Dogman

Wow, hard to believe nobody has commented on this track yet. An amazing song, but I can't find a meaning in it anywhere. King's X is truly one of the most underrated, overlooked bands of all time.

i think this song is about being put down by society, the government, and the music industry, and i think the term dogman means like he is societys dog because he is not treated right and he is just trying to catch a break.. one of my alltime favorite songs

That's an interesting thought, shanetko , but I think the song is more about simply swallowing what people, especially those in positions of authority, tell you without questioning what they say first. I think that the term "dogman", then, is a play on the word dogma, which in religious circles are beliefs that are held that do not come from the religion's primary sacred text, beliefs that are not to be doubted or disputed. A good example would be how many fundamentalist Christians believe that the King James translation of the Bible is the only translation that a person should read or that rock music is inherently sinful. I've been a Christian for nearly seventeen years and I have yet to find the verses in my Bible that say this.

This album was released when the band members, particularly Pinnick and Gaskill, started questioning and distancing themselves from the idea of modern Christianity, which, I'm sad to say, offers more along the lines of pat answers than it does contemplative thought ("Give me a color, make it black or white/Give me a newspaper, tell me if it's right"), often turns a blind eye to its own shortcomings ("All the leaves in need of raking/All the business undertaking"), and is often more known for what it hates and opposes, than for what, or more properly Whom, it is supposed to love and esteem ("Give me some powder to spray up in the air").

I think this is one of the band's best songs ever. Musically it has one of the best hard rock sounds I've heard and still sounds badass nearly fifteen years later. Lyrically it goes places few Christian bands ever have before or since (one notable exception being the under appreciated Five O'clock People). It's just too bad that King's X never really attained the commercial success that they deserved.

I am in love with this song.

The term " Dogman " is well known in theological usage. It is used as an analogy to define and understand the difference between Man / Man created in God's image / and God.

God is supernatural to man; He puts into man something man does not naturally have as the created animal developed through evolution...something supernatural. His Divine nature...man created in the image of God. For example: The ability or even desire to love your enemy.

Dogman is a term describing taking a dog ( a non human ) and giving it human ability...hat would be supernatural to the dog. For example: A dog that can run 80 mph...that is natural...dogs can run...this is just an exception natural dog ability....now a dog that can talk that would be supernatural because dogs cannot naturally talk.

So Dogman is reference to man trying to live up to the divine nature God put in us to rise above our animal nature and live and exist on a higher plane. Living out our higher self rather than our lower instinctual feral self.

Remembering the times I pray To help me deal with me To be the Dogman

"To help me deal with me".......man knowing a recognizing in himself what he thinks and does that is not according to the divine input God has put into every man since the beginning of man...No man does not know what God wants...a prayerful man tries to recognize where he misses the mark so to speak and ask for help beyond himself to do so because it is humanly impossible to live up to this divine gift. We ask for God to do it for us.

So rather than hate ourselves we ask for understanding to help me deal with who we are and what we do that does not meet up to the divine encoding we cannot deny.....but we sure can rationalize really fast with all kinds of contorted "logic."

Give me a dollar, or give me 50 cents Let me take it back if that ain't what I meant Give me a coat or give me a bite Give me a light bulb and make sure it's bright Give me the moon or give me everywhere' Give me some powder to spray up in the air

We are beggars asking for help in our direction .....but asking for the correct direction ( make sure it's bright )

Powder to spray up in the air.......air freshener......so much information out there really stinks.

Give me some attention, lend me your ear Give me what to do and get me outta here Give me a book give me something to read Give me a horse race and give me who's the lead

Asking for prayer to be heard......show me how to get to you ( GOD)...maybe in a book or someone to follow ( horse race...the one in the lead )

All the sleeping, never waking All the leaves in need of raking All the business undertaking All my bones and muscles aching Thoughts and mind are surely flaking Over luncheons hands are shaking Surety of no mistaking Cars and horns and Glasses breaking

All the business of life...missing the whole reason for existence and our eternal goal.....all of the stuff that is temporary we make so important...and we are so sure of ourselves aren't we.

Give me a color, make it black or white Give me a newspaper, tell me if it's right Give me a nail, or give me a bat Give me a skinny, or give me a fat

Give me clear direction and confirmation of it.

Nail...bat ...skinny...fat...???????????????????????????????????????????

Nail....something to solidly hang something on ... or... be suffering ( nailed to a cross)

A bat.... be the one causing the suffering???? something to fight your way through or tear down what is in your way?????????????????

Skinny.....the inside truth ???????

Fat...... rally cool or wealthy ??????