The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Out to the doghouse with you, that's what she said
You've been inside too long now, I must clean the mess
Go into the backyard will you and practice your tricks
Go take yourself for a walk, you make me sick
You're just a doggy, in a snap you're fetching the bone
And you're barking when she calls
You're hiding behind the fence, you've been disobedient
Your fun and playfulness is so very becoming
But she has got you by the reins, and there is no running
Conditioned to salivate at the first sound of the bell
And feeding you the remains of yesterday's meal
Can you hear her calling from within the house?
Well you're just a doggy, in a snap you're fetching the bone
And you're barking when she calls
You're hiding behind the fence, you've been disobedient
Shape up boy
Your fun and playfulness is so very becoming
But she has got you by the reins, and there is no running
Conditioned to salivate at the first sound of the bell
And feeding you the remains of yesterday's meal
Can you hear her calling, from within the house?
If you would stop barking, she might let you out
At last she opens the back gate
You're released, you're now free to roam
You've been waiting for this moment for sometime and now you must go
Into the fields where there is laughter
There is peace and you're comfortable
Try to hold on now before she calls you home!
You're in the doghouse 'cause you're just a dog!
You're in the doghouse and you're just a dog!
You're in the doghouse and you're just a dog!
You're in the doghouse 'cause you're just a dog!
Oh little doggy, you're just a dog!
You're in the doghouse, oh you little dog!
You're in the doghouse, oh you're just a dog!
You're in the doghouse and you dirty dog!
(Going out behind the fence)
You've been inside too long now, I must clean the mess
Go into the backyard will you and practice your tricks
Go take yourself for a walk, you make me sick
You're just a doggy, in a snap you're fetching the bone
And you're barking when she calls
You're hiding behind the fence, you've been disobedient
Your fun and playfulness is so very becoming
But she has got you by the reins, and there is no running
Conditioned to salivate at the first sound of the bell
And feeding you the remains of yesterday's meal
Can you hear her calling from within the house?
Well you're just a doggy, in a snap you're fetching the bone
And you're barking when she calls
You're hiding behind the fence, you've been disobedient
Shape up boy
Your fun and playfulness is so very becoming
But she has got you by the reins, and there is no running
Conditioned to salivate at the first sound of the bell
And feeding you the remains of yesterday's meal
Can you hear her calling, from within the house?
If you would stop barking, she might let you out
At last she opens the back gate
You're released, you're now free to roam
You've been waiting for this moment for sometime and now you must go
Into the fields where there is laughter
There is peace and you're comfortable
Try to hold on now before she calls you home!
You're in the doghouse 'cause you're just a dog!
You're in the doghouse and you're just a dog!
You're in the doghouse and you're just a dog!
You're in the doghouse 'cause you're just a dog!
Oh little doggy, you're just a dog!
You're in the doghouse, oh you little dog!
You're in the doghouse, oh you're just a dog!
You're in the doghouse and you dirty dog!
(Going out behind the fence)
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
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
i like this song, i think it's one of the few old old nd songs that has some meaning behind it. it's a good ending to the beacon street collection album, which is a fantastic cd, the whole entire thing. definitely my favorite no doubt cd.