"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.
Long Way Down
Dr. Dog Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had a dream my baby didn't want me no more
I was drowning in a sea of love
I was swallowed up by the water above
Oh water above, oh water below
Take me away in your undertow
I've been drinking from a broken cup
And a long way down means a long way up
Yeah a long way down, means a long way up
When I came to
I was feeling high
I got a telephone call from a friend of mine
Coming through so loud and clear
Yeah he was picking me up
Man he felt so near
When I hung up, and I looked around
I could hear the rain hit the cold cold ground
But there was sunshine just because
and it didn't matter what the weather was
Yeah a long way down, means a long way up...
Something unreal
I won't slave for them
I won't behave for them
I will be brave
You can laugh about it,
If you just let go
The song "Long Way Down" by Dr. Dog is about love and how it can be a struggle to hold onto at times. The song opens up with the singer falling asleep after having a dream that his baby doesn't want him anymore. The lyrics "I was drowning in a sea of love, I was swallowed up by the water above" are quite powerful and suggest that the singer felt overwhelmed and consumed by his love for the other person. Then the chorus comes in with the repeated phrase "Take me away in your undertow" and "a long way down means a long way up" - this could be interpreted in different ways. It could suggest that falling in love can be dangerous and lead to a hard road, but that road also leads to an uphill journey that holds great rewards.
In the second verse, the singer wakes up to a phone call from a friend who helps lift him up from his dream and reminds him of the goodness in his life. The lyrics "When I hung up, and I looked around, I could hear the rain hit the cold old ground, but there was sunshine just because" further suggest that sometimes, one needs a reminder that life is full of ups and downs and that even when things seem bleak, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The final verse contains the words "Something unreal, I won't slave for them, I won't behave for them, I will be brave, You can laugh about it, If you just let go". These defiant lyrics suggest that the singer has come out of his dream with a newfound strength of spirit and will not bow down to adversity. The words "if you just let go" could suggest that the singer is speaking to the other person in his dream - and saying that he won't give up on their love, but that they need to let go of their insecurities and fears in order to make it work.
Line by Line Meaning
I fell asleep around quarter to four
The singer mentions the time they fell asleep
I had a dream my baby didn't want me no more
The singer describes the content of a dream in which their partner left them
I was drowning in a sea of love
The singer is overwhelmed by emotions and feels like they are submerged in them
I was swallowed up by the water above
The emotions are so strong that the artist feels like they are being consumed by them
Oh water above, oh water below
The artist addresses the water imagery, feeling surrounded by it
Take me away in your undertow
The singer seems to want to be swept away by the emotions
I've been drinking from a broken cup
The singer has been trying to experience love, but it hasn't been fulfilling
And a long way down means a long way up
The phrase acknowledges that things will get better, but it will be a difficult process
When I came to
The artist is seemingly unconscious or distracted for a time
I was feeling high
The artist feels happy, uplifted in some way
I got a telephone call from a friend of mine
The singer talks about receiving a call from a friend
Coming through so loud and clear
The artist describes how clear the message was over the phone
Yeah he was picking me up
The call was personally significant to the singer
Man he felt so near
The friend on the phone provided a sense of emotional availability
When I hung up, and I looked around
The singer's attention returns to the surrounding environment
I could hear the rain hit the cold cold ground
There is a negative atmosphere despite the artist's previous upliftment
But there was sunshine just because
Despite the physical environment, the artist remains emotionally content
and it didn't matter what the weather was
Neither the environment nor weather impacts the singer's emotional/mental state
Something unreal
The singer describes feeling like things are not quite right or off-kilter
I won't slave for them
The artist is advocating for their independence or is rejecting the notion of being enslaved
I won't behave for them
The artist similarly rejects the idea that they need to behave in a certain way for someone else's satisfaction
I will be brave
The artist asserts their strength and courage
You can laugh about it,
The singer acknowledges that others might find their courage or situation laughable
If you just let go
If the artist can let go of their stress and anxiety, they can find strength and resilience within themselves
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Scott A McMicken, Toby Mark Leaman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@neptuneslife2180
I fell asleep around quarter to four
I had a dream my baby didn't want me no more
I was drowning in a sea of love
I was swallowed up by the water above
Oh water above, oh water below
Take me away in your undertow
I've been drinking from a broken cup
And a long way down means a long way up
Yeah a long way down, means a long way up
When I came to
I was feeling high
I got a telephone call from a friend of mine
Coming through so loud and clear
Yeah he was picking me up
Man he felt so near
When I hung up, and I looked around
I could hear the rain hit the cold cold ground
But there was sunshine just because
and it didn't matter what the weather was
Yeah a long way down, means a long way up...
Something unreal
I won't slave for them
I won't behave for them
I will be brave
You can laugh about it,
If you just let go
@MGdude182
Possibly a perfect album
@glossyellie
Most definitely a perfect album. :)
@johnnyBuz072
+glossyellie i think too weak to ramble is the only misfire on the album. only song i skip on b-room
@georgekokivanegas7083
And it didnt matter what the weather was.. This album is great..
@superdragonslayer69
can't help but groove, smirk and lower eye lids. impossible.
@burntchickenleg3504
This song is so good
@rrCHRISxx
Been in my head all day.
@jjmaher86
ear worm has nested. head Bob mode engaged. dr.dog daily.
@joshneill6057
❤❤❤😊😊😊❤❤❤🎉🎉 Amazing
@wikkedchik90
Fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!