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Dog in the Fight

from Flood Waters Rising by Whelan

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about

Picture a corrupt boxer who has been told by his handler that the fight is thrown in his favor and all he has to do is put on a convincing performance. However his opponent decides to fight for real. There you have “Dog in the Fight.” The band staged a rebellion in the studio and took this song to a place it had never been before and which I had never conceived of. The result is the most magical musical moment on the disc.

lyrics

Dog in the fight c. 2013 Sidney S. Whelan

Since this time last year,
They’ve been lining up and taking sides.
Now the crowd lets out a cheer,
As each side’s man arrives.
They’re rolling up their sleeves,
On this rough and dirty patch.
We ain’t none of us naïve.
Get your toes up to the scratch

So before the crack of dawn
Brings the first ray of light
You’d better have a dog in the fight
In the fight
You’d better have a dog in the fight.

He took a chance on you,
He took a chance on me.
He thought he knew the truth,
And they way it’s meant to be.
He took a chance on blame.
He took a chance on fright.
He took a chance on shame,
And a heavy dose of spite.

So before the bets are laid
And the bookies walk in sight.
He’d better have a dog in the fight,
In the fight.
He’d better have a dog in the fight.

He eyed the calm defender
Standing tall across the square.
He said “I’ll return you to your Sender,
Your flat will need a spare.
I’ll snatch you till your head is bald,
And you cry for your hair.
I’ll beat you ‘til the doctor’s called
And take your woman into my care.”

He looked around, boasting
At the left and to his right.
And said “The Dogs of War are with me in this fight,
In this fight.
The Dogs of War are with me in this fight.”

He’d bought off half the judges
Paid off half the crowd
Had his thugs and his enforcers
Scattered all around.
So imagine his confusion
At the top of the 12th round,
He just could not believe it
As his body hit the ground.

He looked around worried
At the left and to his right.
And said “I brought the wrong dog to this fight,
To this fight
I brought the wrong dog to this fight.”

The judges who’d been bought
Retreated quickly out the back.
The enforcers and the thugs thought
“Time to exit, Jack.”
The crowd divided quickly
Along their party lines
He was feeling kind of sickly
Second guesses in his mind

Bloody, bruised and broke-down
He stumbled home late in the night
“I didn’t have a dog in the fight.
I’m sorry babe.
I didn’t have a dog in the fight.”

credits

from Flood Waters Rising, released November 20, 2013
Doug Berns, Bass
Richard Huntley, Drums
Naido Vargas, Keyboard
Sid Whelan, Guitar & Vocal

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about

Whelan New York, New York

Sid Whelan is a veteran singer-songwriter with an unapologetically old-school vibe. He has released three solo albums on Bandcamp. He calls his Music "Dark Blue Americana" and has studied songwriting with Chely Wright and Steve Earle. He has also studied guitar with Woody Mann & Howard Morgen. ... more

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