Hound Dog
Leiber & Stoller Lyrics


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You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine

Well they said you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah they said you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine

You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine

Well they said you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah they said you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine

Well they said you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Ya know they said you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine

You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog




Cryin' all the time
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit you ain't no friend of mine

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Hound Dog" by Leiber & Stoller describe a man who is telling a woman that she is nothing but a hound dog. He accuses her of crying all the time and not being able to catch a rabbit. The man also says that the woman is not his friend. The woman's supposed social status is also attacked as the man claims that it was a lie that she was a high-classed woman.


The metaphor of the hound dog is used to symbolize the woman's lack of intelligence and skill. The man perceives her as weak and unable to function independently. The song can be interpreted as a representation of a woman who is not living up to societal stereotypes of what a woman should be. She is useless, according to the man in the song, because she is not fulfilling the role traditionally assigned to women. The repeated line, "you ain't no friend of mine," shows the man's disdain towards the woman.


Overall, the song is a critique of societal expectations placed on women, particularly the idea that a woman's worth is tied to her ability to fit certain norms. The lyrics suggest that these norms are not only oppressive but also limiting and reductive.


Line by Line Meaning

You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
You are nothing more than a selfish person who only cries all the time


Cryin' all the time
You constantly complain without taking action to solve your problems


Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine
You have never achieved anything significant and you are not considered a friend to me


Well they said you was high-classed
People spoke highly of you


Well, that was just a lie
However, that turned out to be false


Ya know they said you was high-classed
People talked about your supposed sophistication




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JERRY LEIBER, MIKE STOLLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

José Maria Araújo

Esse e o meu Rock and roll puro e gostoso de ouvir

Simon P. R. Bewick

Which Vinyl is this recording coming from ?

Simon P. R. Bewick

@billycarter ?

Callum Brown

CLASS UP

Gal Shir-ran

hi

German Vega

Hi

German Vega

Hu

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