Dogs
Motörhead Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Here we are in confusion
Could be it's all an illusion
Who knows the times to come
The years to face, the race to run
We believe in graven image
We believe in the fight to the finish
We desire the almighty dollar
The pound of flesh, the golden collar
Lick the hand, we give our land to dogs

Here we are in the years
The blood, the sweat, the tears
Have made us bondage slaves
In a world that we never made
The politicians lick our bones
The tacticians, hearts of stone
They turn us against our brothers
Make us fight and kill each other
Locked in lust we put our trust in dogs

Here we are again
The dead still look the same
Who cares they're soon forgotten
Nobody loves corpse that's rotten
Your fathers, mothers, daughters, sons
Have been taken by the chosen ones
But don't forget you made the choice
You made your mark, you raised your voice




They're all the same, you're all to blame
You're dogs

Overall Meaning

The song "Dogs" by Motörhead speaks of the confusion, disillusionment, and bondage humans experience in a world that's shaped by graven images, fights to the finish, and a desire for power and money. The lyrics suggest that the world is being run by politicians and tacticians who turn people against one another, making them fight and kill each other. The humans have made their choice, raised their voice, and left their mark, but they're all to blame as they've surrendered their land, put unreserved trust in dogs, and become bondage slaves in a world they never made.


The song highlights the theme of power, money, and control that characterizes the modern world. It underscores the dangers of blindly following graven images and disregarding the consequences of one's actions. Similarly, the song suggests the need for humanity to embrace brotherhood and collaboration to free themselves from the bondage and control of the authorities.


Line by Line Meaning

Here we are in confusion
We find ourselves in a state of disorientation and uncertainty


Could be it´s all an illusion
Perhaps everything we believe in is a deceptive mirage


Who knows the times to come
No one can know what the future holds


The years to face, the race to run
The future presents challenges to overcome and goals to achieve


We believe in graven image
We trust in physical representations of gods or objects of worship


We believe in the fight to the finish
We are willing to fight until the very end to achieve our goals


We desire the almighty dollar
Money is our ultimate desire and a symbol of power and status


The pound of flesh, the golden collar
We are willing to pay any price or make any sacrifice for the sake of success


Lick the hand, we give our land to dogs
We willingly give up our power and autonomy to those in charge, even if they do not have our best interests at heart


Here we are in the years
We find ourselves living in a time of hardship and struggle


The blood, the sweat, the tears
We have put forth immense effort and sacrifice to survive and persevere


Have made us bondage slaves
Despite our efforts, we still find ourselves enslaved to our circumstances and those who control them


In a world that we never made
We are forced to live in a world that we did not choose or create


The politicians lick our bones
The ruling class preys on our vulnerability and desperation for their own gain


The tacticians, hearts of stone
Those in power have a cold, calculating approach to manipulating and controlling us


They turn us against our brothers
They pit us against each other to further their own agendas and maintain their hold on power


Make us fight and kill each other
Their manipulation leads to violent conflicts and unnecessary loss of life


Locked in lust we put our trust in dogs
We become consumed by our own desires and blindly trust those in power, even if they are not worthy of it


Here we are again
We find ourselves once more in a situation of hardship and uncertainty


The dead still look the same
Death brings a permanence to life, leaving an unchanging reminder of our mortality


Who cares they´re soon forgotten
After death, people move on and forget about those who have passed away


Nobody loves corpse that´s rotten
Even after death, a person's remains hold no value or worth to others


Your fathers, mothers, daughters, sons
People of all ages and genders have been affected by the evils of those in power


Have been taken by the chosen ones
The ruling class has claimed the lives of many in their efforts to maintain control


But don´t forget you made the choise
We must acknowledge our role in choosing those who hold power over us


You made your mark, you raised your voice
We have made our opinions and desires known, but they have been silenced or disregarded


They´re all the same, you´re all to blame
The ruling class, no matter who is in power, perpetuates the same evils and we are all responsible for allowing it to continue


You´re dogs
We have become subservient and obedient to those in power, like a pack of loyal dogs




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ian Kilmister, Michael Burston, Philip Campbell, Philip John Taylor

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions