The band released its only album, the self-titled Temple of the Dog, in April 1991 through A&M Records. The recording sessions took place in November and December 1990 at London Bridge Studios, in Seattle, Washington with producer Rakesh "Rick" Parashar. Although earning praise from music critics at the time of its release, the album was not widely recognized until 1992, when Vedder, Ament, Gossard, and McCready had their breakthrough with Pearl Jam. Cameron would later join Pearl Jam, serving as drummer since 1998.
The band toured in 2016 in celebration of the 25th anniversary of their self-titled album.
Temple of the Dog was started by Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, who had been a roommate of Andrew Wood, the lead singer of Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone. Wood died on March 19, 1990, of a heroin overdose, the day Cornell got back from a tour. As he went on to tour Europe a few days later, he started writing songs in tribute to his late friend. The result was two songs, "Reach Down" and "Say Hello 2 Heaven", which he recorded as soon as he returned home from touring.
The recorded material was slow and melodic, musically different from the aggressive rock music of Soundgarden. Cornell approached Wood's former bandmates, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament—who were still figuring out how to continue without Mother Love Bone—with the intention of releasing the songs as a single. Ament described the collaboration as "a really good thing at the time" for Gossard and him that put them into a "band situation where we could play and make music." The band's lineup was completed by the addition of Soundgarden (and later Pearl Jam) drummer Matt Cameron and future Pearl Jam lead guitarist Mike McCready. They named themselves Temple of the Dog, a reference to a line in the lyrics of the Mother Love Bone song "Man of Golden Words".
Call Me A Dog
Temple of the Dog Lyrics
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'Cause it ain't no use to pretend you're wrong
And you call me out, I can't hide anymore
I have no disguise you can't see through
You say it's bad luck to have fallen for me
What can I do to make it good for you?
You wore me out like an old winter coat
Oh, when it's my time
To throw the next stone
I'll call you beautiful
If I call at all, ooh
You call me a dog
And you tell me I'm low 'cause I've slept on the floor
And out in the woods with the badgers and wolves
You threw me out 'cause I went digging for gold
And I came home with a handful of coal
But when it's my time
To throw the next stone
I'll call you beautiful
If I call at all
And when it's my time
To call your bluff
I'll call you beautiful or leave it alone, yeah
You call me a dog
And that's fair enough
It doesn't bother me as long as you know
The bad luck will follow you
If you keep me on a leash and you drag me along
And when it's my time
To throw the next stone
I'll call you beautiful
If I call at all
And when it's my time
To call your bluff, ooh
I'll call you beautiful
I'll leave it alone, yeah, yeah
You call me dog
The song "Call Me A Dog" by Temple of the Dog is a reflection of unrequited love and the feelings of inadequacy associated with it. Eddie Vedder, the lead singer of Pearl Jam, provides background vocals in this song, while Chris Cornell, the lead singer of Soundgarden, wrote the song. The lyrics suggest that Cornell is accepting the label of a "dog" given to him by someone who he loves but doesn't reciprocate those feelings. The person who labels him as a dog is only doing so because they refuse to face the truth of their own feelings, which can be seen in the line "It ain't no use to pretend you're wrong."
Furthermore, the lyrics suggest that even after being rejected, Cornell would still throw the next stone and call this person "beautiful." Despite being called a dog, his feelings for this person transcend the label they've given him, as can be seen in the line "I'll call you beautiful if I call at all." The second verse provides insight into why this person is labeling Cornell as a dog. They criticize him for sleeping on the floor and portraying him as someone who is not good enough for them. The metaphor of digging for gold and coming home with a handful of coal alludes to their attempt at finding love, only to be disappointed in the end.
Overall, "Call Me A Dog" is a poignant song about unrequited love that highlights the flaws in human nature. It showcases the emotional pain that comes with being rejected but also displays the power of love and how it can transcend negativity. It's a beautiful song that highlights the talent of both Cornell and Vedder.
Line by Line Meaning
You call me a dog, well, that's fair enough
I understand that you see me as someone who's lower than you.
'Cause it ain't no use to pretend you're wrong
I know that you won't change your mind about me.
And you call me out, I can't hide anymore
I can't keep running away from what you think of me.
I have no disguise you can't see through
You can easily see through whatever I do to try and impress you.
You say it's bad luck to have fallen for me
You believe that you're cursed for having feelings for me.
What can I do to make it good for you?
How can I prove to you that I'm worth your love and affection?
You wore me out like an old winter coat
You exhausted me until I was no longer useful to you.
Trying to be safe from the cold
You only used me to keep yourself safe from being alone.
Oh, when it's my time
When I have the opportunity
To throw the next stone
To retaliate against you
I'll call you beautiful
I will still see the good in you
If I call at all, ooh
Or choose not to respond at all
And you tell me I'm low 'cause I've slept on the floor
You belittle me for my living conditions.
And out in the woods with the badgers and wolves
You shame me for living in nature to survive.
You threw me out 'cause I went digging for gold
You rejected me for trying to better myself and my situation.
And I came home with a handful of coal
My efforts to improve weren't as successful as I hoped.
And that's fair enough
I accept that this is your view of me.
It doesn't bother me as long as you know
As long as you're aware of the consequences of treating me poorly
The bad luck will follow you
Your negativity towards me will come back to hurt you.
If you keep me on a leash and you drag me along
If you continue to control and manipulate me.
And when it's my time
When it's up to me
To call your bluff, ooh
To challenge your actions and words
I'll call you beautiful
I will choose to see the good in you despite everything.
I'll leave it alone, yeah, yeah
But I won't engage further if it's not worth it.
You call me dog
You see me as someone beneath you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Christopher J. Cornell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind