To this day, there is debate about who actually said, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.” The quote is often attributed to Sigmund Freud, but there is actually no evidence that he ever said or wrote it.
But when it comes to being reminded about a beloved dog, sometimes things that have nothing to do with dogs really can remind us of one. Canadian singer-songwriter, Jane Siberry penned lyrics to “Everything Reminds Me of My Dog,” a song that expresses how much a dog can touch our lives, and how anything from a skyscraper to some guy in a store can remind us of a heart dog.
The tune isn’t very well known. It was included in her album, Bound by the Beauty, which made it to the RPM’s Top 100 Albums chart of 1989 (this is a Canadian music industry publication), but if it’s familiar to us, maybe it is to you, too. We share it below, and check out the different purebred dogs that appear in the video:
Reviews of the song were mixed. Some felt that it was a beautifully crafted song that encapsulates the profound connection we share with our dogs – and yes, it does do that, but in a way that other critics felt was too repetitive. One person wrote, “These are probably the most annoying lyrics in existence. But, ashamed, I confess that this song lifts my mood every time. It’s one of those sinful pleasures that we don’t understand.”
For anyone who just wants to see the lyrics, they appear below:
Everything reminds me of my dog
The guy in the store reminds me of my dog
Telephones remind me of my dog yoohoo
Taxicabs remind me too
If you remind me of my dog
We’ll probably git along little doggie
Git along git along little doggie git a
Smiling at strangers reminds me of my dog
Better let them know you’re friendly
The way people dress reminds me too
Pissing on their favourite tree
Sad things remind me of my dog
Cockroaches and other insects
Remind me too, don’t eat them
The blank expression of the little boy
With thick glasses who picks
Himself up from the sidewalk
And stands there blinking in the sun
Ho oh
Like the man on the subway
Sitting across from me
And every time I looked at him he smiled
And by the time
I got to the end of the subway line
I ‘d given him at least oh 25 cookies
Guys in bars remind me of my dog
The way it takes you so long
To choose the perfect table
If you remind me of my dog
We’ll probably git along little doggie
Git along git along little doggie git a
Me and my ferocious dog
We’re walking down the street
And everyone we meet says
“Ach yer a goot doogie
“Ach yer a goot doogie
“Ach yer a goot doogie
Except when we go for a walk
To get the Sunday paper
I stand there and read the headlines
He reads the wind
Sometimes he hits a funny smell and laughs
I hate it when he does that- I feel so dumb
What? what? I say
Everything reminds me of my dog
Beautiful things
Sunsets remind me of my dog
Gina go to your window
Einstein reminds me of me dog
I want to pat his fluffy head
This whole world reminds me of my dog
My dog reminds me of this whole world
Do I remind you of a dog? thump thump
I do? faster thump thump
Skyscrapers remind me of my dog
Sitting in the tall grass waiting for a rabbit
Guys in red cameros too
It’s getting to be a habit
Artists remind me of my dog
Staking out their originality on the nearest tree
Old folks remind me of my dog
My dog reminds old people of their dogs
Barfy, Ruffo, Beanhead
Gina says I remind her of the dog
The that way I just did that
Golfers teeing off remind me of my dog
The way he sits by me and shifts on his front paws
What is it you want? look at it
Do you want to go for a walk? do you want a cookie?
Do you want me to dial the number for you?
Siberry wrote about what she knew. The song was dedicated to her Border Collie, “Gwyllym” whom she took on tour, CD events, and appearances. She has even tried her hand at sheep-herding with Gwyllym: ” “I brought a Border Collie back home to Vancouver from Wales – where some of my ancestors are from – and needed to challenge him in other ways than just being my pet. So I investigated sheep herding and took a few lessons, and decided I was probably learning more than my dog!” Good thing! Siberry owns another Border Collie named, “Wolfgang.”
Jane Siberry has been likened to Laurie Anderson, Patty Larkin, Suzanne Vega, and Joni Mitchell, but most agree that she seemingly reinvents her style with every new album that draws from wide variety of styles including new wave rock, jazz, folk, gospel, and even liturgical music in her later work.
You can read more about Jane Siberry here.
Image: Border Collie by Robin Arthur
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