"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.
Keep a Friend
Dr. Dog Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I ain't poor
But I'm a beggar for your love
And enough it ain't enough
You can call me crazy
You can call me anything you like
Even gluttons got to eat,
But I hunger for your love
And enough it ain't enough
Well I'd pawn my heart if I thought you'd break it
Sell my soul if I thought you'd take it
But every smile and conversation lets me know
that you're only in it for love
I intend to keep a friend in love
Please remember, I don't pretend in love
Even kings they ask for more,
Well I ain't sure
But I'm a pauper for your love
And enough it ain't enough
You can call me crazy
You can call me anything you like
Even rivers ask for rain,
Well I ain't sand
But I'm a desert for your love
And enough it ain't enough
Well I'd pawn my heart if I thought you'd break it
Sell my soul if I thought you'd take it
But every smile and conversation lets me know
that you're only in it for love
I intend to keep a friend in love
Please remember, I don't pretend in love
I intend to keep a friend in love
Please remember, I don't pretend in love
Dr. Dog's song "Keep a Friend" is about wanting and needing someone's love or attention, but realizing that they may not feel the same way. The lyrics use a variety of metaphors to express this, such as "even rich men ask for more, well I ain't poor, but I'm a beggar for your love." The singer is saying that even though they may have everything they need in life, they still feel incomplete without the love of this person. They are willing to give up anything for their love, even their heart or soul, but they know that the other person may not feel the same way. The chorus includes the line, "I intend to keep a friend in love, please remember, I don't pretend in love," which shows the singer's desire to maintain a relationship with this person, even if it is only as friends.
The song is ultimately about unrequited love and the pain that comes with it. The singer acknowledges that they cannot force someone to love them, but they still hope to maintain a connection with this person in some way. They understand that love is not always enough and sometimes it is better to keep a friend than to lose them completely.
Line by Line Meaning
Even rich men ask for more,
Well I ain't poor
But I'm a beggar for your love
And enough it ain't enough
You can call me crazy
You can call me anything you like
Despite being financially stable, I crave your love just like someone who is poverty-stricken. Everything you offer is not enough for me, and I understand if you question my sanity or judge me, but that doesn't change how I feel.
Even gluttons got to eat,
Well I ain't weak
But I hunger for your love
And enough it ain't enough
Just like a glutton needs food to survive, I need your love to thrive. I am not weak, but my desire for you is insatiable. No matter what you offer me, it is never enough.
Well I'd pawn my heart if I thought you'd break it
Sell my soul if I thought you'd take it
But every smile and conversation lets me know
that you're only in it for love
I would do anything to prove my love for you, even if it means giving up my own heart or soul. However, your behavior tells me that you only care about me for what I can offer you, which is love.
Even kings they ask for more,
Well I ain't sure
But I'm a pauper for your love
And enough it ain't enough
You can call me crazy
You can call me anything you like
Even those who have everything want more, and while I may not be a king, I feel just as desperate for your love. No matter how much you give me, it is never enough, and I don't care what names you call me for feeling this way.
Even rivers ask for rain,
Well I ain't sand
But I'm a desert for your love
And enough it ain't enough
Rivers need rain to continue flowing, and just like them, I need your love to keep going. I may not be dry as sand, but my thirst for your love is just as strong. However, everything you offer is still not enough for me.
I intend to keep a friend in love
Please remember, I don't pretend in love
Despite my intense desire for your love, I still intend to keep our relationship as friends. However, I want you to know that my feelings are genuine, and I am not pretending to love you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: SCOTT MCMICKEN, TOBY LEAMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind