Stooges – "I Wanna Be Your Dog" (1969)

Now I’m ready to close my eyes

Now I’m ready to close my mind

“I Wanna Be Your Dog” is effing relentless, boys and girls.

The song is built around guitarist Ron Asheton’s downward-moving three-chord riff – C, B, Em (inverted) – which is repeated over and over and over.  Producer John Cale joins in on the piano, banging away on an E4 and an E5 (I think) like his instrument has only two keys instead of 88.

The effect is similar to someone rhythmically hitting you on the head with a hammer, if being rhythmically hit on the head with a hammer felt really, really good.

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“I Wanna Be Your Dog” was used to great effect in Guy Ritchie’s 1998 movie, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.  (1998?  That movie is 20 years old?  You’ve got to be kidding me.)

I like Quentin Tarantino’s movies as much as the next guy, but let’s give some love to Guy Ritchie.  Tarantino only wishes he had made two movies as good as Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. 

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One more thing about Ritchie: not only did he marry Madonna, he reportedly got something in the neighborhood of 50 to 60 million pounds from her as a divorce settlement.  (That ain’t hay!)

I hope A-Rod was worth it, Madge.

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“I Wanna Be Your Dog” sounds nothing like any of the other songs in the inaugural class of the 2 OR 3 LINES “GOLDEN DECADE” ALBUM TRACKS HALL OF FAME.  It’s hard to believe it was recorded in 1969 – it was truly ahead of its time.

Click here to listen to “I Wanna Be Your Dog.”

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