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.
Well, I've drunk to drown, on every ocean I've been
Lake Tanganyika, where the crocodiles swim
Halifax, Nova Scotia to Van Diemen's land
Well, I drank with the Sultan, down the Suez Canal
'Cause every dog has its day
Like every woman, she gets her own way
And if there's a ship that sails tonight
I'll captain that too, just to be there with you
Well, there was old Jerry Rooney, who was mad as a mule
Spillblood Maloney had a head like one too
That night on the bridge, with my shovel in hand
Well, he threatened to kill me, for sure he picked the wrong man
'Cause every dog has its day
Like every woman, she gets her own way
And if there's a ship that sails tonight
I'll captain that too, just to be there with you
Well, there was mutiny in Lagos
Aboard the mean ship Skondi
Ten or twelve days in prison
'Till the bastards set me free, McCluskey you're free
'Cause every dog has its day
Like every woman, she gets her own way
And if there's a ship that sails tonight
I'll captain that too, just to be there with you
Now I love the sea and she wants me back
So I leave this old harbor, with the wind at my back
Goodbye Mother Theresa, I hope the kids settle down
I must head for the China's, pray to God, I don't drown
(One, two, three) for every dog has its day
Like every woman, she gets her own way
And if there's a ship that sails tonight
I'll captain that too
'Cause every dog has its day
Like every woman, she gets her own way
And if there's a ship that sails tonight
I'll captain that too, too, too
Just to be there with you
Just to be there with you
And just to be there with you
Just to be there with you
Just to be there with you
Lake Tanganyika, where the crocodiles swim
Halifax, Nova Scotia to Van Diemen's land
Well, I drank with the Sultan, down the Suez Canal
'Cause every dog has its day
Like every woman, she gets her own way
And if there's a ship that sails tonight
I'll captain that too, just to be there with you
Well, there was old Jerry Rooney, who was mad as a mule
Spillblood Maloney had a head like one too
That night on the bridge, with my shovel in hand
Well, he threatened to kill me, for sure he picked the wrong man
'Cause every dog has its day
Like every woman, she gets her own way
And if there's a ship that sails tonight
I'll captain that too, just to be there with you
Well, there was mutiny in Lagos
Aboard the mean ship Skondi
Ten or twelve days in prison
'Till the bastards set me free, McCluskey you're free
'Cause every dog has its day
Like every woman, she gets her own way
And if there's a ship that sails tonight
I'll captain that too, just to be there with you
Now I love the sea and she wants me back
So I leave this old harbor, with the wind at my back
Goodbye Mother Theresa, I hope the kids settle down
I must head for the China's, pray to God, I don't drown
(One, two, three) for every dog has its day
Like every woman, she gets her own way
And if there's a ship that sails tonight
I'll captain that too
'Cause every dog has its day
Like every woman, she gets her own way
And if there's a ship that sails tonight
I'll captain that too, too, too
Just to be there with you
Just to be there with you
And just to be there with you
Just to be there with you
Just to be there with you
Lyrics submitted by black_cow_of_death
Every Dog Has Its Day Lyrics as written by David R King Bridget A Regan
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I like this song a lot, but what I don't get is the lines of the chorus. They don't seem to be related at all. Every dog has its day means that even the dumbest/ugliest/unluckiest/[fill in bad attribute here] person will at one point get their minute of fame, or moment on top of the world. OK. Then "Like every woman she gets her own way". In the context of this song, that line has to refer to the sea. "She" often refers to ships, but not in the chorus. A ship never gets her own way, it's always the sea that has control. The sea always gets its way. But what does that have to do with "every dog has it's day", other than conveniently rhyming? Then the last line, I assume that "you" means the sea as well, but why would he switch from referring to the sea in third person in the second line, to second person in the last line? Is he in fact talking about two separate things? Or am I just trying to analyze it too much?