Given the Dog a Bone by AC/DC Lyrics Meaning – Unleashing the Stark Imagery and Bold Double Entendres
Lyrics
Going down to her knees
Going down to the devil
Down down to ninety degrees
Oh, she’s blowing me crazy
‘Til my ammunition is dry
Oh, she’s using her head again
She’s using her head
Oh, she’s using her head again
I’m just a givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
I’m just a givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
I’m just a givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
Oh, she’s no Mona Lisa
No, she’s no Playboy star
But she’ll send you to heaven
Then explode you to Mars
Oh, she’s using her head again
Using her head again
She’s using her head
Using her head again
Oh, she’s using her head again
Using her head
I’m just a givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
I’m just a givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
I’m just a givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
Let’s go
Ooh, oh, oh, oh
She got the power of union
Yeah, she only hits when it’s hot
And if she likes what you’re doing
Yeah, she’ll give you a lot
(Give it everything she got)
I’ve just given the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
I’ve just given the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
I’m just givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
I’m just a givin’ the dog a bone
Givin’ the dog a bone
I’m just a given a dog
Givin’ a dog
Givin’ a dog
Ooh, I’m just a givin’ the dog a bone
When AC/DC released ‘Given the Dog a Bone,’ it wasn’t with the intention of giving the world a philosophical cipher. Nevertheless, the raucous energy and thunderous approach that the band encapsulated in this track became an undeniably robust anthem of rock’s salacious underpinnings. The song, buried within the seismic album ‘Back in Black,’ harnesses a raw, visceral quality that, like much of AC/DC’s oeuvre, veers towards the risqué without apology.
Taking a dive into the double meanings and audacious overtures, ‘Given the Dog a Bone’ serves as more than just a track with a throbbing bassline and a shrieking chorus; it’s a cultural critique, a hedonistic revelry, and a celebration of primal instincts wrapped in the cloak of rock ‘n’ roll. Unpack its layers, and one discovers a more profound testament to the band’s worldview, replete with the audacity and irreverence that defined an era.
Thunderstruck: The Sexual Innards of a Rock Hit
AC/DC has never shied away from sexual innuendo, and ‘Given the Dog a Bone’ might be one of the boldest expressions of that tendency. At face value, the song appears to glorify sexual escapades, encapsulating the dogged pursuit of hedonistic pleasure. The bone, symbolic of gratification and reward, becomes the focal point of a carnal chase, narrated with an energy that is both commanding and raw in its essence.
This track enunciates a clear message: unabashed, unashamed sexuality is a power play, a game in which AC/DC is more than willing to partake. The casual explicitness transcends mere shock value, carving a niche where the band stands not as a spectator of societal norms but as a gatecrasher, flaunting the bare essentials of human nature.
The Feminine Mystique: Beyond the Obvious
While it might be easy to dismiss the song as a one-dimensional celebration of male libido, a closer examination reveals a subtext of feminine power. The woman in ‘Given the Dog a Bone’ is not a passive recipient of male desire; rather, she possesses agency, ‘using her head again,’ a line that can be read both ways – strategically savvy or sexually suggestive, depending on the listener’s perspective.
This serves to complicate the narrative, presenting the female as a figure of control and dominance. She’s not the Mona Lisa, nor is she the quintessential Playboy fantasy – she’s visceral, potent, and real, harnessing a sexuality that’s as commanding as it is clandestine. Through this lens, ‘Given the Dog a Bone’ honors the unapologetic assertion of female sexuality.
Unapologetically Raw: The Ode to Authenticity
There’s an undeniable authenticity to the lyrics that resonate with the AC/DC ethos. It’s a primal scream of affirmation that glamor is not a prerequisite for passion. The lyrics ‘Oh, she’s no Mona Lisa’ serve as a stark reminder that AC/DC’s muses are not about unattainable ideals but are earthy, fiery, and real.
The band endorses a raw, unfiltered approach to both life and love. The overt references in the track are carried with a straightforwardness that undercuts pretense and elevates the raw, sweaty core of rock music. ‘Given the Dog a Bone’ then becomes a rugged anthem, a war-cry for the keepers of the very essence of rock ‘n’ roll.
Electrifying Euphemisms: A Closer Look at the Language of Rock
The unabashed, repeating chorus of ‘Givin’ the dog a bone’ becomes more than just a catchy hook; it’s a multi-layered metaphor, teetering between comedic brilliance and vulgar simplicity. AC/DC has always possessed a unique knack for wordplay that struts along the lines of tongue-in-cheek dexterity and outright lewdness.
‘Given the Dog a Bone’ is an exemplary showcase of this linguistic agility, using the realm of the risqué to enforce the cheeky bravado that defines AC/DC’s linguistic style. The lyrical simplicity masks an undercurrent of linguistic complexity, one that bestows the track with a staying power, as potent today as it was upon its release.
The Hidden Track of Cultural Critique
It would be a disservice to the depth that AC/DC’s music can reach to say that ‘Given the Dog a Bone’ is only about the explicit. Embedded within its visceral thralls is a sharp critique of the superficial veneer often found in the music of the time. The lines ‘no Mona Lisa,’ and ‘no Playboy star,’ serve not only as depictions of a woman confident in her sexual abilities but also a backlash against the objectification prevalent in media.
By staring down the barrel of societal expectations and blasting through with unapologetic heat, AC/DC subverts norms and heralds in an ethos of authentic, unvarnished reality. ‘Given the Dog a Bone’ is thus a layered narrative, one that echoes with resonant themes of freedom, defiance, and an almost ferocious authenticity.
