It was me. I let the dogs out.
October 2, 2015 11:00 PM Subscribe
This work documents the history and possible origin(s) of a musical hook which consists of the phrase
"Who let the dogs out" in combination with the sound of dogs barking.
Where did this song come from? Because it’s such an integral part of my youth and others in my generation. That’s how it started: vague interest in an esoteric way of learning stuff, and then it rabbit-holed.
Where did this song come from? Because it’s such an integral part of my youth and others in my generation. That’s how it started: vague interest in an esoteric way of learning stuff, and then it rabbit-holed.
Every once in a while I remember that this is actually a different song than Whoomp There it Is, then I forget again.
posted by Space Coyote at 11:05 PM on October 2, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by Space Coyote at 11:05 PM on October 2, 2015 [7 favorites]
This is a work of beauty, and what the internet was made for.
"I'd argue that while 'loose' and 'out' are factually different words, here they're synonymous. Both imply that dogs, previously contained, have been freed of said containment by an unknown party."
posted by kaibutsu at 11:26 PM on October 2, 2015 [5 favorites]
"I'd argue that while 'loose' and 'out' are factually different words, here they're synonymous. Both imply that dogs, previously contained, have been freed of said containment by an unknown party."
posted by kaibutsu at 11:26 PM on October 2, 2015 [5 favorites]
"Dogs, previously contained, have been freed of said containment by an unknown party."
Somehow that doesn't have the same ring to it. Maybe this is a version you'd yell at polo match.
posted by eye of newt at 12:25 AM on October 3, 2015 [5 favorites]
Somehow that doesn't have the same ring to it. Maybe this is a version you'd yell at polo match.
posted by eye of newt at 12:25 AM on October 3, 2015 [5 favorites]
Metafilter: That’s how it started: vague interest in an esoteric way of learning stuff, and then it rabbit-holed.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 12:47 AM on October 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Joseph Gurl at 12:47 AM on October 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
I feel like I'm usually pretty good at being able to tell whether an online article is real or a well-crafted parody, but none have left me feeling as confused and unsure as this one.
posted by painquale at 3:04 AM on October 3, 2015 [11 favorites]
posted by painquale at 3:04 AM on October 3, 2015 [11 favorites]
This is an amazing project. The narrative is interesting, but I also enjoyed listening to the "Pack Songs" section to decide for myself if this was all an elaborate joke and/or who let the dogs out.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 4:56 AM on October 3, 2015
posted by Monsieur Caution at 4:56 AM on October 3, 2015
The truth is more horrible than you could possibly imagine.
posted by PlusDistance at 4:56 AM on October 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by PlusDistance at 4:56 AM on October 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
When I worked at a movie theater, they had screens in the lobby that would cycle through promotional things - trailers, 'behind the scenes' things, etc. 'Who Let the Dogs Out' was on the Rugrats movie soundtrack and the music video was a part of the promo, so for a few months that song played in its entirety EVERY 15 MINUTES at my workplace. I probably heard that song over 500 times. (shudder)
posted by Fig at 5:34 AM on October 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Fig at 5:34 AM on October 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
When I was an undergrad I used to go to this "townie" bar with a friend of mine when we wanted to go somewhere and be absolutely sure we wouldn't run into anyone we knew. As far as I know we were the only college kids who ever went there, and it was glorious. Cheap food and drinks, the people were always so happy to see us, the latest version of the Deer Hunter arcade game, it was all wonderful. Except for one small thing. The local people and the students lived in completely different worlds and were incapable of understanding each other. Without fail we would walk in to the bar and Alan Jackson or Garth Brooks would be on the Jukebox, but within minutes they would start playing Who Let the Dogs Out over and over again.
When we would ask why they were doing that, they would say that they thought college kids loved "that kind of music." We would try to explain that one song over and over and over wasn't a "kind of music" but it never worked out.
Thinking back on it, maybe they were fucking with us, but annoying a couple of college kids by blasting Who Let the Dogs Out in a crowded bar seems like overkill. Who knows.
posted by Literaryhero at 5:55 AM on October 3, 2015 [16 favorites]
When we would ask why they were doing that, they would say that they thought college kids loved "that kind of music." We would try to explain that one song over and over and over wasn't a "kind of music" but it never worked out.
Thinking back on it, maybe they were fucking with us, but annoying a couple of college kids by blasting Who Let the Dogs Out in a crowded bar seems like overkill. Who knows.
posted by Literaryhero at 5:55 AM on October 3, 2015 [16 favorites]
When I ran the scoreboard for the high school softball team, WLTDO was always the go-to end-of-inning song if the home team kicked butt that inning.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:54 AM on October 3, 2015
posted by Thorzdad at 6:54 AM on October 3, 2015
Also attempting to read this article pre-morning-coffee and I would say that it is the ultimate shaggy dog story.
posted by Joe Chip at 6:56 AM on October 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Joe Chip at 6:56 AM on October 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Exactly the sort of rigorous scholarship I'd like to see leveraged in identifying the location my head at.
posted by comealongpole at 7:15 AM on October 3, 2015 [17 favorites]
posted by comealongpole at 7:15 AM on October 3, 2015 [17 favorites]
The Anslem Douglas Who Let the Dogs out was such an integral part of my late primary school experience. Trinidad, 199something. I distinctly remember sitting outside in the dissipating heat at the end of the day, waiting for my father to remember to come and pick me up, all that chipped blue paint and all those cute 10-year-old boys with their sweaty upper lips chanting and woofing. Then one day a few years later my sister and I were chilling in the hammock with the boombox and the fucking Baha Men came on the radio, tinny, hyper, maddening. No explanation given. We just looked at each other like, what the fuck is this shit. But we hadn't learned to say things like that yet so we just suffered in our little hearts. Well, hear what, that don't matter. We'll always have Iron Bazodee, we'll always have Wrong Name (Who the Hell is Kim). Long live Carnival 199something!
posted by two or three cars parked under the stars at 8:43 AM on October 3, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by two or three cars parked under the stars at 8:43 AM on October 3, 2015 [6 favorites]
Tangentially, Gaby Dunn had a good interview with Isaiah Taylor of the Baha Men a few years ago.
posted by Shmuel510 at 9:53 AM on October 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Shmuel510 at 9:53 AM on October 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
What caught my attention is that the "Junkanoo-oo-oo" song posted at the beginning of this piece is a cover/reappropriation of "Agadoo" (Agadou), sometimes called the most annoying song of all time. I learned the lyrics and dance moves when I was in an intensive French course and the bar there played it every night!
A French version
An English version
posted by dhens at 10:41 AM on October 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
A French version
An English version
posted by dhens at 10:41 AM on October 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
If this article is a joke, I want to shake the author's hand.
posted by shakespeherian at 12:55 PM on October 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by shakespeherian at 12:55 PM on October 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
I am mildly embarrassed to admit that I only just this minute understood the pun in the name of the Baha Men. My only defense is that I thought it was a variant of "baja." Because Mexico is well-known for its steel drum music. And Caribbean rhythms.
sob
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 1:37 PM on October 3, 2015 [5 favorites]
sob
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 1:37 PM on October 3, 2015 [5 favorites]
If it's any consolation, I only caught on after reading your comment.
posted by Shmuel510 at 2:57 PM on October 3, 2015 [11 favorites]
posted by Shmuel510 at 2:57 PM on October 3, 2015 [11 favorites]
It is, thanks.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 3:09 PM on October 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 3:09 PM on October 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
If this is article is a joke
"When Gillette's photo appeared in Billboard on July 29, 1995 the caption read "Zoo Entertainment/S.O.S. recording artist Gillette, right, relaxes backstage after a gig at New York's Palladium [...]"
Billboard Magazine July 29 1995
posted by user92371 at 4:27 PM on October 3, 2015
"When Gillette's photo appeared in Billboard on July 29, 1995 the caption read "Zoo Entertainment/S.O.S. recording artist Gillette, right, relaxes backstage after a gig at New York's Palladium [...]"
Billboard Magazine July 29 1995
posted by user92371 at 4:27 PM on October 3, 2015
Honest to god, when I saw this post late last night, I very nearly flagged it solely because it committed the crime of getting that godawful song stuck in my head, but turns out there's not really a flag for that.
posted by yasaman at 5:10 PM on October 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by yasaman at 5:10 PM on October 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
Johnny Wallflower: "I am mildly embarrassed to admit that I only just this minute understood the pun in the name of the Baha Men. My only defense is that I thought it was a variant of "baja." Because Mexico is well-known for its steel drum music. And Caribbean rhythms.
sob"
That's okay, because I am still not seeing it tonight.
posted by Samizdata at 6:37 PM on October 3, 2015
sob"
That's okay, because I am still not seeing it tonight.
posted by Samizdata at 6:37 PM on October 3, 2015
Son of a bitch (keeping in theme here), it just hit me.
posted by Samizdata at 6:40 PM on October 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Samizdata at 6:40 PM on October 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
I STILL DON'T GET IT
posted by Grandysaur at 6:41 PM on October 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Grandysaur at 6:41 PM on October 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Because they are from Bahamas?
I had to look it up.
posted by flippant at 11:32 PM on October 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
I had to look it up.
posted by flippant at 11:32 PM on October 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh fucking Christ.
The things that pisses me off most about needing that pun explained to me is this: Godamned same happened with me and late aughts rapper Flo Rida. That time I thought it was taste and age that was the barrier and that I didn't get the pun because I really not into Flo Rida, and never thought about it.
But WLTDO was fucking everywhere in 99/00 when I was in high school.
And now I have no excuse. I'm just really dumb.
posted by midmarch snowman at 11:49 PM on October 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
The things that pisses me off most about needing that pun explained to me is this: Godamned same happened with me and late aughts rapper Flo Rida. That time I thought it was taste and age that was the barrier and that I didn't get the pun because I really not into Flo Rida, and never thought about it.
But WLTDO was fucking everywhere in 99/00 when I was in high school.
And now I have no excuse. I'm just really dumb.
posted by midmarch snowman at 11:49 PM on October 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
Sorry to toot my own post but, I was really interested in how this hook may have been transformed from femininist to anti femininist. I love how this person takes a real look at the rhetoric of this song:
I don’t know if I’ll actually try to answer “who let the dogs out,” because contextually, in most versions of the song, “dogs” represent “men” and men, who have always been in power, have actually never been contained to begin with. Specifically in how the lyrics are presented, there has never been a point in history where these aggressors have been “let out.” They have just been there from the get-go, so it is not super interesting to me.
posted by latkes at 7:47 AM on October 4, 2015
I don’t know if I’ll actually try to answer “who let the dogs out,” because contextually, in most versions of the song, “dogs” represent “men” and men, who have always been in power, have actually never been contained to begin with. Specifically in how the lyrics are presented, there has never been a point in history where these aggressors have been “let out.” They have just been there from the get-go, so it is not super interesting to me.
posted by latkes at 7:47 AM on October 4, 2015
The first song I ever downloaded (via Napster!) was Who Let the Dogs Out.
It took almost an hour over my dial-up connection.
The wonder, the exhilaration of the exciting new world of illegal filesharing -- anything I want, anything I want, straight to my home, for free -- Oh my God, my mind was blown.
You might say, of all the songs in the world, you needed that one first?
Yeah, well.
Whenever I hear it now, I remember that feeling, and though the Baha Men did not actually get any money from me, I love their song much more than they could have hoped somebody would.
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 11:18 PM on October 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
It took almost an hour over my dial-up connection.
The wonder, the exhilaration of the exciting new world of illegal filesharing -- anything I want, anything I want, straight to my home, for free -- Oh my God, my mind was blown.
You might say, of all the songs in the world, you needed that one first?
Yeah, well.
Whenever I hear it now, I remember that feeling, and though the Baha Men did not actually get any money from me, I love their song much more than they could have hoped somebody would.
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 11:18 PM on October 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
The things that pisses me off most about needing that pun explained to me is this: Godamned same happened with me and late aughts
Sometimes puns that are in plain sight are curiously resistant to your brain accepting them. For example, it took me until this year, probably 15 years after I first encountered one, to realise that the name of the popular submarine sandwich establishment, "Subway", was not unrelated to the fact this it was a submarine sandwich establishment.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 12:53 PM on October 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
Sometimes puns that are in plain sight are curiously resistant to your brain accepting them. For example, it took me until this year, probably 15 years after I first encountered one, to realise that the name of the popular submarine sandwich establishment, "Subway", was not unrelated to the fact this it was a submarine sandwich establishment.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 12:53 PM on October 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
This is one of the best longreads online, of all time.
posted by ProfLinusPauling at 4:44 PM on October 7, 2015
posted by ProfLinusPauling at 4:44 PM on October 7, 2015
« Older Painting on Petri dishes | A Sewing Machine, Murder, and the Absence of... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
Oh my GOD
posted by town of cats at 11:04 PM on October 2, 2015 [42 favorites]