to know everyone but spending less time with family (“only a stranger at home”). Recommended by a friend of Roger Waters named Joel Eaves, this line was personal to him as he was split from his family at infancy, being “broken away”, as he put it. He later joined the Air Force squadron known as “Wolfpack”, which directly inspired the implementation of this line. Every line of this verse begins with the words “Who was”, which prompted comparison to Allen Ginsberg’s poem “Howl”.[6] However, Waters has denied the Ginsberg poem was any influence on his lyrics. Instead, these lines can be seen as subordinate clauses to the lyric line that precedes them (“And you believe at heart everyone’s a killer/Who was born in a house full of pain/Who was [etc.]”).

“Pigs (Three Different Ones)” – In the album’s three parts, “Dogs”, “Pigs” and “Sheep”, pigs represent the people whom Roger Waters considers to be at the top of the social ladder, the ones with wealth and power; they also manipulate the rest of society and encourage them to be viciously competitive and cutthroat, so the pigs can remain powerful.

The song’s three verses each presents a different “pig”, the identities of which remain a subject of speculation, because only the third verse clearly identifies its subject as being morality campaigner Mary Whitehouse, who is described as a “house proud town mouse” who has to “keep it all on the inside.”

Along with dogs and sheep, pigs are one of 3 animals represented on the album. The pigs represent people, like Whitehouse, who feel they are the moral authorities. The sheep are the people who obey the pigs and believe that it is the “Christian” thing to do and are just your normal, hard-working innocent bystanders. Dogs are people who are against the pigs and are back stabbers.

Roger Waters wrote this about Mary Whitehouse, a British woman who led a movement to keep sex off TV. He felt Whitehouse had no right to decide what other people should watch. Speaking to Mojo magazine Waters recalled:

“Oh, she was everywhere pontificating on TV. Interfering in everybody’s life, making a nuisance of herself and trying to drag English society back to an age of Victorian propriety.”

In 1992, on the Westwood One radio special Pink Floyd : The 25th Anniversary Special, Roger Waters told Jim Ladd that the “Whitehouse” mentioned had nothing to do with the home of the U.S. President, the White House, after Ladd told Waters he interpreted the last verse as an attack on Gerald Ford, who was US president at the time the song was recorded.

Mary Whitehouse was a famous name in the UK at the time the song was written. However, Waters admitted to Mojo that nobody listening to Animals in America had a clue who she was: He said: “Everybody in the United States assumed it was an attack on the president, on Washington, on the White House.”

Halfway through the song, David Gilmour uses a Heil talk box on the guitar solo to mimic the sound of pigs. This is the first use of a talk box by Pink Floyd.

“Sheep” – The sheep represents the mindless people who follow the herd. There is a “subliminal” message on this song that is a parody of the 23rd Psalm. It is heard beneath the music in a robotic, distorted voice, with sheep heard in the background. “The Lord is my shepherd, He converteth me to lamb cutlets….”.

Talking about “Sheep” in 1978, Waters said the song was inspired by the 1976 Notting Hill riots in west London. He described it “as my sense of what was to come down… with the riots in England.”

When Mojo asked Waters in 2017 if he still went along with the above quote, he said: “It may well be about all that. Sheep does have that idea of revolution, of people being led to slaughter.”

Album Personnel:

• David Gilmour – lead guitar, co-lead vocals, rhythm and acoustic guitar on “Dogs”, bass guitar on “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” and “Sheep”, talk box on “Pigs (Three Different Ones)”
• Nick Mason – drums, percussion, tape effects
• Roger Waters – lead and harmony vocals, acoustic guitar on “Pigs on the Wing”, rhythm guitar on “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” and “Sheep”, tape effects, vocoder, bass guitar on “Dogs”
• Richard Wright – Hammond organ, electric piano, Minimoog, ARP string synthesizer, piano, clavinet, harmony vocals on “Dogs”

 

THAT’S A WRAP!

We’ve come to the end of our ride through my Animal Kingdom. I sure hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Let me know what you think in the Comments section below. What are some of your favorite Animal songs? What did you like best about your trip here today?

And don’t forget: Monday’s Music Moves Me (4M) is a blog hop hosted by Marie of X-Mas Dolly, and co-hosted by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy and Stacy of Stacy Uncorked Two other co-hosts recently joined the fun: Alana of Ramlin’ with AM and Naila Moon of Musings & Merriment with Michelle. Be sure to stop by and visit the hosts and the other participants listed below:

1. Mary Burris of Jingle, Jangle, Jungle

2. XmasDolly – Mondays Music Moves Me!

3. Callie – JAmerican Spice

4. Stacy – Stacy Uncorked

5. Cathy – Curious as a Cathy

6. Alana – Ramblin with AM

7. Angels Bark

8. Mochas, Mysteries and Meows

9. CREATE WITH JOY – LINK UP

10. Ninja Captain Alex

11. Soft Kitty

12. Drillers Place

13. Stunning Keisha

14. Astrid @ A Multitude of Musings

15. Animals!

16. Are You A Lightener?| A New Lens

17. Adventures in Exploring Your Creativity

18. Golch Centrals Rambling Stuff

19. Scriptor

20. Adventures in Weseland-Music Monday