Had a white and black shar pei
I don't know when we first got him
Should have taken better care of him
For he added ok

Sorry when I get unruly
When you carry on so much I get a little tired
Hope you get over your teething
It's not easy when you feel sick

Had to sprightly walk you like him
When he peed up all on your side
Grab your bed cast what he told us
Me and Michael dared each other like we were posited

Derek never woke up at night
And he don't move when he's ready to go
And he never had a voice like you
To scream when he wanted something

Should have been so much more willing
To have out with all the things that Michael needed

Whoop-de-doo, whoop-de-doo
See what it is, see what it is
See inside of the eye, of the eye
See inside of the eye, of the eye

You can die, you can die
When you get, when you get
What you know, what you know
Count on me, count on me

Whoop-de-doo, whoop-de-doo
See what it is, see what it is
See inside of the eye, of the eye
See inside of the eye, of the eye


Lyrics submitted by erolsabadosh, edited by UncleHuggedMeFunny

Derek Lyrics as written by David Michael Portner Brian Ross Weitz

Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Derek song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

38 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +3
    General Comment

    do you think this song is about raising nadji versus raising his dog derek, the dog couldnt let him know the troubles and hes always psyched and tired at the same time where the daughter is a lot harder to keep track of? how he learned from raising the dog how to better

    Bubbloyon July 26, 2007   Link
  • +3
    My Interpretation

    Here's my answer to nominal's question about what the line "Wrap your peckers what he told us. me and mike looked at each other Like, whoa what was that then?!"

    the singer is remembering something from his past that he and probably his own brother "Mike" experienced. Probably his father or grandfather or crazy uncle tells the 2 youngsters to "Wrap your peckers" / use a condom so you don't have kids when you're older. He and Mike are too young to understand what the "father-figure's" advice means and they are "Like, whoa what was that then?!". Also probably relating that if he and Mike can't even take care of their dog, then they shouldn't have kids when they're older...

    realq0464253 is right on about the song in general. the way i see it, the singer is having an internal discussion with his baby child and remembering his past growing up. The beginning of the song has a lullaby feel to it. he thinks/tells his child about the dog Derek he had and that the child would have liked it. He is comparing the child to the dog and the responsiblity of taking care of a child/dog. He apologizes to the child for getting "unruly" and "tired" or irritated when the baby is crying at night or wants something or is sick or teething or having to get it ready in the morning.

    A child is an even greater responsibility than the dog, but he is up the the task now! He looks at the infant and "asks" it, "what do you see when you see inside of me?" And then he pledges to the child that he/she can always "count on me" when you ever need to "count of me".

    tmferencakon July 16, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    this song is triumphant. the album is a triumph.

    flex.on July 20, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    this album is so great.

    tcaon July 29, 2007   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    my name is Derek!

    Waqckuon September 10, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    panda's comparing his daughter to his childhood dog. clevername is right.

    imagineiton December 26, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think it's clear that this is a song about a childhood dog and how it prepared Panda Bear for fatherhood, but keeping in mind that it's the last song on the album, especially following a song as dark as "Cuckoo", I think it's supposed to have some sort of deeper meaning. I've heard rumours "Cuckoo" is about a miscarriage Avey Tare and his wife had, if this is true, there is extra contrast between this song and the prior when Panda talks about fatherhood. I also think the "What do you/ see when you/ look inside of me" was meant to conclude the album and leave the listener with food for thought. It makes sense because the first song, peacebone, tells us that "it's not my words that you should follow, it's the indsides", if the whole album was a glance at their insides, it makes sense they'd end it by asking us what we saw. Peace!

    realg0464253on June 25, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    See inside of me ide of me ide of me ide of me

    Possibly?

    Kbaileyyyon December 23, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i think everything is right except for shar pei. it sounds too weird. but this song rules

    mcmonsoonon July 13, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    had a white and black shar pei I don't know when we first got him should have taken better care of him but he had it ok

    sorry when I get unruly when you carry on so much I get a little tired hope you get over your teething it's not easy when you feel sick

    had to sprightly walk you like him when he peed up all on your side grabs your bags that's what he told us me and michael dared each other like what once was out there

    derek never woke up at night and in the morning he's ready to go and he never had a voice likely to scream when he wanted something

    should have been so much more willing to held out with all the things that i thought michael needed

    what do you, what do you... see what it is, see what it is... see inside of the eye, of the eye... see inside of the eye, of the eye...

    you can die, you can die... when you get, when you get... what you know, what you know... count on me, count on me... what do you, what do you... see what it is, see what it is... see inside of the eye, of the eye... see inside of the eye, of the eye...

    mcmonsoonon July 14, 2007   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
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
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
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.