Sometimes I feel like your lover
Savor salt while I′m there
But it feels like I'm drowning in the thick heavy air
And I′m only your souvenir

You put me outside like a bad dog
And you know you're missing out
On my love
On my love
I just want another taste of you
Right there under my tongue
It gets me feeling excited
Why am I tryna hide it?

Remember that song that you wrote me
It wakes me up in the morning
And it feels like I'm drowning in the memories I′ve been avoiding
And I cannot stop destroying

You put me outside like a bad dog
And you know you′re missing out
On my love
On my love
I just want another taste of you
Right there under my tongue
It gets me feeling excited
Why am I tryna hide it?

I'm all fucked up ′cause
I'm missing pieces
I′m all fucked up 'cause
I′m missing pieces

Ego dying
Loner island
I untied when
We went silent
Showed my colors
Stained the carpet
Not another
Fucking artist

Put me outside, I'm a bad dog
And you know you're missing out
On my love
On my love
I just want another taste of you
Right there under my tongue
It gets me feeling excited
Why am I tryna hide it?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Rosie Ugly's song Bad Dog speak about the emotions the singer experiences in a relationship that feels unequal and unrequited. She compares herself to a lover who is simply being savored until the next time, referring to the relationship's transient nature. She feels she is only a souvenir or a memento left behind by someone who doesn't truly value her worth. The singer also mentions a song that was written for her, which brings up memories she's tried to avoid, and yet she cannot help but think about them. The emotions make her feel like a bad dog, an outcast, and she wonders why she's hiding her own excitement for something she wants to experience.

Throughout the lyrics, Rosie Ugly tries to describe her reflection on the worth of her own self by asking why, despite her love and eagerness, she is treated like a bad dog? Why is she being pushed away and made to feel like an unwanted souvenir? She wonders why she's trying to keep her excitement and feelings hidden from the person she loves, despite knowing that she wants to experience more with them. The singer tries to highlight the need for someone to value her worth and not just treat her like a souvenir, indicating that it's time she's treated with respect and love that she deserves.

Line by Line Meaning

Sometimes I feel like your lover
Occasionally, I get the impression that I'm more than a casual fling to you.

Savor salt while I'm there
I thrive on every moment spent with you, every taste of your love.

But it feels like I'm drowning in the thick heavy air
Despite how much I crave your affection, sometimes the weight of it becomes suffocating and unbearable.

And I'm only your souvenir
To you, I am nothing more than a reminder of our past, a physical token of something that no longer exists.

You put me outside like a bad dog
You treat me with disdain, punishment, and give me no regard or affection.

And you know you're missing out / On my love / On my love
You're choosing to ignore or overlook the deep, true emotions I have for you.

I just want another taste of you / Right there under my tongue / It gets me feeling excited / Why am I tryna hide it?
I'm yearning for the sensation of your touch and the feeling of being desired by you, yet at the same time, I feel ashamed for wanting it.

Remember that song that you wrote me / It wakes me up in the morning / And it feels like I'm drowning in the memories I've been avoiding / And I cannot stop destroying
Every time I hear the song you wrote for me, it reminds me of all the happy memories we had together. However, it also draws my attention to the fact that those memories are in the past, and I've been struggling to come to terms with that reality.

I'm all fucked up ′cause / I'm missing pieces
I'm a mess because there are parts of myself I've given to you or that I wish I could have back.

Ego dying / Loner island / I untied when / We went silent / Showed my colors / Stained the carpet / Not another / Fucking artist
After being left alone and isolated, I began to unravel and reveal more of myself than I anticipated, to the point of leaving a mess behind. Though I know I'm not alone in this, I still feel like an outlier in a world of creative people.

Writer(s): Danielle Andrea Puckett

Contributed by Benjamin O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.