Yesterday Once More

23 Feb 2016

Domestic Animals

Hi Listeners,

After last week’s ‘heavy’ program, the mood has lightened this week on Yesterday Once More. Throughout our lives we have all had pets or domesticated animals of one kind or another. So it is not surprising that songwriters and singers have written about them. It is surprising, however, to see the array of songs about different domestic animals. Some of the songs are direct homages to favourite pets such as Michael Jackson’s tribute to his pet rat and companion {Ben} and Melanie’s quirky affection for her pet beetle {Alexander Beetle} or Patti Page’s cute homage to the ultimate pet, a dog {How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?}

Other songs use pets as metaphors for girls such as the Ames Brothers, ‘Pussy Cat’ and Tom Jones ‘What’s New Pussycat?’ of for boys {Hound Dog Man} by Fabian. New or young love has often been called Puppy Love {Paul Anka} and the sexual connotation behind ‘Walking The Dog’ by the Rolling Stones is barely hidden. Other songs are straightforward descriptions of domesticated animals such as ‘Simon Smith And His Amazing Dancing Bear’by Alan Price and Art Garfunkel’s theme song from ‘Watership Down’, the film about rabbits {Bright Eyes}. Finally, there is the contribution from Paul McCartney and Wings with their rendition of the nursery rhyme {Mary Had A Little Lamb} and the theme from our own beloved television series about a kangaroo {Skippy Theme}.

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