Dog Songs are the Best

As I travel in the Royal Red Chariot with Mum and Dad, I listen to lots of music. When Mum got her new SUV—aka the Royal Red Chariot—she got three free months of Sirius XM radio.  She protested she wasn’t in the car often enough to make the most of the subscription, but she got hooked and re-upped.

The dealership had tuned the radio to Sirius Sinatra, and we listened to that for a bit because it reminded Mum of Ganma.  Ganma loved Frank Sinatra, almost as much as Mum loves the Beatles--the next station we plugged in. Once Mum decided to get a subscription, she found all kinds of cool music.

Now we have NPR and several music stations we flip through: the sixties, the seventies, the eighties, the Beatles, Yacht Rock, Classic Vinyl, the Bridge, the Coffee House, Soul Music and most recently, Jimmy Buffett.  Mum is a button puncher from way back, so we hear a wide variety from her era.

Dad, unlike me, doesn’t appreciate all Mum’s choices. He’s never liked the Beatles--mainly because they’re not Buddy Holly. Remember the song “American Pie?” My Dad believes the music died the day Buddy Holly did. Have you figured out by now that Dad is just a little bit older than Mum?

That’s why he programmed in the fifties station, which is OK by Mum.  He also, however,  likes cowboy music, as in cowboys yodeling, and Mum is having none of that.  Thankfully, the closest thing we could find to cowboy music was the Willie Nelson station.

As a highly intelligent and cultured dog, I enjoy a variety of music, but my favorite genre is Dog Songs.  Dog Songs, you ask? Are there Dog Songs?  Of course, there are, and I’m sure you’re familiar with most of them.

Since Mum so loves the Beatles, let’s start with Paul McCartney’s “Martha My Dear.” If you thought it was about a girlfriend, you’re wrong.  It’s Paul’s ode to his Old English Sheepdog Martha.

Written in 1953,  Patti Page’s “How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?” is one of Mum’s favorites. She remembers it from a 78 record she had as a child.  It hit number one on the Billboard charts, which seems strange for what sounds like a children’s song. Then again, silly me, it’s about a dog; no wonder it was popular.

Another dog song popular with children is B-I-N-G-O.  I especially like it because I can substitute B-A-N-J-O and sing right along.  Perhaps Mum needs to start sing-alongs at all of our appearances.  What better way to greet Lord Banjo?

We’ve never sung that song together, but we have a friend who sings “Ol’ Shep,” a sad song about a boy and his dog.  The boy grows up, and Shep grows old and goes to Doggie Heaven.  Whenever our friend sings “Ol Shep,” there’s nary a dry eye in the house.

On a much happier note, there’s “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo,” a tune that came out the year Mum graduated from high school.  She must not have been the only teenager who liked it; it made number five on the Billboard Charts.

With these songs only the tip of the iceberg and lots more out there, here’s my question: When will Sirius XM get a Dog Station?   It would be hugely popular given all the dog lovers in the world, especially dog lovers whose dogs ride along with them. I’d graciously sign up to be their first Doggie DJ, and we could start my program every day with a rendition of B-A-N-J-O.  The possibilities are endless.

Let me know what you think by writing me at inkpenn119@gmail.com.

And hey, check out my book on Amazon!