Hound Dog
Little Richard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you
And you
Not you
You
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Barking' all the time
Talkin' all the time
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
And you ain't no friend of mine
Now they said you was high classed
And I can look through that
Now they said you was high classed
And I can see through that
And baby I know
You ain't no real cool cat
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Barking' all the time
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Talkin' all the time
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
And you ain't no friend of mine
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Barking' all the time
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Keep barkin' all the time
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
And you ain't no friend of mine
Now they said you was high classed
I can see through that
Now they said you was high classed, baby
And I can look through that
And baby I know
You ain't no real cool cat
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
And you ain't no friend of mine
The lyrics to Little Richard's song "Hound Dog" can be interpreted as a powerful rebuke to an individual who is deemed to be nothing but a phony or a poser. The song opens with "you and you and you" followed by "not you," clearly establishing a distinction between those who are genuine and those who are not. The lyrics go on to describe the subject of the song as a hound dog who barks and talks all the time but has never caught a rabbit, a symbol of not being able to accomplish anything of value. In the end, Little Richard declares that the subject of the song is not a friend of his, implying that he only associates with people who are authentic and genuine.
The metaphor of the hound dog in the song could have been inspired by the slang term of the time that referred to men who were always on the prowl for women. The song has a catchy beat and rhythm with Little Richard's signature style of energetic vocals and piano playing. Overall, "Hound Dog" is a powerful statement against phoniness and a celebration of authenticity.
Line by Line Meaning
You
Addressing multiple people
And you
Addressing multiple people
And you
Addressing multiple people
Not you
Excluding someone from the address
You
Addressing a singular person
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
You are worthless
Barking' all the time
You talk excessively
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
You are worthless
Talkin' all the time
You talk excessively
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
You've never accomplished anything significant
And you ain't no friend of mine
I don't want to associate with you
Now they said you was high classed
They say you have a certain status or reputation
And I can look through that
I can see beyond your image
Now they said you was high classed
They say you have a certain status or reputation
And I can see through that
I can see beyond your image
And baby I know
I am aware
You ain't no real cool cat
You're not as cool as you think you are
Keep barkin' all the time
You continue to talk excessively
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
You are worthless
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
You've never accomplished anything significant
And you ain't no friend of mine
I don't want to associate with you
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
You are worthless
Barking' all the time
You talk excessively
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
You are worthless
Talkin' all the time
You talk excessively
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
You've never accomplished anything significant
And you ain't no friend of mine
I don't want to associate with you
Now they said you was high classed, baby
They say you have a certain status or reputation
And I can look through that
I can see beyond your image
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
You are worthless
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
You are worthless
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
You've never accomplished anything significant
And you ain't no friend of mine
I don't want to associate with you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@edavenport93
The true king of Rock N' Roll!
@pashley2135
The architect of rock
@francisrankin9089
Absolutely so true king Rock N' Roll
@tcblev601
EP
@Leo-xs1ni
Rest in peace Little Richard
@supertrinigamer
That chop on the piano is badass
@leegroce7566
The only King of Rock n Roll, love him.. Peace
@AllBobsAllTheTime
Great cover by Little Richard!!!
@eryei16
Temazoooooooooooo por dios
@elvis75100
great singer