Hound Dog
Big Mama Mae Thornton Lyrics
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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!
In Big Mama's song "Hound Dog," the singer is addressing a man who she compares to a dog. The man has been "snoopin' 'round the door," which implies that he's been cheating on her or otherwise behaving inappropriately. She tells him that he might try to act cute and friendly, wagging his tail like a dog, but she's not going to feed him anymore - meaning, she's not going to put up with his behavior any longer. She goes on to say that he had tried to call himself "high class," but she could see through that - she knows he's not a "real cool cat," or a desirable man.
One interesting fact about this song is that it was actually written by two white songwriters, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, specifically for Big Mama Thornton to perform. It was originally intended to be a country song, but Thornton and her band transformed it into a bluesy, R&B track. Another interesting fact is that Elvis Presley famously recorded a cover of "Hound Dog" in 1956 that became a massive hit, overshadowing Thornton's version in popularity. Thornton did not receive proper credit or royalties for her version until many years later. The song has also been covered by many other artists over the years, including The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.
Chords: G, C, D
Source: https://www.azchords.com/t/thorntonbigmama-tabs-4723/hounddog-tabs-150982.html
Line by Line Meaning
You ain't nothing but a hound dog
You're not a loyal and devoted friend or companion; you only pursue your own interests
Been snoopin' 'round the door
You've been prying and snooping around my personal affairs or property
You can wag your tail
You can try to be friendly or appealing
But I ain't gonna feed you no more
But I won't reward your behavior or provide for your needs anymore
You told me you was high-class
You claimed to have manners, taste, and sophistication
But I could see through that
But I saw that you were pretending or putting on a show
And daddy, I know
And I can see clearly or understand completely
You ain't no real cool cat
You're not a truly hip, stylish, or admirable person
You're just an old hound dog
You're merely a persistent and annoying creature
Aw, listen to that there old hound dog
Pay attention to that persistent and annoying creature
You made me feel so blue
You caused me to feel sad, discouraged, or depressed
You made me weep and moan
You caused me to cry and express my emotional pain
Well you made me weep and moan
Indeed, you caused me emotional distress
'Cause you ain't looking for a woman
Because you're not really interested in having a romantic relationship with a woman
All you lookin' is for a home
You're simply searching for a place to live, with no real emotional attachment or commitment
Quit snoopin' 'round the door
Stop prying and snooping around my personal affairs or property
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JERRY LEIBER, MIKE STOLLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jade4652
You ain't nothing but a hound dog
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
But I could see through that
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!
@Ken4Pyro
I remember her comment when some reporter came to talk to her in '77 when Elvis died, and asked her how she felt about him having made millions and her only $100 for this song. Her comment, which was pure Winnie Mae Thornton, was "I'm still here to spend my hundred bucks."
@bobbychelsea4248
Right on Big Mama ....go on with your bad self girlfriend !!!
@None-of-yours22.
Ken4Pyro what she said....mmmhhwwa! Perfect.
@sendmeyourlocation1145
But she's not here anymore and elvis still make money even when he's dead 😂
@IlseBelievesInPink
@Send me your location you mean, somebody else is making money out of his records. Big Mama being dead didn't bring Elvis back to life, the heck do you mean?
@brandonflemming7661
@Send me your location I guess he's in hell spending it then!! 😂😂 damn drug addict!
@pdelevett
Such a powerful vocal. Considering this song changed rock & roll when Elvis covered it, it’s a shame she doesn’t get wider recognition.
@mr.samuels2404
Well she didn't care one Fuck about it.
@juliereminiec6332
Elvis recorded a cover of the Vegas Lounge Act 's rendition ,not Big Mama's
@j.j.4150
He totally change up the song and actually contributed more to it than she did, considering she didn't write a single lyric.