Hey Bulldog
Producer
[Verse 1: John Lennon & Paul McCartney]
Sheepdog
Standing in the rain
Bullfrog
Doing it again
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles
What makes you think you're something special when you smile?
[Verse 2: John Lennon & Paul McCartney]
Child-like
No one understands
Jack knife
In your sweaty hands
Some kind of innocence is measured out in years
You don't know what it's like to listen to your fears
[Chorus: John Lennon]
You can talk to me
You can talk to me
You can talk to me
If you're lonely, you can talk to me
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 3: John Lennon & Paul McCartney]
Big man (Yeah?)
Walking in the park
Wigwam
Frightened of the dark
Some kind of solitude is measured out in you
You think you know me, but you haven't got a clue
Sheepdog
Standing in the rain
Bullfrog
Doing it again
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles
What makes you think you're something special when you smile?
[Verse 2: John Lennon & Paul McCartney]
Child-like
No one understands
Jack knife
In your sweaty hands
Some kind of innocence is measured out in years
You don't know what it's like to listen to your fears
[Chorus: John Lennon]
You can talk to me
You can talk to me
You can talk to me
If you're lonely, you can talk to me
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 3: John Lennon & Paul McCartney]
Big man (Yeah?)
Walking in the park
Wigwam
Frightened of the dark
Some kind of solitude is measured out in you
You think you know me, but you haven't got a clue
[Chorus: John Lennon]
You can talk to me
You can talk to me
You can talk to me
If you're lonely you can talk to me
[Bridge: John Lennon & Paul McCartney]
Wahoo woof! Woof!
Hey, bulldog! Hey, bulldog!
Hey, bulldog! Hey, bulldog!
[Speech: John Lennon & Paul McCartney]
Hey, man? What's that, boy?
Woof!
What do you say?
I said, "Woof!"
You know anymore?
Wooaah ha ha ha!
You've got it, that's it, you had it!
That's it, man, woo!
That's it! You've got it!
Don't look at me, man, I only have ten children
Ah ho! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Quiet, boy, quiet!
Okay
Quiet!
You can talk to me
You can talk to me
You can talk to me
If you're lonely you can talk to me
[Bridge: John Lennon & Paul McCartney]
Wahoo woof! Woof!
Hey, bulldog! Hey, bulldog!
Hey, bulldog! Hey, bulldog!
[Speech: John Lennon & Paul McCartney]
Hey, man? What's that, boy?
Woof!
What do you say?
I said, "Woof!"
You know anymore?
Wooaah ha ha ha!
You've got it, that's it, you had it!
That's it, man, woo!
That's it! You've got it!
Don't look at me, man, I only have ten children
Ah ho! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Quiet, boy, quiet!
Okay
Quiet!
[Outro: John Lennon & Paul McCartney]
Hey, bulldog!
Hey, bulldog!
Hey, bulldog!
Hey, bulldog!
About
Genius Annotation
These lyrics reflect John Lennon’s own philosophy of how people say “No one understands me” in self-pity, when in reality, there is someone out there who is experiencing the same thing you are, wanting to talk.
The “jack knife” part is about how people who aren’t understood in society are driven to extreme thoughts and actions. A modern example of this could be school shootings and incidents.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
What did The Beatles say about "Hey Bulldog"?
Genius Answer
John and George were going to Rishikesh with the idea that this might be some huge spiritual lift-off and they might never come back if Maharishi told them some really amazing thing.
- Paul McCartney in Many Years From Now
- 2.Misery
- 4.Chains
- 5.Boys
- 6.Ask Me Why
- 10.Baby It’s You
- 12.A Taste of Honey
- 13.There’s a Place
- 14.Twist and Shout
- 16.It Won’t Be Long
- 18.All My Loving
- 19.Don’t Bother Me
- 20.Little Child
- 24.Hold Me Tight
- 33.If I Fell
- 35.And I Love Her
- 36.Tell Me Why
- 38.Any Time at All
- 39.I’ll Cry Instead
- 41.When I Get Home
- 43.I’ll Be Back
- 45.No Reply
- 46.I’m a Loser
- 47.Baby’s in Black
- 50.Mr. Moonlight
- 53.Words of Love
- 54.Honey Don’t
- 60.Help!
- 61.The Night Before
- 63.I Need You
- 64.Another Girl
- 66.Ticket to Ride
- 67.Act Naturally
- 68.It’s Only Love
- 72.Yesterday
- 73.Dizzy Miss Lizzy
- 75.Drive My Car
- 77.You Won’t See Me
- 78.Nowhere Man
- 80.The Word
- 81.Michelle
- 82.What Goes On
- 83.Girl
- 85.In My Life
- 86.Wait
- 90.Taxman
- 91.Eleanor Rigby
- 93.Love You To
- 99.For No One
- 100.Doctor Robert
- 101.I Want to Tell You
- 103.Tomorrow Never Knows
- 108.Getting Better
- 109.Fixing a Hole
- 110.She’s Leaving Home
- 113.When I’m Sixty-Four
- 114.Lovely Rita
- 117.A Day in the Life
- 119.Magical Mystery Tour
- 120.The Fool on the Hill
- 121.Flying
- 122.Blue Jay Way
- 124.I Am the Walrus
- 125.Hello, Goodbye
- 127.Penny Lane
- 131.Back in the U.S.S.R.
- 132.Dear Prudence
- 133.Glass Onion
- 134.Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
- 135.Wild Honey Pie
- 139.Martha My Dear
- 140.I’m So Tired
- 141.Blackbird
- 142.Piggies
- 143.Rocky Raccoon
- 144.Don’t Pass Me By
- 146.I Will
- 147.Julia
- 148.Birthday
- 149.Yer Blues
- 150.Mother Nature’s Son
- 152.Sexy Sadie
- 153.Helter Skelter
- 154.Long, Long, Long
- 155.Revolution 1
- 156.Honey Pie
- 157.Savoy Truffle
- 158.Cry Baby Cry
- 159.Revolution 9
- 160.Good Night
- 162.Yellow Submarine
- 163.Only a Northern Song
- 164.All Together Now
- 165.Hey Bulldog
- 166.It’s All Too Much
- 167.All You Need Is Love
- 168.Pepperland
- 169.Sea of Time
- 170.Sea of Holes
- 171.Sea of Monsters
- 172.March of the Meanies
- 176.Come Together
- 177.Something
- 179.Oh! Darling
- 180.Octopus’s Garden
- 182.Here Comes the Sun
- 183.Because
- 185.Sun King
- 186.Mean Mr. Mustard
- 187.Polythene Pam
- 189.Golden Slumbers
- 190.Carry That Weight
- 191.The End
- 192.Her Majesty
- 194.Two of Us
- 195.Dig a Pony
- 196.Across the Universe
- 197.I Me Mine
- 198.Dig It
- 199.Let It Be
- 200.Maggie Mae
- 201.I’ve Got a Feeling
- 202.One After 909
- 204.For You Blue
- 205.Get Back
- 207.Love Me Do
- 208.From Me to You
- 209.Thank You Girl
- 210.She Loves You
- 211.I’ll Get You
- 213.This Boy
- 215.Sie Liebt Dich
- 216.Long Tall Sally
- 217.I Call Your Name
- 218.Slow Down
- 219.Matchbox
- 220.I Feel Fine
- 221.She’s a Woman
- 222.Bad Boy
- 223.Yes It Is
- 224.I’m Down
- 225.Day Tripper
- 226.We Can Work It Out
- 227.Paperback Writer
- 228.Rain
- 229.Lady Madonna
- 230.The Inner Light
- 231.Hey Jude
- 232.Revolution
- 234.Don’t Let Me Down
- 236.Old Brown Shoe
Credits
Producer
Writers
Piano
Vocals
Guitar
Tambourine
Bass Guitar
Drums
Label
Recorded At
Abbey Road Studios
Released on
January 13, 1969
Songs That Sample Hey Bulldog
Something / Blue Jay Way by The Beatles, Something/Blue Jay Way (LOVE Version) by The Beatles (Ft. Billy Preston & George Martin), Strawberry Fields Forever (LOVE Version) by The Beatles (Ft. George Martin), Lady Madonna (LOVE Version) by The Beatles (Ft. Billy Preston, Eric Clapton & Ronnie Scott), Beyond The Valley Of A Day In The Life by The Residents & Treat 'Em Right by Vanilla Ice
Songs That Interpolate Hey Bulldog
Hey Bulldog Covers
Hey Bulldog by MonaLisa Twins, Hey Bulldog by Bill Deal and the Rhondels, Hey Bulldog by Rolf Harris, Bulldog by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Hey Bulldog by Spoon, Hey, Bulldog by Alice Cooper, Hey Bulldog by Afterhours, Hey Bulldog by Toad the Wet Sprocket, Hey Bulldog by Jack Russell, Hey Bulldog by Firewater, Hey Bulldog by The Gods (UK) & Hey Bulldog by Miles Kane
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