Bull began performing in and around Sydney in the early 2000s, eventually getting the attention of producer Tony Buchen in 2004. Buchen, having worked with other successful acts such as Blue King Brown, Macromantics and The Whitlams, felt that Bull's style of music required different approach to recording, and the two experimented with older recording techniques such as analogue.
Wanting to develop Bull's talent further, but still nurture his individual style, they then travelled together to New York City, where they produced and mixed songs for Bull's debut album at the Electric Lady Studios. Bull signed to Island Records, a part of Universal Music Australia, in 2007. In 2007, Bull supported Joss Stone on her Australian tour and, in 2008, increased in popularity by being played regularly by the radio station Triple J.
Bull's debut single was released in August 2008. Entitled "Small Town Girl", it was taken from his debut album We're Too Young. In 2008, Bull toured with Garage to V winners, Little Red. His first headlining national tour commenced in late 2008. A music video was also made for "Young Man," the second single from the album. Bull would continue to tour extensively in support of the album throughout the rest of 2008 and 2009, notably joining Tim Finn's national tour as an opening act, performing solo as opposed to with his six-piece band. He also opened for a MySpace secret show in Sydney featuring U.K. neo-soul singer Duffy in that same year.
In May 2009, Bull toured in support of Lisa Mitchell's Australian tour, prior to the July release of her Platinum selling debut album "Wonder". During the tour, Bull performed his support set solo. For her own set, Mitchell was to play guitar, accompanied by bass player Jan Bangma and drummer Robert Vasey. Before the second show of the tour, however, Mitchell's hand was cut in an accident. Due to Mitchell's injury, she was unable to play guitar and so Bull stepped in, learning the set on piano in lieu of the guitar parts. Bull played in the band for the remainder of that tour, fomenting Bull and Mitchell's friendship, which would lead to their collaboration on Bull's song "Dog" the following year.
In September of 2009, Bull released "We're Too Young", the recording of which had been completed the previous year with producer Tony Buchen. The album enjoyed a good critical reception, including a 4/5 star review in Rolling Stone Magazine.
Dog
Andy Bull Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It waits ‘round the corner and hides in the trees
I feel the chill of something blown in on a breeze
In the light of a cinema screen I hide
Laughing I only feel empty inside
Crying means nothing, I’ve nothing to say
I wish I could kick this old black dog away
And the worst part is knowing my part in it all
Yeah the worst part is knowing its nothing at all
If I can pull myself together I’ll try
I can’t explain the tear that sits in my eye
I try to outsmart him but somehow he knows
Wherever I am, that fucking dog goes
I’ll kill him the next time I swear I won’t fail
I’ll kick in his ribs and I’ll rip off his tail
And the worst part is thinking it’s something it’s not
Yeah the worst part is thinking it might never stop
If I can pull myself together I’ll try
I can’t explain the tear that sits in my eye
And the worst part is trying to explain it to you
Yeah worst part is knowing there’s nothing to, do
If I can pull myself together I’ll try
But I can't explain the tear that sits in my eye
If I can pull myself together I’ll try
If I can’t pull myself together I’ll die
The lyrics of "Dog" by Andy Bull describe a struggle with something internal, represented by an old black dog that is constantly hounding the singer. Though it waits around corners and hides in trees, it is always present, following him wherever he goes. The singer attempts to shake it off, to outsmart it, even to kill it, but it continues to haunt him, and he feels powerless in its presence.
The chorus speaks to the sense of futility and hopelessness that come with struggling against something that seems unconquerable. The singer would like to pull himself together, but the tear that sits in his eye suggests that he is deeply affected by whatever is troubling him, and that it may not be something he can easily overcome. He feels empty and insignificant, unable to articulate what it is that is causing this internal conflict, and unable to express his emotions in any meaningful way.
The song captures a powerful sense of anxiety and despair, and the lyrics are carefully crafted to convey a sense of deep inner turmoil. Ultimately, the song suggests that sometimes our struggles are existential in nature, and that fighting against them is a difficult and often futile endeavor.
Line by Line Meaning
This old black dog is hounding me
Andy is plagued by a persistent, unwelcome presence represented by the metaphorical image of an old black dog.
It waits ‘round the corner and hides in the trees
The dog seems to lurk in corners and shadows, keeping a watchful eye on Andy.
I feel the chill of something blown in on a breeze
The eerie presence of the dog gives Andy a cold, unsettling feeling.
In the light of a cinema screen I hide
Andy seeks refuge in the escapism of movies, using them to distract himself from the dog's presence.
Laughing I only feel empty inside
Even when trying to have fun, Andy can't shake the feeling of the dog looming over him.
Crying means nothing, I’ve nothing to say
Andy feels like he has no outlet or way to express his emotions about the dog's haunting presence.
I wish I could kick this old black dog away
Despite feeling powerless, Andy wishes he could banish the dog from his life.
And the worst part is knowing my part in it all
Andy realizes that he may be partially responsible or contributing to the problem of the dog's presence.
Yeah the worst part is knowing its nothing at all
The realization that there may not even be a concrete reason for the dog's presence is particularly distressing for Andy.
If I can pull myself together I’ll try
Andy has a desire to overcome the dog's influence and attempts to gather himself.
I can’t explain the tear that sits in my eye
Despite his efforts, Andy still feels emotional and overwhelmed by the dog's presence.
I try to outsmart him but somehow he knows
Andy attempts to outmaneuver the dog, but feels like the dog always stays one step ahead.
Wherever I am, that fucking dog goes
The dog's presence is all-encompassing and follows Andy everywhere he goes.
I’ll kill him the next time I swear I won’t fail
Andy feels like he will stop at nothing to defeat the dog's power over him.
I’ll kick in his ribs and I’ll rip off his tail
Andy's violent and vengeful language shows just how much the dog's presence has affected him.
And the worst part is thinking it’s something it’s not
Andy struggles with not knowing the true nature or purpose of the dog's presence.
Yeah the worst part is thinking it might never stop
The uncertainty of whether the dog's presence will ever cease weighs heavily on Andy.
And the worst part is trying to explain it to you
Andy feels like he can't adequately convey the distress caused by the dog's presence to others.
Yeah worst part is knowing there’s nothing to, do
Ultimately, Andy feels powerless in the face of the dog's presence and doesn't see a clear path forward.
If I can’t pull myself together I’ll die
The intense emotions and distress caused by the dog's presence make Andy feel like he may not be able to continue on if he can't overcome it.
Contributed by Gabriel K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.