The Be Good Tanyas are an acoustic trio with folk and Americana influences,… Read Full Bio ↴The Be Good Tanyas are an acoustic trio with folk and Americana influences, hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia. They play a combination of original and traditional material, and are notable for their lush vocal harmonies.

The group features Frazey Ford (guitar, vocals), Samantha Parton (guitar, mandolin, banjo, vocals) and Trish Klein (electric guitar, banjo, harmony vocals). Jolie Holland is a former member and also a frequent guest.

The story of the groups begins in early-to-mid ’90s in the Kootenay Mountains outside of British Columbia, where caravans of tree planters toiled each year to replenish the rich Canadian forests that suffer abuse by the lumber industry. Ford and Parton lived the vagabond lifestyle and made a rudimentary living as tree planters during the summer months and doing other odd jobs or traveling during the winters. When they met at a tree planters’ camp, they discovered a mutual love of music, but ultimately went their separate ways.

A few years later, Klein and Ford hooked up when both were attending music school in Nelson, British Columbia. For a time, the three of them headed in different directions: Ford went to Montreal and then Guatemala, Klein to Vancouver, and Parton traveled south through America with her dog Sherpa by her side, eventually settling in New Orleans. Chance brought the trio back together in Vancouver in the winter of 1999. By this time, each had been experimenting with many different styles of music – Ford was in a trip hop band in Montreal, Klein and Ford later formed the soul/folk band Saltwater June in Vancouver, and Parton had been touring the back roads of America with spoken word punk poet Chris Chandler as well as her country-duo side project, The Illegitimate Daughters of Johnny Cash.

Their luminous debut, ‘Blue Horse was named one of 2002′s Top 50 albums by Britain’s Q Magazine. The albums "Chinatown" followed in 2003 and "Hello Love" in 2006.

In 2008 the band took a break from touring and recording. Ford released her debut solo album, "Obadiah", in 2010. The band is scheduled to play the 2011 Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Dogsong aka Sleep Dog Lullaby
The Be Good Tanyas Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All the dogs are haunted
And the snow melts on the grass
You were what I wanted
But the fever could not last

In the day, I am dreaming
In the night, I am cold
While the stars are up there singing

All the dogs are growing old

No regrets, they're out the window
Frozen on the silver pane
Gone like winter, let the wind blow
Let the dogs howl at the rain

In the day, I am dreaming
In the night, I am cold
While the stars are up there singing
All the dogs are growing old

Oh, the cats are in the alley
And the rats are on the wire
Time is breathless as a blossom
And it's bursting with desire

And the dogs wander freely
Through the streets of long gone dreams
Drift like ghosts down the back roads
All the way to New Orleans

In the day, I am dreaming
In the night, I am cold

While the stars are up there singing
All the dogs are growing old

Overall Meaning

The Be Good Tanyas’s song “Dogsong aka Sleep Dog Lullaby” is a melancholy yet poetic reflection on life, love, and the passage of time. The lyrics speak of haunted dogs and melting snow, alluding to the transience of life, while the singer reflects on lost love and the inevitability of aging - “All the dogs are growing old”. The opening verse, “All the dogs are haunted, and the snow melts on the grass, you were what I wanted, but the fever could not last”, sets the tone for the rest of the song as it suggests the haunting quality of nostalgia and the idea of wanting something that cannot stay.

The chorus - “In the day I am dreaming, in the night I am cold, while the stars are up there singing, all the dogs are growing old” - strikes at the heart of the song's message. The repetition of the phrase, “All the dogs are growing old” is a poignant reminder of mortality and the fact that nothing remains the same. The imagery of the stars singing and the dogs growing old is a powerful juxtaposition that highlights the truth of life’s fleeting nature.

The final verse, “And the dogs wander freely, through the streets of long gone dreams, drift like ghosts down the back roads, all the way to New Orleans”, adds a sense of nostalgia and a dreamy, wistful quality to the song. The idea of dogs wandering around New Orleans, a city known for its rich musical heritage, reinforces the theme of music as a metaphor for the passage of time.

Line by Line Meaning

All the dogs are haunted
All the dogs are tormented by something

And the snow melts on the grass
Snow is melting on the grass

You were what I wanted
I desired you

But the fever could not last
But the intense passion could not last

In the day, I am dreaming
I dream during the day

In the night, I am cold
I feel cold at night

While the stars are up there singing
The stars are shining and seemingly making music

All the dogs are growing old
All the dogs are aging

No regrets, they're out the window
I have no regrets

Frozen on the silver pane
Regret is frozen on a silver window pane

Gone like winter, let the wind blow
It’s gone like winter, let it pass like wind