Ballad of the Talking Dog
Mary Hampton Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I gave my love, a talking dog.
Sing o-vy, sing i-vy.
And how she did laugh -it's my favourite photograph.
A bunch of green holly and ivy.

We took him to, Saint James' park.
sing o-vy, sing i-vy.
And he stayed at her heel, and whistled like a lark.
A bunch of green holly and ivy.
(badoo-oo)
He took a shine, to my favourite chair.
Sing o-vy, sing i-vy.
They were talking for hours and I went to sit elsewhere
a bunch of green holly and ivy.
bah-bah badoo-oo
she said
"There isn't much room in the bed"
sing o-vy, sing i-vy.
"but I made up the couch, you could sleep there instead."
a bunch of green holly and ivy.
bah-bah badoo-oo
Next day when I, went out for lunch.
Sing o-vy, sing i-vy.
She packed up my things and left them on the porch.
A bunch of green holly and ivy.

When I go
feeling rather smug and thinking to himself
‘I'm droll'
my dog jumped up on the bed and rolled over
playing out a new trick in his head
when she came in the room it was all:
"look at me I'm dead! I'm dead!
and do you miss me yet?" he said
and do you miss me yet?" he said
he said he said

She broke his skull with her tiny fist
Sing o-vy, sing i-vy.
and she bundled him off to the taxidermist.
A bunch of green holly and ivy.

He came to me with this morning's mail.
Sing o-vy, sing i-vy.
He smelled like a rose, with a card wrapped round his tail:

I love you please come back and stay,
I wish you'd never gone away,
It seems your dog has had his day
his day
his day
A bunch of green holly and ivy.

bah-bah badoo-oo
bah-bah badoo-oo
bah-bah badoo-oo




bah-bah badoo-oo
repeat

Overall Meaning

The Ballad of the Talking Dog by Mary Hampton is a story about a man's love for his talking dog. The song starts with the man giving his love a talking dog and taking it to Saint James' park. The dog stays at his love's heel and whistles like a lark. The man's love and his talking dog spend time talking for hours, and the man goes to sit elsewhere. She tells him that there isn't much room in bed, but he could sleep on the couch. The next day when he goes out for lunch, his love packs up his things and leaves them on the porch.


As the song progresses, the man thinks himself rather smug and feeling droll, but his dog shows him a new trick. When the love returns, the dog pretends to be dead, and the woman breaks his skull with her tiny fist. She then bundles him off to the taxidermist. The man receives this morning's mail from the talking dog, who smells like a rose. The card wrapped around the dog's tail reads that she loves him and wants him to come back and stay, but it seems like the dog has had his day.


The song is a poignant tale about love, betrayal, and loss. It shows the tragic end to a beautiful relationship between a man, his beloved, and their talking dog.


Line by Line Meaning

I gave my love, a talking dog.
I presented a dog that can talk to my lover.


And how she did laugh -it's my favourite photograph.
My lover laughed so hard when the dog talked, and that moment is my favorite captured memory.


We took him to, Saint James' park.
We brought the dog to Saint James' park.


And he stayed at her heel, and whistled like a lark.
The dog stayed close to my lover and whistled cheerfully like a bird.


He took a shine, to my favorite chair.
The dog liked my favorite chair and spent hours talking to it.


"There isn't much room in the bed"
My lover told me there isn't enough space for the dog in our bed.


"but I made up the couch, you could sleep there instead."
My lover offered the dog the couch to sleep on instead.


Next day when I, went out for lunch.
The day after, when I went out to eat lunch.


She packed up my things and left them on the porch.
My lover packed my things and left them outside the house.


When I go feeling rather smug and thinking to himself 'I'm droll'
When I left the house with a feeling of self-satisfaction, thinking to myself 'I'm witty'.


my dog jumped up on the bed and rolled over playing out a new trick in his head
The dog jumped on the bed and rolled over, performing a new trick he had thought of.


when she came in the room it was all: "look at me I'm dead! I'm dead!
When my lover entered the room, the dog pretended to be dead and said: "look at me, I'm dead! I'm dead!


and do you miss me yet?" he said
The dog asked my lover if she missed him yet.


She broke his skull with her tiny fist
My lover hit the dog with her small fist and broke his skull.


and she bundled him off to the taxidermist.
My lover took the dog to the taxidermist to have him stuffed.


He came to me with this morning's mail.
The stuffed dog was delivered to me with today's mail.


He smelled like a rose, with a card wrapped round his tail:
The stuffed dog smelled like a rose and had a card tied to his tail.


"I love you please come back and stay, I wish you'd never gone away, It seems your dog has had his day, his day, his day"
The card had a message saying: "I love you, please come back and stay. I wish you had never gone away. It seems your dog has had his day."




Contributed by Hudson T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

Ariadni Schmitz

¡¡ sublime playlist !!

More Versions