You call me a dog, well, that's fair enough
'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
Trying to be safe from the cold

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


Lyrics submitted by fadel, edited by BarnWoodGuy

Call Me a Dog Lyrics as written by Christopher J. Cornell

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Hipgnosis Songs Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Call Me A Dog song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

28 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +2
    General Comment

    Oh yeah, and I think this song is about someone who loves someone who isnt returning their love, so they "call me a dog", but this person doesnt mind, because they know they arent perfect, but they arent going to give up on trying to get the other person return their unrequited love

    ed_vedder100on September 09, 2005   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
When We Were Young
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Album art
Blue
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Album art
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.