“Dog Days Are Over” Lyrics & Meaning (Florence + The Machine)

The first time I heard Dog Days Are Over, I was blown away.

It was also the first time I ever heard Florence + The Machine.

I found the power of her voice captivating.

Combine that with the triumphant drumming and you have an obvious hit on your hands.

I had no idea as to the Dog Days Are Over lyrics meaning, but I knew immediately the song must be hugely popular.

Or that it would become popular, if it was still new. It wasn’t new when I heard it and I was right that it was popular.

So what do the lyrics mean? Keep reading to find out.

 

Dog Days Are Over Lyrics And Meaning

Dog Days Are Over is a song performed by Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine. It was written by both Welch and her bandmate, Isabella Summers. It features on her debut album Lungs and was released in 2008.

At the time the song came out, the band consisted of Rob Ackroyd, Christopher Lloyd Hayden, Isabella Summers, Tom Monger, and, of course, Florence Welch. Everyone but Hayden is still a part of the band today.

The song has elements of many different genres, such as folk, pop, and rock, and has become one of her most loved hits. It grabs you with its high energy and Florence’s powerful vocals.

The song received plenty of critical acclaim after its release. This was mainly due to Welch’s vocal performance and the emotive and anthemic qualities of the song.

The song did, however, only achieve a modest position on the charts. But it soon gained much more popularity from live performances. One of these notable performances included the MTV Video Music Awards.

Dog Days Are Over also gained lots of popularity from being featured in advertisements and movies. It was this exposure that then helped it achieve multi-platinum status.

The song has been performed in many different live settings and each time the audience is able to fully immerse themselves in the spirit of the song.

Dog Days Are Over has two distinctive music videos. The first one is a whimsical video featuring Welch and her friends in carnival costumes. It was shot in a forest and reflects the song’s themes of transformation and escape.

The second video is much more polished and features different dancers and musicians, which complements the song’s themes of freedom.

For those who really love the song, the deluxe version of Lungs also features a demo version of the song. You can also find a remix and a live version on the bonus disc of the album, which is titled Between Two Lungs.

 

Dog Days Are Over Lyrics

 

Verse 1

Happiness hit her like a train on a track
Coming towards her, stuck still, no turning back
She hid around corners and she hid under beds
She killed it with kisses and from it she fled
With every bubble, she sank with a drink
And washed it away down the kitchen sink

Pre-Chorus

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
The horses are coming
So you better run

Chorus

Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father
Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers
Leave all your love and your longing behind
You can’t carry it with you if you want to survive
The dog days are over
The dog days are done
Can you hear the horses?
‘Cause here they come

And I never wanted anything from you
Except everything you had
And what was left after that too, oh

Verse 2

Happiness hit her like a bullet in the back
Struck from a great height
By someone who should know better than that

Pre-Chorus

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
Can you hear the horses?
‘Cause here they come

Chorus

Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father
Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers
Leave all your love and your longing behind
You can’t carry it with you if you want to survive
The dog days are over
The dog days are done
Can you hear the horses?
‘Cause here they come

The dog days are over
The dog days are done (Here they come)
The horses are coming
So you better run (Here they come)
The dog days are over
The dog days are done (Here they come)
The horses are coming
So you better run

 

Dog Days Are Over Meaning

The inspiration for Welch to write Dog Days Are Over came from a piece of art that featured those exact words in rainbow-colored letters in a gallery in London. The phrase was supposed to represent the dog star, Sirius, which is associated with the hottest time of the year when animals become lethargic.

It was this particular image that led Welch to think of oppressive periods of life coming to an end, ultimately sparking the start of this song.

The song starts with an overwhelming feeling of happiness and the feeling that you need to run away from it, reflecting the complex relationship a person can have with joy and liberation.

The chorus and bridge of this song then use symbolic language to suggest that true liberation comes from leaving the past behind, including any fears and attachments. A person can understand this message through very plain lyrics and also more cryptic ones.

This also leaves room for plenty of different interpretations, depending on the listener. It is probably a big reason the song is loved so much, in addition to the incredible vocals.

One of the more confusing lines from this song goes, “Can you hear the horses? Cause here they come.” Many people believe this could refer to the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, whose presence marks the end of the world.

Others believe the reference could be related to the saying “wild horses couldn’t drag me away” and thus be talking about a person who has completely made up their mind.

 

Dog Days Are Over Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts

Florence + The Machine had a huge hit with this song, but despite everyone hearing it, few knew much about the actual Dog Days Are Over lyrics meaning.

The inspiration was actually a bit random, as is so often the case. The meaning is something that everyone can identify with, even if we don’t live our life in that way.