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How Much Is That Doggie In The Window
By peace | June 5, 2008
How Much Is That Doggie In The Window – Patti Page
How Much Is That Doggie In The Window? Patti Page
The Doggie In the Window
by Patti Page
Words and Music by Bob Merrill
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
The one with the waggley tail
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
I do hope that doggie’s for sale
I must take a trip to California
And leave my poor sweetheart alone
If he has a dog, he won’t be lonesome
And the doggie will have a good home
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
The one with the waggley tail
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
I do hope that doggie’s for sale
I read in the paper there are robbers (roof! roof!)
With flashlights that shine in the dark
My love needs a doggie to protect him
And scare them away with one bark
I don’t want a bunny or a kitty
I don’t want a parrot that talks
I don’t want a bowl of little fishies
He can’t take a goldfish for a walk
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
The one with the waggley tail
How much is that doggie in the window? (arf! arf!)
I do hope that doggie’s for sale
I do hope that doggie’s for sale
“(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?” is a popular novelty song written by Bob Merrill in 1952. It was adapted from a well-known Victorian music hall song.
The best-known version of the song was recorded by Patti Page on December 18, 1952 and released by Mercury Records as catalog number 70070, with the flip side “My Jealous Eyes.” It reached #1 on both the Billboard and Cash Box charts in 1953. However, Mercury, the record company which distributed Patti Page’s recordings at the time, had poor distribution in the United Kingdom. Therefore, a recording by Lita Roza was the one most widely heard in the UK, reaching #1 on the UK charts in 1953. Lita’s recording is widely known as the most elusive original record of a #1.
The song tells the story of a young woman who “must take a trip to California,” and wants to buy a dog for her boyfriend so that he will not be lonely (and, presumably, not look for affection from another woman).
It is played in the film Pink Flamingos during the film’s infamous final scene, wherein Divine consumes dog feces immediately after a poodle defecates. The director of the film, John Waters, maintains that the scene was not faked. In the Wallace and Gromit film The Wrong Trousers, Gromit’s nemesis Feathers McGraw plays a droning calliope version of “Doggie in the Window” at a loud volume in an attempt to drive Gromit out of the house. It is also featured in the video game BioShock.
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