# help me identify this dumb line/lyric? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 13, 2002, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-dumb-line-lyric/136566 "2002-11-13T12:39:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-dumb-line-lyric/136566/1 "2002-11-13T12:39:28Z")
dopers, this has been rolling around in my head as long as i remember, what is it and where did it come from? “every time i go downtown, somebody kicks my dog around” “makes no difference if he is a hound, you’d better stop kickin’ my dog around” unclviny ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-dumb-line-lyric/136566/2 "2002-11-13T14:10:27Z")
Jim dog? I remember people playing this song when I was growing up. IANAFMH (I am not a folk music historian) but as far as I know, it’s just a traditional folk song with no known author. IIRC I do believe Dylan did a version of it at some point. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-dumb-line-lyric/136566/3 "2002-11-13T14:17:33Z")
[Here ya go.](http://www.bobdylanroots.com/dog.html) Did a google search on lyrics kick “dog around” ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-dumb-line-lyric/136566/4 "2002-11-13T15:15:08Z")
thanks dopers! unclviny ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-dumb-line-lyric/136566/5 "2002-11-15T09:17:58Z")
The band [Guadalacanal Diary](http://www.guadalcanaldiary.com/) (site not updated in a year and a half or so) did a song on their final album, _Flip-Flop,_ called “…Vista” which had the lyrics: _Every time I go to town, Boys start kicking my dog around. And every time I go to sleep, Wakes me up with this crazy speech:_ This was followed by a long, nonsensical chorus that was repeated a couple of times. I’m pretty sure I remember this nonsensical chorus from sitting around the campfire as a kid too, but I don’t know that it had any connection with the dog-kicking lyrics. Unfortunately, the lyrics pages seem to have disappeared from the site. I’m glad this came up; I went to college with Rhett Crowe, the bassist for Guadalcanal Diary, and I hadn’t thought of them in years. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-dumb-line-lyric/136566/6 "2002-11-15T09:22:27Z")
_House of Pain_ also sang that line but apparently that wasn’t the answer you were looking for 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Orville\_mogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-dumb-line-lyric/136566/7 "2017-07-11T18:08:14Z")
funny, my daughter just came back from drama camp singing this song. I immediately remembered the Guadalcanal Diary version from high school. Great song. (yes, zombie thread, so what?) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-dumb-line-lyric/136566/8 "2017-07-11T22:46:11Z")
Gotta pile on: Harry Dean Stanton sings/plays harmonica on this tune somewhere in the middle of “Kelly’s Heroes.” I guess they’re insinuating the song is WWII or earlier. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2017, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-dumb-line-lyric/136566/9 "2017-07-12T05:24:13Z")
I thought it was that Tom Petty song featuring Stevie Nicks: _“Baby, you could never look me in the eye Yeah, you buckle with the weight of the words Stop kickin’ my, Stop kickin’ my, Stop kickin’ my dog around…”_