"There's a little folk, blues, indie rock, soul, bluegrass--and a whole lot of down-home harmonizing. It conjures images of old friends sitting on a porch swapping instruments and just letting the tape recorder run." - Doug Wallen
Dr. Dog has been creating music in various incarnations for four years now. Beginning with The Psychedelic Swamp, a concept album realized in the damp ruin of a flooded basement with waterlogged guitars and a digital delay pedal, the band has simmered on the back burner of our musical lives for most of its existence but we've recently renewed our resolve to forge ahead and give Dr. Dog the attention we think it deserves.
Although Dr. Dog has as many as 20 honorary "members" who have assisted in various (mostly spiritual) capacities through the years, the core of the band consists of five musicians. Our standard instrumentation includes two guitars, bass, drums, keyboard and three part harmonies. The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Tom Waits, David Bowie and Neil Young are influences, but we would be remiss in not acknowledging our debt to Pavement, Palace Brothers, R. Stevie Moore or Roy Wood.
Currently, the lineup is as such: Toby Leaman on bass and singing, Scott McMicken on woof+mud distortion solo guitar and voice, Frank McElroy on lean clean occasionally tremolo'd guitar, Zach Miller on keyboard(s) and Eric Slick on drums.
We've all done our share of playing. Toby and Scott have played together in a myriad of bands including Raccoon, Unleash the Bastards, and Beard; Andrew played bass in Raccoon and managed the phenomenal The Teeth; Zach has played with Bradford Trojan and Traffic Jam and studied jazz guitar.
Aside from the aforementioned Swamp album - a self-produced, self-recorded low-fi four track recording - we have two other recordings. Toothbrush is a compilation of fourth generation eight-track recordings culled from the past few years. Easy Beat was the first proper record, followed by the 2006 EP Takers and Leavers and two full-length albums, 2006's We All Belong and 2008's Fate. The latest release is called Shame, Shame, and was released April 6th, 2010.
Army of Ancients
Dr. Dog Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And tear every nation apart
And I'd still be sitting there counting my cards
Wondering when will it stop
The oceans and forests could collide into one
And my [unknown] in a spark
And I'd still be sitting there twiddling my thumbs
How did the fox get the rave and the crows?
I got it, I got it
Oh yeah
Why at the creek did the dog lose the bone?
I got it, I got it
Oh yeah
The man can come back on his fiery thrown
To measure the failures in heart
And I'd still be whistling dixie alone
Wondering when will it stop
I don't want to wake up, I don't want to move
I'd ask and assume it'd stick to the boot
I'm sorry
Well, I take what I want in the dawn's early light
How did the fox get the rave and the crow?
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Why did the hen pick grains in the snow
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Why did the brother bury his gold?
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Where took the ref when the kids came along?
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Why did the mouse help the bees with the floor?
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
The lyrics of Dr. Dog's song "Army of Ancients" reflects the feeling of being powerless in the face of the unstoppable force of natural disasters and other cataclysmic events. The singer acknowledges the fact that even if he were to witness the greatest devastation caused by ancient armies or the collision of oceans and forests, he would still be sitting there, counting cards and twiddling his thumbs, unable to do anything to change the course of events. He wonders when it will stop and when he will be able to take action. The lyrics show a sense of despair, highlighting the helplessness of the human spirit in the face of the unstoppable forces of nature.
The song also features a series of questions that are seemingly unrelated, adding to the mystique and enigma of the lyrics. For example, "How did the fox get the rave and the crows?" and "Why did the mouse help the bees with the floor?" are intriguing questions that add a layer of complexity to the song's meaning. The lyrics suggest that the answer to these questions may be unknowable or unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Instead, they serve more as a device to illustrate the juxtaposition of natural forces and the limited power of human observation.
In summary, "Army of Ancients" is a melancholic song that speaks to the futility of human action in the face of great natural forces. The mystical questions throughout the song add depth and complexity that contribute to the overall feeling of despair and helplessness.
Line by Line Meaning
An army of ancients can rise from the ground
An unstoppable force of old warriors could appear and destroy everything
And tear every nation apart
They would destroy every country they come across
And I'd still be sitting there counting my cards
Despite the chaos, the singer remains uninterested and occupied with a personal task
Wondering when will it stop
Feeling helpless and unsure when the destruction will come to an end
The oceans and forests could collide into one
Even if two natural forces that seem impossible to merge do so
And my [unknown] in a spark
Referencing an unknown personal matter that is insignificant compared to the devastation happening
And I'd still be sitting there twiddling my thumbs
The singer remains uninvolved with the destruction, feeling indifferent
Wondering when will it stop
Feeling helpless and unaware of when the destruction will cease
How did the fox get the rave and the crows?
Asking a rhetorical question about how one can acquire what seems to be opposing things
I got it, I got it Oh yeah
Assuming the answer is clear and understood
Why at the creek did the dog lose the bone?
Posing a question about a situation of loss in nature
I got it, I got it Oh yeah
Assuming the answer is clear and understood
The man can come back on his fiery throne
Alluding to a biblical reference of a man returning on a throne of fire
To measure the failures in heart
He will come to judge souls based on their moral failures
And I'd still be whistling dixie alone
Despite the prospect of judgement day, the singer remains indifferent and unbothered.
Wondering when will it stop
Unsure of when the destruction will end, if it ever will
I don't want to wake up, I don't want to move
Resisting the need to engage with the chaos happening in the world
I'd ask and assume it'd stick to the boot
Hoping for an easy solution, without taking action to resolve the issue
I'm sorry
Regretful for lack of involvement and response
Well, I take what I want in the dawn's early light
The artist takes what they want without regard for others, perhaps feeling entitled to do so
How did the fox get the rave and the crow? Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Repeating the same rhetorical question from earlier, still pondering how a seemingly conflicting pairing can occur
Why did the hen pick grains in the snow? Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Raising another natural question about unexpected behavior in nature
Why did the brother bury his gold? Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Questioning the motives behind personal actions, highlighting the mystery and complexity of human behavior
Where took the ref when the kids came along? Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Asking about a situation where a referee is missing, adding a layer of confusion and uncertainty
Why did the mouse help the bees with the floor? Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Asking an absurd question about the peculiar behavior of animals
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SCOTT MCMICKEN, TOBY LEAMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bailey Carter
An army of ancients could rise from the ground
And tear every nation apart
And I'd still be sitting there counting my cards
Wondering when will it start?
The oceans and forests could collide into one
And muddy this world in a spark
And I'd still be sitting there twiddling my thumbs
Wondering when will it start?
How did the fox get the raven to crow?
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Why at the creek, did the dog lose the bone?
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
The man could come back on his fiery throne
To measure the feathers and hearts
And I'd still be whistling Dixie alone
Wondering when will it start?
I don't want to wake up
I don't want to move
I'll skip the sermon and stick to the booze
I'm sorry
Well I'll take what I want in the dawns early light Ohh
How did the fox get the raven to crow?
Why did the hen pick grains in the snow?
Why did the brother bury his gold?
The man took the rats but his kids came along
Why did the mouse help the beast with his thorn?
Does this town know how to make soup without stones?
Lizandro Paniagua Salazar
An army of ancients could rise from the ground
And tear every nation apart
And I'd still be sitting there counting my cards
Wondering when will it start
The oceans and forests could collide into one
And might rip this world in a spark
And I'd still be sitting there twiddling my thumbs
Wondering when will it start?
How did the fox get the raven to crow?
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Why at the creek did the dog lose the bone?
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
The man could come back on his fiery throne
To measure the feathers and hearts
And I'd still be whistling Dixie alone
Wondering when will it start?
I don't wanna wake up
I don't wanna move
I'll skip the sermon and stick to the booze
I'm sorry
But I'll take what I want in the dawn's early light
How did the fox get the raven to crow?
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Why did the hen pick grains in the snow?
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Why did the brother bury his gold?
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
The man took the rats but the kids came along
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Bailey Carter
An army of ancients could rise from the ground
And tear every nation apart
And I'd still be sitting there counting my cards
Wondering when will it start?
The oceans and forests could collide into one
And muddy this world in a spark
And I'd still be sitting there twiddling my thumbs
Wondering when will it start?
How did the fox get the raven to crow?
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Why at the creek, did the dog lose the bone?
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
The man could come back on his fiery throne
To measure the feathers and hearts
And I'd still be whistling Dixie alone
Wondering when will it start?
I don't want to wake up
I don't want to move
I'll skip the sermon and stick to the booze
I'm sorry
Well I'll take what I want in the dawns early light Ohh
How did the fox get the raven to crow?
Why did the hen pick grains in the snow?
Why did the brother bury his gold?
The man took the rats but his kids came along
Why did the mouse help the beast with his thorn?
Does this town know how to make soup without stones?
luke tracey
🍀
EandRproductions12
They did a live concert for free in a park in my city a few years back. The backdrop they performed in front of was Dr. Seuss themed because of a play that was going on there at the time. Seeing this music in front of Dr. Seuss shaped trees and colors is unmatched!! forever wish I was back there laying in Prescott Park listening to the sweet music without a care in the world. Love
lebebop
I heard this for the first time when I was in Scotland/Ireland in 2017. I had gotten robbed outside out Dublin and all my luggage was stolen out of my car when I stopped on route to Belfast. I had gotten engaged a few days prior and this song single handedly broke and fixed me at various points in the trip.
Papa Fluoride
How can I consume this in a more satisfying way, I would like to drink it until I'm drunk on it, while I bathe in it, and let me sink down below the water line and drown in it, and then find peace from it.
Stevie Klinefelter
Currently melting to this song
Valeria
What are your hypotheses on this lyrics' meaning?, I've been listening to it over and over with my boyfriend as he's a huge fan of this band and somehow thought it was romantic, but now that I've paid attention to what it says I'm doubtful, hahaha. Perhaps a social critique or some sort of philosophical meditation?
Be Still and Know with Adam
The song refers to a person who is currently so drunk that the dead armies of the ancients could rise, literal Armageddon or end of the world stuff and they would be like, “When’s it starting?” The other lines that are more questions are referring to Aesop’s Fables, a collection of folklore stories and parables that give a lesson to the listener. Most follow animals who make mistakes and usually learn life’s lessons the hard way. In asking why all these foolish animals were able to be tricked, essentially, they are really asking how did I let myself get into this mess? They then admit they don’t want to move or wake up but would prefer to stay in their stupor and then yell “I’m sorry!” either because they are just not able to get it together OR because maybe this hints to them having messed up and that’s why they are so sad and apologising for messing up. But that’s the essential gist of it. 🙏🏽
J.C Camarillo
Some of these are nursery rhymes / or children's stories if that helps
Joshua Copelin
I think as you said it's a philosophical meditation, each of the metaphors don't really match up under one word meanings. But I do believe in general it's a view of life from Dr Dog seems like a pretty shit and truthful meaning of it lol