My Dog Is Mean
Memphis Slim Lyrics

The opening lines of "My Dog Is Mean" by Memphis Slim are paradoxical. Despite the fact that the singer knows his dog is mean, the dog remains calm whenever the subject of the singer's suspicions is around. The dog has bitten family members and destroyed possessions, but this supposed intruder party remains unscathed. It's not just the dog's behavior that confuses the singer, but the attitude it seems to have taken on whenever there is a guest. The singer is suspicious of every person who comes into his home because of how loyal and protective his dog normally is. The dog serves as a sort of intuition for the singer; it barks at the right times, it attacks when it needs to, and it understands who needs to be kept away from the home. However, when the subject of the singer's suspicion is around, the dog is calm and friendly, which doesn't make sense to the singer.

The song builds that tension throughout the narrative as Memphis Slim describes the inexplicable behavior of his dog. The verses describe the dog's aggression, the destruction it has wrought, and the singer's distrust of a particular person. All of that leads to the song's final line where the singer asks, "How the hell, did you get in?" It's a chilling moment because the singer knows that his dog is supposed to be his ultimate defense against intruders - but it's failed him. In that sense, the ultimate victim of the song is not the singer or the dog, but anyone who tries to break into the singer's home.