Out here in the street
Is not where I want to be
Under her feet
Just to be with her
The sheets are on the line billowing
We'll sleep with the smell of the breeze
The places I've been
Or someone I used to be
Out here in the street
Nothing grows
There's nothing that I don't
Already own
There's a big big world in there
And I want it all
From the tips of her hair
To the core
I'm just a dog
Training to be a man
I'm just a dog
Learning stuff I don't understand
But at night I howl
But at night I howl
And even though I hate it
I need a good bathing
A long untangling
Cause my heart's aching
I'm just a dog
Training to be a man
I'm just a dog
But at night I howl
Just a dog
I'm just a dog

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Tindersticks' song "Just a Dog" appear to convey the primal need for companionship, love, and affection. The beginning lines of the song immediately set its melancholic mood, with the singer stating how being out in the street 'is not where he wants to be.' He craves the presence of his significant other so much that he is willing to subject himself to their feet just to be around them. The scene then shifts to a more hopeful image of the couple together with the sheets billowing on the line and the smell of the breeze as they sleep. The loneliness that the singer feels is palpable when he says that 'nothing grows' in the street, but he already owns everything out there.

The central theme of this song is the singer's attempt to reconcile his animal instincts with an equally strong desire to grow as a person. He describes himself as 'just a dog, 'training to be a man' while showing his vulnerability towards the woman he loves. There is a sense of confusion and uncertainty in the lyrics about what it means to be human and the limits of their existence. The singer's emotions are conveyed with a sense of poetic vulnerability, showing how deeply he yearns for his lover's attention and empathy despite feeling trapped in his own flesh.

Line by Line Meaning

Out here in the street
Being out on the street is not where I want to be.

Is not where I want to be
I don't want to be out here in the street.

Under her feet
I desire to be close to her.

Just to be with her
I only want to be with her.

The sheets are on the line billowing
The bed sheets are hanging out on the clothesline fluttering in the breeze.

We'll sleep with the smell of the breeze
We will inhale the scent of the night air as we lie in bed.

The places I've been
The many different places I have visited.

Or someone I used to be
The person I used to be in the past.

Out here in the street
It's bleak and nothing grows here.

Nothing grows
The street is devoid of life.

There's nothing that I don't already own
There is nothing left for me to acquire or possess.