A lovely family song

A roundup of foreign songs about pets

music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and have been contributing to music magazines and web media for over 15 years. Although Western music is my main field, I always strive to stay curious with the motto, “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in a band, where I was a bassist responsible for songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve performed on include bass, guitar, and piano. I resumed piano lessons after turning 40 and have been continuing ever since!

When it comes to songs about pets, if we’re talking Japanese music, a few tracks might come to mind right away.

But if we limit it to Western music, being able to name some off the top of your head probably means you’re pretty well-versed in it.

Even when words like “DOG” or “CAT” appear in the title or lyrics, they’re often used as some kind of metaphor.

In this article, I’ve researched Western songs about animals, with a focus on pets, and compiled them across different eras and genres.

You don’t see many articles with this kind of theme, and the content is quite interesting—so please take a look!

A roundup of Western songs about pets (41–50)

Dogs Of WarMotörhead

MOTÖRHEAD – Dogs of War

Dogs Of WarMotörhead

Motörhead was a British rock band active from 1975 to 2015.

They are said to have revitalized late-1970s to early-1980s heavy metal and pioneered the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

This track is included on their 14th album, Snake Bite Love, released in 1998.

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Dogs on the RunTom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Dogs on the Run

Dogs on the RunTom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is an American rock band that has been active since 1976.

This track is included on their sixth album, Southern Accents, released in 1985.

The album reached No.

7 on the U.

S.

charts.

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Old BlueThe Byrds

The Byrds – Old Blue

Old BlueThe Byrds

Folk songs are said to have originally emerged from shows in theaters in the late 19th century.

This version by the Los Angeles rock band The Byrds is included on their seventh album, Dr.

Byrds & Mr.

Hyde, released in 1969.

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In conclusion

The idea of loving animals as members of the family and spending our days together is basically the same in Japan and abroad, isn’t it? At the same time, whether it’s lyrics that are straightforward and full of affection or ones with a touch of irony, I was reminded while putting together this article that even when we say “songs about pets,” there are all kinds of tracks shaped by each artist’s sensibilities.

This is a theme that seems like it could yield even more if we keep looking—digging deeper might be really interesting!