"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.
VAMPIRE
Dr. Dog Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the heart break surrounds you like the rain
You destroy all that's good here at your will
There's a part of me though that loves you still
You're a vampire baby, no reflecting at all
You never think what you do really hurts
You're always giving me maybe, if I get something at all
There's a black mask in shadows behind your veil
You're as tempting and savage as Marcellus Shale
If you knew what you wanted I'd give mine
But I'm no grave robber baby, I can't know your mind
You're a vampire baby
You never think what you do really hurts
You're always giving me maybe, if I get something at all
Leaving me in the dark, oh what a nerve
Somehow, some way, some day, somehow we will get along dear
Dawn is always dark
Somehow, some way, some day, somehow we will get along
You're a vampire baby, no reflection at all
You never think what you do really hurts
You're always giving me maybe, if I get something at all
Leaving me in the dark, oh what a nerve
You're a vampire baby
In this song, Dr. Dog describes a toxic relationship where one person is like a vampire, draining the life and joy out of the other person. The singer acknowledges that there is a darkness surrounding the other person that they can't explain, and that this darkness leads to heartbreak and destruction. Despite this, the singer admits that there is a part of them that still loves the vampire, even though they know it's not good for them.
The metaphor of a vampire is used to describe the other person's behavior, as they are portrayed as selfish, thoughtless, and always taking from the singer without giving anything back. The singer feels like they are left in the dark and belittled by the vampire's actions. The second verse employs a simile, where the vampire is compared to Marcellus Shale, a type of rock formation that is rich in natural gas but also controversial due to environmental concerns. This comparison highlights the mixed feelings the singer has about the vampire, as they are both alluring and dangerous.
The song ends optimistically with the singer expressing hope that they will eventually find a way to get along with the vampire, but it is left unclear whether this is a realistic possibility or just wishful thinking. Overall, "Vampire" captures the complicated emotions and power dynamics of a dysfunctional relationship, and the struggle to reconcile conflicting feelings of love and self-preservation.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a darkness around you I can't explain
You have a mysterious and gloomy aura that I cannot understand.
And the heart break surrounds you like the rain
You seem to be causing pain to those around you effortlessly, much like the rain that can't be stopped.
You destroy all that's good here at your will
You have the power to ruin everything good and positive, and you exercise that power without hesitation.
There's a part of me though that loves you still
Despite your destructive nature, I still have some feelings of love for you.
You're a vampire baby, no reflecting at all
You are like a vampire, with no conscience or self-awareness of your actions.
You never think what you do really hurts
You don't put much thought into the pain you cause to others.
You're always giving me maybe, if I get something at all
You offer vague promises of something in return for my efforts but never follow through, if at all.
Leaving me in the dark, oh what a nerve
You leave me confused and uncertain, and it's frustrating.
There's a black mask in shadows behind your veil
You have an inscrutable and hidden side that is dangerous.
You're as tempting and savage as Marcellus Shale
You have a seductive and destructive nature like Marcellus Shale.
If you knew what you wanted I'd give mine
If you had a clear idea of what you wanted, I would do anything to give it to you.
But I'm no grave robber baby, I can't know your mind
However, I am not capable of understanding or predicting your desires like a grave robber.
Somehow, some way, some day, somehow we will get along dear
I still hope that one day, we can have a harmonious relationship.
Dawn is always dark
Even though each day is a new beginning, it always seems to be a difficult and uncertain start.
You're a vampire baby
You are a dangerous and hurtful individual, akin to a vampire.
Contributed by Addison N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aiyana Olvera
Lyrics
There's a darkness around you I can't explain
And the heart break surrounds you like the rain
You destroy all that's good here at your will
There's a part of me though that loves you still
You're a vampire baby, no reflection at all
You never think what you do really hurts
You're always giving me maybe, if I get something at all
Leaving me in the dark, oh what a nerve
There's a black mask in shadows behind your veil
You're as tempting and savage as Marcellus Shale
If you knew what you wanted I'd give mine
But I'm no grave robber baby, I can't know your mind
You're a vampire baby
You never think what you do really hurts
You're always giving me maybe, if I get something at all
Leaving me in the dark, oh what a nerve
Somehow, some way, some day, somehow we will get along dear
Dawn is always dark here
Somehow, some way, some day, somehow we will get along
You're a vampire baby, no reflection at all
You never think what you do really hurts
You're always giving me maybe, if I get something at all
Leaving me in the dark, oh what a nerve
You're a vampire baby
Aiyana Olvera
Lyrics
There's a darkness around you I can't explain
And the heart break surrounds you like the rain
You destroy all that's good here at your will
There's a part of me though that loves you still
You're a vampire baby, no reflection at all
You never think what you do really hurts
You're always giving me maybe, if I get something at all
Leaving me in the dark, oh what a nerve
There's a black mask in shadows behind your veil
You're as tempting and savage as Marcellus Shale
If you knew what you wanted I'd give mine
But I'm no grave robber baby, I can't know your mind
You're a vampire baby
You never think what you do really hurts
You're always giving me maybe, if I get something at all
Leaving me in the dark, oh what a nerve
Somehow, some way, some day, somehow we will get along dear
Dawn is always dark here
Somehow, some way, some day, somehow we will get along
You're a vampire baby, no reflection at all
You never think what you do really hurts
You're always giving me maybe, if I get something at all
Leaving me in the dark, oh what a nerve
You're a vampire baby
Silver Gold
hellooo
special sauce
@Silver Gold hello
thebarrens
this song is taking over my mind
Mimi~Senpai
I heard this song today while listening to the Halloween radio station/mix on Alexa and I was like, "damn this might be one of the best songs I've ever heard!" I immediately got up and started dancing!
Kevin Torres
That’s the power of Dr Dog!
Maria Mes
just can't describe how much i love this band<3
Ronda Jones
Best song to sing really loud
NS9213
YES! This song and "I'm A Fool" remind me of "Rocky Horror". Brilliant Dr. Dog!!
Space Dandy
No la puedo sacar de mi mente.