"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.
Big Girl
Dr. Dog Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sha-na-na-na-na she's a big girl now
She had such wild expectations when she was very young
But you couldn't stand to see her happy or having fun
But she's a big girl now and she can't be your baby anymore
You had her doing all the dishes, had her mopping the floor
But she's a big girl now she can't be your baby anymore
She could have been anything that she wanted
She could have had anything at all
But you broke her down man, you nearly undid her
You made her feel so very small
You made her call you daddy, changed the color of her hair
And when you stayed out very late you had her waiting on the stairs
But she's a big girl now and she can't be your baby anymore
She's coming with me
The song "Big Girl" by Dr. Dog is a poignant commentary on an emotionally abusive relationship, where a woman is broken down by a man who controlled every aspect of her life. The lyrics suggest that the woman had high expectations in life when she was younger, but her partner could not bear to see her happy and stripped away her self-worth little by little. The repeated refrain of "she's a big girl now" emphasizes the woman's growth and independence, and the contrast between her past life as a submissive "baby" and her current state as a confident adult is striking.
The song uses vivid imagery to portray the abuse the woman endured: she was made to do all the household chores, wait for her partner on the stairs, and even change her hair color to please him. All of these actions belittle the woman's autonomy and reinforce the power dynamic in the relationship. The point of view of the song seems to be from a third person who is observing or intervening in the woman's life, trying to rescue her from the clutches of her abusive partner.
Overall, "Big Girl" is a powerful song that sheds light on the issue of emotional abuse and the importance of breaking free from toxic relationships. The song encourages women to take control of their lives and assert their independence.
Line by Line Meaning
She's a big girl now and she can't be your baby anymore
She's no longer a child and can't be dependent on you anymore.
Sha-na-na-na-na she's a big girl now
The repetition of 'sha-na-na-na-na' emphasizes that she's truly grown up.
She had such wild expectations when she was very young
As a child, she had high hopes and dreams for her future.
But you couldn't stand to see her happy or having fun
You didn't support her dreams and instead held her back from enjoying her life.
You had her doing all the dishes, had her mopping the floor
You made her do all the household chores, treating her like a servant or maid.
You had your dinner on the table when you walked through the door
You expected her to cater to your needs and have your dinner ready when you arrived home.
She could have been anything that she wanted
She had the potential to become anything she desired.
She could have had anything at all
She could have achieved any goal or acquired any possession that she wanted.
But you broke her down man, you nearly undid her
You emotionally damaged her, almost to the point of no return.
You made her feel so very small
You diminished her self-worth and self-esteem.
You made her call you daddy, changed the color of her hair
You exerted control over her by making her address you in a paternalistic manner and by dictating her appearance.
And when you stayed out very late you had her waiting on the stairs
You made her wait for you even when you were irresponsible and disrespectful by coming home late.
She's coming with me
She's choosing to leave your toxic influence and is moving on with her life.
Contributed by Grayson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kkins100
Love Dr. Dog and this song one of my fav's of theirs! Great album.
LittleGreenBit
Love this song
TheReindeer TheRabbitTheBat
I had to put this song on for my wife just now... she's not amused. I can't help it, every time somebody says "big girl", I think of this song. So when she said "I'm a big girl now", I had to hear it.
jillian
One of my favorite songs...
Tim Knight
accidently came across it looking for another song, but love it :D
Bradley Clayton
This is the best song
Sarah Bear
perfect ugh i can't even
Johnny Marke
good song
Valerie Gilmore
this is the best song; you're crazy
nakbomb
come together