The Dog
Rufus Thomas Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Baby's back, dressed in black
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

Come on now, come on, come on

Mary, Mary, quite contrary
Tell me, how does your garden grow?
You got silver bells and you got cockleshells
Pretty maids all in a row

Walking the dog
Just a walkin' the dog
If you don't know how to do it
Show you how to walk the dog

Come on now, come on, come on
Oh oh, just a, just a, just a walkin'
Just a, just a, just a walkin'
Just a, just a, just a walkin'

Oh yeah, if you don't know how to do it
I'll show you how to walk the dog, oh





Just a, just a, just a, just a, just a, just a walkin'
Just a, just a, just a, just a, just a, just a walkin', oh

Overall Meaning

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 ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Rufus Thomas

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
Comments from YouTube:

Daniel

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 :)

araceli Martinez

so happy I found this song my parents loved it and so do I.

lrh1966

Thanks Araceli for checking out this song and have an awesome week 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 :)

mikeisamovie

i just heard this on the jazz station, but the dj cut it after about forty-seconds....i knew it had to be on youtube! rufus was hip & cool. thanks for loading this gem.

lrh1966

You are welcome and thanks for listening to thisย Rufus Thomasย recording.

Jason Lindsey

This was the record I wanted to hear when there was a party at my house as a child.
Another version by Junior and the classics was a doozy too.

lrh1966

Thanks Jason for listening and have a great day from Lloyd.

More Comments

More Versions