He was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina, grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey, and currently resides in Tallahassee, Florida. In Plainfield, he ran a barber salon, where he straightened hair, and soon formed a doo wop group, inspired by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, called The Parliaments. Despite initial commercial failures, The Parliaments eventually found success under the names Parliament and Funkadelic in the seventies (see also P-Funk). This article focuses on Clinton's solo efforts after 1981.
Beginning in the early 1980's, Clinton recorded several nominal "solo" albums, although all of these records featured contributions from P-Funk's core musicians. The primary reason for recording under his own name was legal difficulties, due to the complex copyright and trademark issues surrounding the name "Parliament" (primarily) and Polygram's purchase of his former label (as part of Parliament), Casablanca Records. In 1982, Clinton signed to Capitol Records as a solo artist and as the P-Funk All-Stars, releasing Computer Games that same year. "Loopzilla" hit the Top 20 R&B charts, followed by "Atomic Dog," which reached #1 R&B, but peaked at #101 on the pop chart. In the next four years, Clinton released three more studio albums (You Shouldn't-Nuf Bit Fish, Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends and R&B Skeletons in the Closet) as well as a live album, Mothership Connection (Live from the Summit, Houston, Texas) and charting three singles in the R&B Top 30, "Nubian Nut," "Last Dance," and "Do Fries Go with that Shake." This period of Clinton's career was marred by multiple legal problems (resulting in financial difficulties) due to complex royalty and copyright issues. In 1985 he was recruited by the Red Hot Chili Peppers to produce their album Freaky Styley, because the bandmembers were huge fans of George Clinton and Funk in general. Though Clinton's popularity had waned by the mid 1980s, he experienced something of a resurgence in the early 1990s, as many rappers cited him as an influence and began sampling his songs. Alongside James Brown, George Clinton is considered to be one of the most sampled musicians ever.
In 1989, Clinton released The Cinderella Theory on Paisley Park, Prince's record label. This was followed by Hey Man... Smell my Finger. Clinton then signed with Sony 550 and released T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M. (The Awesome Power Of A Fully Operational Mothership) in 1996, having reunited with several old members of Parliament and Funkadelic.
In the 1990s, Clinton appeared in films such as Graffiti Bridge (1990), Good Burger (1997) and PCU (1994). Most recently he appeared as the voice of The Funktipus, the DJ of the Bounce FM station in the 2004 video game, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Rapper Dr. Dre sampled most of his beats to create his G-Funk music era.
"You're Thinking Right" - the theme song for The Tracey Ullman Show, was written by Clinton.
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This is not the soundtrack composer George S. Clinton who did Mortal Kombat etc.
Atomic Dog
GEORGE CLINTON Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For the dog that chases its tail will be dizzy
These are clapping dogs, rhythmic dogs
Harmonic dogs, house dogs, street dogs
Dog of the world unite
Dancin' dogs
Yeah
Countin' dogs, funky dogs
Atomic dog
Atomic dog
Like the boys
When they're out there walkin' the streets
May compete
Nothin' but the dog in ya
Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah
Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah
Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah
Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah
Like the boys
When they're out there walkin' the streets
May compete
Nothin' but the dog in ya
Why must I feel like that
Oh, why must I chase the cat
Like the boys
When they're out there walkin' the streets
May compete
Nothin' but the dog in ya
Ruff
Ruff
Ruff
Why must I feel like that
Why must I chase the cat
Nothin' but the dog in me
Why must I feel like that
Why must I chase the cat
Nothin' but the dog in me
Why must I feel like that
Why must I chase the cat
Nothin' but the dog in me
Why must I feel like that
Why must I chase the cat
Nothin' but the dog in me
Do the dogcatcher, dogcatcher
Do the dogcatcher
Do the dogcatcher, dogcatcher
Do the dogcatcher
Do the dogcatcher, baby, do the dogcatcher
Ooh
Why must I feel like that
Why must I chase the cat
Nothin' but the dog in me
Why must I feel like that
Why must I chase the cat
Nothin' but the dog in me
Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah
Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah
Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah
Just walkin' the dog
Oh, atomic dog
Futuristic bow-wow
Ruff
Leader of the pack
Wild dog
Why must I feel like that
Why must I chase the cat
Just the dog in me
Nothin' but the dog in me
Why must I feel like that
Why must I chase the cat
Just the dog in me
Nothin' but the dog in me
Why must I feel like that
Why must I chase the cat
The dog in me (Dog in me)
The dog is in me (Dog in me)
Do the dogcatcher, dogcatcher
Do the dogcatcher
Do you want to do the dogcatcher
Well, baby, why don't you do it again for me
Dogcatcher, dogcatcher
Do the dogcatcher
House-trained dogs
Wild dogs
Say it again
Why must I feel like that
"Atomic Dog" is a funk song by American musician George Clinton. The song is primarily about dogs with various personalities, ranging from dancin' dogs to street dogs. The song starts with a description of a famous dog, which is symbolic of the archetypal 'Atomic Dog,' a dog that's all over the place but focused on its tail. The song is a celebration of free-spiritedness, without any specific interpretation or meaning, and the lyrics are meant to be fun and funky.
The titular "Atomic Dog" represents the free spirit within everyone, a spirit that wants to break out of routine and society's expectations. Throughout the song, the lyrics and music reinforce this idea of freedom and individuality. The repetition of "Why must I feel like that? Why must I chase the cat?" can be interpreted as a metaphor for feeling restless and needing to break free from whatever is holding you back. The song's lively beat and catchy lyrics make it an iconic example of funk music.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, this is a story of a famous dog
Let me tell you a tale about a well-known canine
For the dog that chases its tail will be dizzy
Dogs that go in circles will get disoriented
These are clapping dogs, rhythmic dogs
These are dogs that can keep a beat, dance and make noise
Harmonic dogs, house dogs, street dogs
And these dogs can harmonize with each other, whether they are domesticated or roam the streets
Dog of the world unite
All dogs, regardless of their background or breed, should come together as one
Dancin' dogs
Dogs that can move and groove
Countin' dogs, funky dogs
Dogs that can count and are funky
Nasty dogs (Dog)
Dogs that are fierce and wild (dog!)
Atomic dog
The ultimate dog, unmatched and powerful
Like the boys
When they're out there walkin' the streets
May compete
Nothin' but the dog in ya
Dogs, like men walking the streets, may have to compete, but deep down it's just their animal instincts driving them
Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah
Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah
Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah
Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah
Just some dog sounds and howling, nothing more
Why must I feel like that
Oh, why must I chase the cat
Why do I feel the need to chase after things, like a cat, that I know I can't catch?
Ruff
Ruff
Ruff
More dog sounds, barking this time
Do the dogcatcher, dogcatcher
Do the dogcatcher
Do the dogcatcher, dogcatcher
Do the dogcatcher
A request to do the dogcatcher dance
Do the dogcatcher, baby, do the dogcatcher
Ooh
Encouragement to keep dancing to the dogcatcher beat
Just walkin' the dog
Oh, atomic dog
Taking a stroll with the ultimate dog, the atomic dog
Futuristic bow-wow
The atomic dog is ahead of its time, futuristic even
Leader of the pack
Wild dog
This dog is in charge and also has a wild side
Just the dog in me
Nothin' but the dog in me
All there is in me is the animal instincts of a dog
The dog in me (Dog in me)
The dog is in me (Dog in me)
I am full of the raw energy and drive that a dog has
Do you want to do the dogcatcher
Well, baby, why don't you do it again for me
Are you into dancing to the dogcatcher? Let's do it again
House-trained dogs
Wild dogs
Say it again
Whether a dog is domesticated or feral, it's still a dog, repeat it with me
Why must I feel like that
Why do I have these animal instincts and impulses?
Lyrics © YELDARPS MUSIC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: David Lee Spradley, Garry Marshall Shider, George Jr. Clinton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind