The lineup of the Los Angeles, California, indie-pop quartet that dog. repr… Read Full Bio ↴The lineup of the Los Angeles, California, indie-pop quartet that dog. represented the flowering of a second generation of musical luminaries: singer/guitarist Anna Waronker was the daughter of famed producer and Warner Bros. head Lenny Waronker, while violinist Petra Haden and her sister bassist Rachel Haden were two of the triplet daughters born to jazz titan Charlie Haden. Friends since high school, the trio first began playing music together in Waronker's bedroom in the early 1990s, with original drummer Maya Rudolph on board until she had to move away for college. Rudolph was replaced by drummer Tony Maxwell in 1992, that dog. issued their debut double seven-inch on the tiny Magnatone Records, quickly becoming a staple of the L.A. club circuit; a flurry of label interest followed, and the group signed with DGC in 1993. that dog.’s self-titled debut LP appeared in 1994; an energetic and quirky punk-pop effort highlighted by sunny harmonies and the intriguing use of violin and cello, the record became a college radio hit, and the light-hearted video for the lead single “Old Timer” even garnered some MTV airplay. The follow-up, Totally Crushed Out!, was issued a year later; a concept album wittily exploring the teen angst of unrequited love (packaged to recall a Sweet Valley High romance novel), the record marked a significant maturity in Waronker’s songwriting, evidenced by tracks like “Ms. Wrong” and “He's Kissing Christian.” A planned Waronker solo project was scheduled to follow, but instead her more pop-oriented material became the basis for the third that dog. record; co-produced by Brad Wood, the stellar Retreat from the Sun appeared in 1997. The band’s breakup was announced that September.

The band reunited in 2017, minus Petra. The reformed group released Old LP in 2019, with original drummer Maya Rudolph rejoining the group as a background vocalist.

Sites: YouTube and Facebook

Gagged and Tied
that dog. Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

i'd like to take you home
so that we can be alone.
we'll go for a walk
then we'll go home not to talk.
and i don't care if you don't treat me like a lady.
and i don't care just sit there and don't disobey me.
mistress never tells a lie
would you love me gagged and tied

it's not your style, i can see you crack a smile.

it's okay with me
i just want the company.
put on venus in furs
and you can go home after work.

and i don't care if you don't treat me like a lady
and i don't care just sit there and don't disobey me
don't treat me like a lady
mistress never tells a lie,
would you love me gagged and tied
it's not your style, i can see you crack a smile.

would you love me gagged and tied
would you love me gagged and tied
would you love me gagged and tied
would you love me gagged and tied

mistress never tells a lie
would you love me gagged and tied
mistress never tells a lie

it's not your style, i can see you crack a smile
it's not your style, i can see you crack a smile.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Gagged and Tied" by that dog. are about a woman who wants to be dominated in a sexual relationship. She seemingly desires to be controlled and objectified by her partner. She invites them to her home, where they will not speak and instead listen to music together, specifically "Venus in Furs" by the Velvet Underground, which is about sadomasochism. The woman acknowledges that her desires are not conventional and that her partner might crack a smile at the suggestion of her being gagged and tied, but it's something that she wants nonetheless. The song ultimately implies that the woman feels empowered by her sexual desires and is confident in expressing them to her partner.

The lyrics of the song are controversial and have been debated for their lack of female empowerment. Some have argued that the song is perpetuating harmful stereotypes about women's desires and playing into patriarchal ideas of male dominance. Others have viewed the song as a form of rebellion against societal norms and an expression of sexual liberation.

Line by Line Meaning

i'd like to take you home
I want to bring you back to my place

so that we can be alone
So that we can be in private and intimate

we'll go for a walk
We'll take a stroll together

then we'll go home not to talk
Then we'll return home and not engage in conversation

and i don't care if you don't treat me like a lady
I am not concerned if you do not treat me with traditional societal norms for a woman

and i don't care just sit there and don't disobey me
I do not care if you simply sit there and follow my commands without question

mistress never tells a lie
I, as the mistress, never lie

would you love me gagged and tied
Would you enjoy being with me while I am physically restrained and unable to speak

it's not your style, i can see you crack a smile
I understand that this type of activity may not be your preference, I can see you smiling at the suggestion

it's okay with me
It is acceptable to me

i just want the company
I simply desire your companionship

put on venus in furs
Let's listen to the song 'Venus in Furs'

and you can go home after work
And then you can go home once we are finished spending time together

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Anna Waronker, Petra Haden, Rachel Haden, Steven Shane McDonald, Tony Maxwell

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS