In Chicago, she began recording for small soul labels and worked with soon-to-be big name producers Ike Turner and Curtis Mayfield until 1963, when she was picked up by Vee-Jay Records. While recording for Vee-Jay, she released several minor hits including "You're No Good" and the catchy "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" which was her biggest solo hit. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was #1 on the Cashbox R&B chart.
Her other hits included "I Can't Hear You", "Getting Mighty Crowded", and several duets with Jerry Butler, including "Let It Be Me" which made the US Top 5 in 1964 and was another Cashbox R&B number 1. After Vee-Jay folded in 1966, she recorded for several other labels including Uni, Fantasy, and ABC.
She had another major success in 1969 with "There'll Come A Time", which rose to #2 on the Billboard R&B charts and topped the Cashbox chart. While most of her later work could not match the success she had with Vee-Jay, there were other R&B hits with "It's Been A Long Time" and "I Got To Tell Somebody" in 1970. Her final recording came out in 1980. Her awards include the BMI Pop Award, both for 1964 and 1991, and the BMI R&B Award for 1964.
Hound Dog
Betty Everett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Been snoopin' 'round the door
You ain't nothing but a hound dog
Been snoopin' 'round my door
You can wag your tail
But I ain't gonna feed you no more
You told me you was high-class
Yes, you told me you was high-class
But I could see through that
And daddy, I know
You ain't no real cool cat
You ain't nothing but a hound dog
Been snoopin' 'round the door
You're just an old hound dog
Been snoopin' 'round my door
You can wag your tail
But I ain't gonna feed you no more, oh play it on Sam, oh!
Aw, listen to that there old hound dog
Oh, play it, it s'all right in here
Oh, listen to that there old hound dog holler
Oh, play it boy, play it
Oh, you make me feel good
Oh, do the mess around right now, yeah
Now wag your tail
Oh, get it now
Oh, get it now, get it, get it, get it
Oh, go, holler boy
You made me feel so blue
You made me weep and moan
You made me feel so blue
Well you made me weep and moan
'Cause you ain't looking for a woman
All you lookin' is for a home
You ain't nothing but a hound dog
Quit snoopin' 'round the door
You ain't nothing but a hound dog
Quit snoopin' 'round my door
You can wag your tail
But I ain't gonna feed you no more, oh!
The song "Hound Dog" by Betty Everett is a classic blues song about a man who is nothing more than a selfish, lazy hound dog who has been snoopin' around the door. The lyrics are a metaphor for a man who is just using the singer for her resources and has no intention of committing to a relationship. The singer is calling out the man for pretending to be high-class but being able to see through his true intentions. She wants to cut ties with him and move on.
The song conveys a sense of empowerment as the singer realizes her worth and refuses to allow the man to manipulate her anymore. The overall mood of the song is upbeat and bluesy, with lively instrumentals accompanying the vocals. The singer also uses playful language, such as "wag your tail," to convey her message in a humorous and light-hearted tone.
Line by Line Meaning
You ain't nothing but a hound dog
You are nothing but a dog with an insatiable hunger for food and attention
Been snoopin' 'round the door
You have been lurking around in hopes of finding food or other resources
You ain't nothing but a hound dog
You really are nothing more than a tenacious hound who will stop at nothing to find more food
Been snoopin' 'round my door
You have been rummaging around in my belongings, trying to find anything you can use to your advantage
You can wag your tail
You can try to show affection in hopes of getting food or attention
But I ain't gonna feed you no more
But I am not going to give in to your demands anymore. You need to find other ways to survive.
You told me you was high-class
You tried to present yourself as sophisticated and polished
But I could see through that
But I could easily tell that you were just pretending
Yes, you told me you was high-class
You went to great lengths to impress me with your false persona
But I could see through that
But I could see that you were not genuine
And daddy, I know
And I know for a fact that
You ain't no real cool cat
You are definitely not the suave and impressive person you were trying to emulate
You're just an old hound dog
You are simply an old, hungry dog with a one-track mind
Aw, listen to that there old hound dog
Listen to that dog howling pitifully
Oh, play it, it s'all right in here
Oh, keep playing your music as it is perfectly fine in here
Oh, listen to that there old hound dog holler
Oh, listen to that dog cry out for more food
You made me feel so blue
You caused me a great amount of sadness and distress
You made me weep and moan
You caused me to cry and express my grief
Well you made me weep and moan
You truly upset me with your actions
'Cause you ain't looking for a woman
Because you are not seeking companionship and mutual love
All you lookin' is for a home
All you are looking for is a place to stay and find food
Quit snoopin' 'round the door
Stop lurking around and searching for food and other resources
But I ain't gonna feed you no more
But I am done giving in to your never-ending appetite
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind