Hound Dog
Various Artists Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
And you ain't no friend of mine
Well, they said you was high classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah, they said you was high classed
Well, that was just a lie
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
And you ain't no friend of mine
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
And you ain't no friend of mine
Well, they said you was high classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah, they said you was high classed
Well, that was just a lie
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
And you ain't no friend of mine
Well, they said you was high classed
Well, that was just a lie
You know they said you was high classed
Well, that was just a lie
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
And you ain't no friend of mine
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
Cryin' all the time
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit




You ain't no friend of mine
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Hound Dog," originally recorded by Big Mama Thornton in 1952 and later covered by Elvis Presley, can be interpreted in several ways. The song's opening line, "You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time," suggests that the subject of the song is nothing but a sad, pathetic creature. However, the following line, "You ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine," provides more context. In this verse, the singer is taunting the subject, implying that they are not successful or competent enough to even catch a rabbit, and therefore, are not worthy of friendship.


The second verse of the song adds another layer to the interpretation, as the subject is described as "high-classed" but the singer asserts that this is just a facade. This can be seen as a critique of social status and class, suggesting that those who put on a show of wealth and refinement may not actually possess the qualities that make them truly admirable. Overall, the song can be read as a biting commentary on societal expectations and the ways in which people are judged and rejected if they do not conform to them.


Line by Line Meaning

You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
You don't have any value or worth, you're just a useless dog.


Cryin' all the time
You're constantly whining and complaining about everything.


Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
You're a failure, you've never been able to achieve any success.


And you ain't no friend of mine
I don't want anything to do with you or be associated with you.


Well, they said you was high classed
People had a positive perception of you, thinking you were of high social status.


Well, that was just a lie
That supposed good reputation was completely false and unfounded.


You know they said you was high classed
Just to emphasize the previous point, people really believed that lie about you.


You ain't no friend of mine
I really don't want anything to do with you, not even as a casual acquaintance.


You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
To reiterate how worthless you are, you're nothing more than a barking dog.


Cryin' all the time
This part also repeats to emphasize how much you complain about everything.


You ain't never caught a rabbit
This line is repeated once again to drive home the point of your repeated failures.


You ain't no friend of mine
To conclude the song, it is reiterated that the artist has no interest in being associated with you in any way.




Contributed by Jayden I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@joelamybrewster8629

RIP Ms. Shonka. My thoughts are with her children. May they remember all the beautiful moments with their mother and how much she blessed the world with her voice.

@cursedy

Just saw the movie yest (thurs) 😕

@tigerwareagle1485

Just came here after hearing about Shonka’s passing.

Even if it was for a few seconds, her voice was outstanding playing as Big Mama Thornton. RIP

@strangewayfaringstranger

I told her she needed to record an album and she loved my comment. Sad she won't get to realize that dream.

@Ms504babygirl

Me too

@LifeInPixelsImages

Her voice is absolutely outstanding and full of soul, so sad to hear the news today. Rest In Peace beautiful lady, may your voice echo throughout the world ❤

@theejuicygoldengoose271

@@kaelsurtour shat dee fak up clown. You know what they meant? Your white aren't ya? 🤔 Just shat up. 🤫🤐🤡🤦🏽‍♀️

@AfterTheGame

She got that vaccine and now she has paid the price as a result.

@LifeInPixelsImages

@@kaelsurtour I know it is 😊 Other people have said she is soulful as well, it’s her voice that has soul but all music has soul, not just blues.

@TheDrkjg

@@kaelsurtour apparently you know nothing about the soul of a singer. Doesn't matter the music genre... Soul is soul! Either you have it or you don't!

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