The above biography taken from: Wikipedia - Rufus Thomas
The Crown Prince of Dance; an early rock & roll DJ, Memphis soul icon and creator of the Funky Chicken.
Artist Biography (below) by Richie Unterberger
Few of rock & roll's founding figures are as likable as Rufus Thomas. From the 1940s onward, he has personified Memphis music; his small but witty cameo role in Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train, a film which satirizes and enshrines the city's role in popular culture, was entirely appropriate. As a recording artist, he wasn't a major innovator, but he could always be depended upon for some good, silly, and/or outrageous fun with his soul dance tunes. He was one of the few rock or soul stars to reach his commercial and artistic peak in middle age, and was a crucial mentor to many important Memphis blues, rock, and soul musicians.
Thomas was already a professional entertainer in the mid-'30s, when he was a comedian with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels. He recorded music as early as 1941, but really made his mark on the Memphis music scene as a deejay on WDIA, one of the few black-owned stations of the era. He also ran talent shows on Memphis' famous Beale Street that helped showcase the emerging skills of such influential figures as B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, Ike Turner, and Roscoe Gordon.
Thomas had his first success as a recording artist in 1953 with "Bear Cat," a funny answer record to Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog." It made number three on the R&B charts, giving Sun Records its first national hit, though some of the sweetness went out of the triumph after Sun owner Sam Phillips lost a lawsuit for plagiarizing the original Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller tune. Thomas, strangely, would make only one other record for Sun, and recorded only sporadically throughout the rest of the 1950s.
Thomas and his daughter Carla would become the first stars for the Stax label, for whom they recorded a duet in 1959, "'Cause I Love You" (when the company was still known as Satellite). In the '60s, Carla would become one of Stax's biggest stars. On his own, Rufus wasn't as successful as his daughter, but issued a steady stream of decent dance/novelty singles.
These were not deep or emotional statements, or meant to be. Vaguely prefiguring elements of funk, the accent was on the stripped-down groove and Rufus' good-time vocals, which didn't take himself or anything seriously. The biggest by far was "Walking the Dog," which made the Top Ten in 1963, and was covered by the Rolling Stones on their first album.
Thomas hit his commercial peak in the early '70s, when "Do the Funky Chicken," "(Do The) Push and Pull," and "The Breakdown" all made the R&B Top Five. As the song titles themselves make clear, funk was now driving his sound rather than blues or soul. Thomas drew upon his vaudeville background to put them over on-stage with fancy footwork that displayed remarkable agility for a man well into his 50s. The collapse of the Stax label in the mid-'70s meant the end of his career, basically, as it did for many other artists with the company. In 2001, Rufus Thomas was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Later that year, on December 15, he died at St. Francis hospital in Memphis, TN.
The above biography taken from: All Music Biography - Rufus Thomas by Richie Unterberger
The Dog
Rufus Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Silver buttons all down her back.
High, low, tipsy toe,
She broke a needle and she can't sew.
Walkin' the dog,
Just walkin' the dog.
If you don't know how to do it,
I'll show you how to walk te dog.
Asked a fellow for fifteen cents,
See the fellow he jumped the fence.
Jumped so high he touched the sky,
Never got back till the fourth of July.
Walkin' the dog,
Just walkin' the dog.
If you don't know how to do it,
I'll show you how to walk the dog
Rufus Thomas's song "The Dog" is a classic track from 1963 that has been covered by numerous artists over the years. The song is an upbeat and catchy tune about a woman who has broken a needle and can't sew. Instead, she's "walkin' the dog" and teaching others how to do the same. The lyrics describe various scenarios where people are amazed by her dog-walking abilities, like jumping fences and touching the sky.
The first verse sets the stage with the woman dressed in black with silver buttons. She can't sew because she's broken a needle, so she's found a new activity to keep her occupied - walking the dog. The chorus repeats the phrase "Just walkin' the dog" and offers to show others how to do it too.
The second verse tells the story of a man who was asked for fifteen cents to buy a drink of water. Instead, he jumped a fence and never returned until the fourth of July. The chorus repeats once again, with the invitation to learn how to walk the dog.
The final verse features the nursery rhyme character Mary, Mary, quite contrary, who is asked about her garden. She has silver bells and cockleshells and pretty maids all in a row. The song ends with another chorus of "just a walkin' the dog."
Overall, the song is a classic example of the simplicity and catchiness that can make a great pop hit. It's an ode to a simple pleasure, walking a dog, and the confidence that comes with mastering a skill. It's easy to see why it's still a fan favorite today.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby's back, dressed in black,
The singer is describing a woman who is wearing all black and has returned.
Silver buttons all down her back
The woman's outfit has silver buttons running down the back of her clothes.
High, low, tipsy toe,
The woman is dancing and moving around in different ways, including on her toes.
She broke a needle and she can't sew
The woman has accidentally broken a needle and cannot sew.
Walkin' the dog,
The artist is now describing the act of walking a dog.
Just walkin' the dog
The singer is emphasizing that they are simply walking the dog.
If you don't know how to do it,
The singer is addressing someone who may not know how to walk a dog.
I'll show you how to walk the dog
The artist is willing to teach the other person how to properly walk a dog.
Asked a fellow for fifteen cents,
The artist is now telling a story about how they asked someone for fifteen cents.
See the fellow he jumped the fence
The person the artist asked for fifteen cents jumped over a fence.
Jumped so high he touched the sky,
The person jumped extremely high, as if they touched the sky.
Never got back till the fourth of July
The person did not return until the fourth of July, meaning they didn't come back for a long time.
Come on now, come on, come on
The singer is urging someone to come on and join them.
Mary, Mary, quite contrary
The singer is addressing a character named Mary who is contradictory in some way.
Tell me, how does your garden grow?
The singer is asking Mary how her garden is growing.
You got silver bells and you got cockleshells
Mary's garden contains silver bells and cockleshells.
Pretty maids all in a row
There are also pretty maids in a line in Mary's garden.
Just a walkin' the dog
The singer returns to the act of walking the dog.
If you don't know how to do it
The singer is reminding anyone listening that they are willing to teach others how to walk a dog.
Show you how to walk the dog
The artist is again emphasizing that they can demonstrate how to walk a dog properly.
Oh yeah, if you don't know how to do it
The artist is reiterating that they can teach people how to walk a dog.
Just a walkin'
The artist is ending the song by repeating the phrase 'just a walkin.''
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Rufus Thomas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@philiprichards2010
I heard the song do the dog on the Hyundai commercial just a short time ago.
@lrh1966
Thanks for giving it a listen Philip and have a great day from Lloyd.
@rosetaetienne7029
Sameee lol
@lrh1966
Thanks Roseta for listening and have a great day from Lloyd.
@superdansilverman
Rufus Thomas is a treasure of American culture. A good friend of mine got to meet him and have him over for dinner when he was still alive. Thank you for uploading this song and preserving it for future generations.
@lrh1966
Thanks for checking it out and have a great day from Lloyd :)
@LimonFox
From Costa Rica... The distant powerful nightime signal of WLAC, Nashville, allowed me to fell in love at first hearing with this part of my soundtrack of life.
@lrh1966
Thanks for listening and have a great day from Lloyd :)
@aaronmarcel5026
Happy Birthday to my Pops, he loved this song...
@garthreid7114
The best thing about this song, is the pure ambiance, it's vital to listen on the very best sound system. If you don't have one, find one, tune, enjoy 👍😎