Dowd went on to make many return trips to Memphis to work with the Stax musicians, who loved working with him.
There are over 30 known covers of this song!
Walking 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
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
The song "Walking the Dog" by Rufus Thomas is a fun, uptempo tune that is known for its catchy beat and memorable hook. The lyrics describe a woman who is dressed in black with silver buttons down her back, and who breaks a needle while trying to sew. The chorus repeats the phrase "walking the dog," and the song includes some playful wordplay and references to nursery rhymes.
The first verse describes the woman dressed in black and her sewing mishap. The second verse tells the story of a man who asks for fifteen cents and then jumps over a fence so high that he touches the sky. The third verse references the nursery rhyme "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" and describes her garden with silver bells, cockleshells, and pretty maids all in a row. The chorus repeats after every verse, encouraging listeners to join in and learn how to "walk the dog."
Line by Line Meaning
Baby's back, dressed in black
The singer is talking about a woman who is dressed in all black
Silver buttons all down her back
She has silver buttons running all the way down the back of her dress
High, low, tipsy toe
She is moving around in various ways - high, low, and maybe a little unsteady
She broke a needle and she can't sew
She broke a sewing needle and is unable to fix it
Walkin' the dog
The artist is now introducing the idea of 'walking the dog' which could be slang for something else
Just walkin' the dog
He repeats the phrase again, emphasizing how important walking the dog is to him
If you don't know how to do it
I'll show you how to walk the dog
He's offering to teach someone else how to walk the dog if they don't know how to do it. This could be a metaphor for something else entirely
Asked a fellow for fifteen cents
The artist is talking about how he approached someone and asked for fifteen cents
See the fellow he jumped the fence
The person he asked for fifteen cents jumped over a fence
Jumped so high he touched the sky
Never got back till the fourth of July
The person he asked for fifteen cents jumped so high that he seemed to touch the sky and didn't come back down until the 4th of July
Come on now, come on, come on
The singer is urging someone to hurry up or move faster
Mary, Mary, quite contrary
Tell me, how does your garden grow?
He is quoting a well-known nursery rhyme and asking Mary how her garden is growing
You got silver bells and you got cockleshells
Pretty maids all in a row
He's continuing the nursery rhyme, talking about the different things Mary's garden has, like silver bells and cockleshells, as well as pretty maids
Oh yeah, if you don't know how to do it
I'll show you how to walk the dog, oh
The singer is emphasizing his willingness to teach someone how to walk the dog, even repeating the line from earlier
Just a, just a, just a, just a, just a, just a walkin'
He's repeating the phrase 'just walkin' in a way that suggests it's something important and powerful
Just a, just a, just a walkin', oh
Again, he repeats the phrase 'just walkin' but this time with an exclamation at the end
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Rufus Thomas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@siboneypeltier2307
Walking the Dog ~ Rufus Thomas
Miss Mary Mack
All dressed in black
Silver buttons all down her back
High ho tipsy toe
She broke the needle now she can't sew
Walking the dog
Just a-walking the dog
Well if you don't know how to do it
I'll show you how to walk the dog.
Mary Mary quite contrary
How does your garden grow
Silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.
Walking the dog
Just a-walking the dog
Well if you don't know how to do it
I'll show you how to walk the dog.
(Sax Solo)
Hey diddle diddle
The cats got the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon
He jumped so high touched the sky
Didn't come back till the fourth of July.
Walking the dog
Just a-walking the dog
Well if you don't know how to do it
I'll show you how to walk the dog.
Written by: Rufus Thomas
Album: Rufus Live!
Released: 1998
Lyrics provided by Musixmatch
@carrienixon6663
It’s 2022. Still listening to the STAX label records. who’s still walking the dog?
@jorgealvidrez9641
I am😊
@kathleanconneely5173
Me too!!!
@dallasheltzell
Walking the dog in deep Colorado snow on Jan. 2, 2023, but keeping warm with Carla's dad Rufus!
@KaroshiSalad2000s
We All Do.
@darrenattebery7776
@@jorgealvidrez9641 si
@ed9763
All these 60s records should be re introduced to the public. They can never be too old
@KaroshiSalad2000s
Let It Between Us, They Won't Appreciate Classics Like This, I Mean Look What They Tried To Do With Elvis Mansion.
@MrHughBetcha
I see that someone had my reply ahead of me. Sad but true. Few people today would appreciate the raw, primitive sound of these oldies. As part of the 70 plus crowd, I intend to ride the Harley and jam on oldies as I fade into history.
@crweber3408
Aerosmith did that a while back.