What are some songs about pets or animals that aren't obviously about pets or animals?
March 1, 2012 3:21 PM Subscribe
What are some songs about pets or animals that aren't obviously about pets or animals? Any era or genre will do.
For example, it's been said that Freddie Mercury wrote You're My Best Friend about his cat but the song comes across as a song written about a person. I want more examples of that.
If there is a song that is obviously about an animal that you're just dying to share, well, you can post those too. Thanks!
For example, it's been said that Freddie Mercury wrote You're My Best Friend about his cat but the song comes across as a song written about a person. I want more examples of that.
If there is a song that is obviously about an animal that you're just dying to share, well, you can post those too. Thanks!
Led Zeppelin's "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp" is about Robert Plant's dog, Strider.
And I'm pretty sure "You're my best friend" was written by John Deacon, not Freddie.
posted by drjimmy11 at 3:26 PM on March 1, 2012 [2 favorites]
And I'm pretty sure "You're my best friend" was written by John Deacon, not Freddie.
posted by drjimmy11 at 3:26 PM on March 1, 2012 [2 favorites]
Wop-A-Din-Din by Red House Painters doesn't say "cat" by name, but I suppose if you're paying any attention at all, it might be obvious.
posted by mykescipark at 3:37 PM on March 1, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by mykescipark at 3:37 PM on March 1, 2012 [4 favorites]
There's the song "Martha My Dear" from the Beatles' White Album ... it was about Paul McCartney's dog, I believe.
posted by dacoit at 3:38 PM on March 1, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by dacoit at 3:38 PM on March 1, 2012 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: Okay so I was wrong about the Queen song but in my mind it will forever remain a song about a cat. (Plus I like to sing it to my cats).
posted by MaryDellamorte at 3:39 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by MaryDellamorte at 3:39 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
Neil Finn has claimed that "Black and White Boy" was written about his Dalmatian, but most people believe it was about Crowded House drummer Paul Hester.
posted by darksong at 3:39 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by darksong at 3:39 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
"Me and My Arrow," from Harry Nilsson's The Point is about a dog named Arrow.
posted by Francolin at 3:40 PM on March 1, 2012 [5 favorites]
posted by Francolin at 3:40 PM on March 1, 2012 [5 favorites]
For a long time it was rumored that Izzy Stradlin wrote Guns n' Roses' "Used to Love Her" about a dog, but apparently that's not actually the case.
posted by infinitywaltz at 3:45 PM on March 1, 2012
posted by infinitywaltz at 3:45 PM on March 1, 2012
"Shannon" by Henry Gross is about Beach Boy Carl Wilson's irish setter.
posted by Ardiril at 3:52 PM on March 1, 2012
posted by Ardiril at 3:52 PM on March 1, 2012
Well, more about an animal as a metaphor about people, and not really reflective of your question, but I Crush Everything by Jonathon Coulton is about a very sad giant squid.
posted by elendil71 at 3:58 PM on March 1, 2012
posted by elendil71 at 3:58 PM on March 1, 2012
I can't believe I'm the first to mention "Mandy."
posted by chaiminda at 4:02 PM on March 1, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by chaiminda at 4:02 PM on March 1, 2012 [2 favorites]
Patty Griffin's Heavenly Day is a love song, but when I saw her live, she told an adorable story about how people always tell her they played it at their wedding, and she feels bad about it because she wrote it for her dog.
posted by pazazygeek at 4:16 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by pazazygeek at 4:16 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
I'm convinced Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars is about being a dog.
posted by sleepcrime at 4:19 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by sleepcrime at 4:19 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
I can't believe I'm the first to mention "Mandy."
Mandy is not actually about a dog; it's a cover of a song called Brandy but Barry Manilow changed the name so as to avoid confusion with the song by Looking Glass.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 4:28 PM on March 1, 2012
Mandy is not actually about a dog; it's a cover of a song called Brandy but Barry Manilow changed the name so as to avoid confusion with the song by Looking Glass.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 4:28 PM on March 1, 2012
I heard that Perfect Drug was about Trent Reznor's dog, but that could just be one of those bizarre rumors.
posted by sleep_walker at 4:31 PM on March 1, 2012
posted by sleep_walker at 4:31 PM on March 1, 2012
Freddy Mecury did actually right a song about\for his cat. Not really his finest hour, but here: Delilah
posted by Gygesringtone at 4:43 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Gygesringtone at 4:43 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
May be apocryphal, but I'd always heard that Simon and Garfunkel's "Cecilia" was about Paul Simon's dog. The lyrics and whistles certainly make more sense that way.
posted by Bardolph at 5:45 PM on March 1, 2012
posted by Bardolph at 5:45 PM on March 1, 2012
Boris the Spider, allegedly Jimi Hendrix's favorite song by The Who.
posted by runningwithscissors at 6:03 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by runningwithscissors at 6:03 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
May be apocryphal, but I'd always heard that Simon and Garfunkel's "Cecilia" was about Paul Simon's dog
Not to derail, but that song makes more sense to me as being about St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians. Could be a little of each I suppose.
posted by drjimmy11 at 6:40 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
Not to derail, but that song makes more sense to me as being about St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians. Could be a little of each I suppose.
posted by drjimmy11 at 6:40 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
This outs my mall-punk background, but The Suicide Machines "I Don't Mind" is a good example (although, it becomes more obvious over the course of the song).
posted by Paper rabies at 7:08 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Paper rabies at 7:08 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
My Pal Foot Foot by the Shaggs obviously wins some kinda award for anthropomorphic ambiguity. Foot Foot is like a shark? Yet also maybe like a pet?
posted by ovvl at 7:17 PM on March 1, 2012
posted by ovvl at 7:17 PM on March 1, 2012
"Penelope" by Pinback is a dead giveaway once you realize the song mentions scales and a bowl, but on first listen you might think it's about a woman, not a goldfish.
posted by slow graffiti at 8:12 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by slow graffiti at 8:12 PM on March 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
"Lilly" by Pink Martini -- it's about a dog, but on first listen it sounds like it could be about a femme fatale.
posted by clair-de-lune at 11:11 PM on March 1, 2012
posted by clair-de-lune at 11:11 PM on March 1, 2012
Brian May wrote "All Dead, All Dead" about his beloved cat Squeaky after she passed away.
posted by Oriole Adams at 12:17 AM on March 2, 2012
posted by Oriole Adams at 12:17 AM on March 2, 2012
Get Down by Gilbert O'Sullivan ‘has nothing to do with dancing. It is an order from O'Sullivan to his dog.’
According to Domingo ‘Sam The Sham’ Samudio, Woolly Bully was the name of his cat—although the song isn’t really about the feline in question.
posted by misteraitch at 3:19 AM on March 2, 2012
According to Domingo ‘Sam The Sham’ Samudio, Woolly Bully was the name of his cat—although the song isn’t really about the feline in question.
posted by misteraitch at 3:19 AM on March 2, 2012
The Weakerthans "Plea from a Cat Named Virtute" is obvious, but it's just so beautiful.
posted by dlugoczaj at 5:39 AM on March 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by dlugoczaj at 5:39 AM on March 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
Chris Smither's Get a Better One sounds like it's about girlfriends until you realize, in the last verse, that it's about dogs.
And dlugoczaj, if we're going to discuss Virtute, then there's also Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure.
posted by richyoung at 7:59 AM on March 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
And dlugoczaj, if we're going to discuss Virtute, then there's also Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure.
posted by richyoung at 7:59 AM on March 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
richyoung--the Virtute link's to the wrong song, but I looked it up anyway (didn't know about that one).
crying at work again--thanks.
posted by dlugoczaj at 11:00 AM on March 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
crying at work again--thanks.
posted by dlugoczaj at 11:00 AM on March 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
Weezer's "Freak Me Out" is about a spider per Brian Bell
posted by bluesapphires at 1:53 PM on March 2, 2012
posted by bluesapphires at 1:53 PM on March 2, 2012
Elijah, Animal Logic. If you listen to the lyrics, it's pretty obviously about a cat, but written with a broader focus that's more about the singer's unfilled emotional needs, so in a sense it could also be about a boyfriend.
posted by dhartung at 2:36 PM on March 2, 2012
posted by dhartung at 2:36 PM on March 2, 2012
Paul McCartney had a pony named "Jet", though the song "Jet" is not necessarily about the pony. Inspired by, perhaps.
posted by oneirodynia at 3:53 PM on March 2, 2012
posted by oneirodynia at 3:53 PM on March 2, 2012
It becomes clear throughout the song that it's about a dog, but Norah Jones' Man of the Hour.
posted by melissasaurus at 8:06 AM on March 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by melissasaurus at 8:06 AM on March 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by El Sabor Asiatico at 3:25 PM on March 1, 2012 [3 favorites]