Popular Bahamian Song

Popular Song Example for the Bahamas

Who Let The Dogs Out” By Baha Men

The contour of “Who Let the Dogs Out?” makes it fun to listen to because it has so much going on in it.  Every layer has such a busy job keeping up with how the speed of the song is supposed to be.  The chorus is always the same.  It is probably the only true consistent part of the song.  The range of the melody is wide because it includes so much. The song begins with just a voice and picks up at the chorus.  Its peak is at the chorus every time and as the song progresses more and more instruments and voices are added.  The instruments are used throughout the song and are involved in the performance at various times, sharing in the song’s development.  There is a lot of rapping and chanting and the chorus is a strong part the performance.

The song is absolutely about dogs, yet it is definitely a party song, meant to be danced to.  The artists took something as ordinary as letting the dogs out and give it a whole new meaning i.e. to party.  Even the chorus and chanting support the dog theme, however the panting and barking support the “party” within the song as well.

I think I heard 8 layers. One was the lead singer, the chorus singers, the barking over lapping the singers, the tambourine, the cow bell, the low goat skin drum, and a base drum. The goat skin drum may be the lower sounding drum. I was not sure but the description on the CD said there were two drums; in fact the set drum is the higher drum and the goat skin is the lower sounding drum.  And the 8th layer is the key board.  The function of these layers creates the whole song. Without both the lower sounding drum and goat skin drum the song would just not sound the same. The cow bell is in tune with the barking and keeps this song at a fast pace.  The rappers in this song are just as fast keeping a combined fun, up-beat song. The speed of the rapper and the drums are very quick as well.  And they keep the fast pace throughout the whole song and are not as repetitive as the bells.  The colors of the layers are intense because you can hear every piece of what makes up the song.  And each of these pieces is fast, energetic and attractive making you want to hear again.  This is a very typical call and response type song.  The instruments in the song also respond to the words.  For example, the chorus “calls” and the barking (chanting) and the cow bell “respond.”  Also, the vocalists throughout the whole song are “calling” out their own lyrics, then there is a “response” from the chorus and/or instruments, and then the vocalists “respond” again.

The song is so fast and so well blended together that I cannot hear a break to determine the meter.  There are changes but I can’t hear what the meter would be.  If I had to guess, I would say it is quadruple meter where the beats are organized in groups of four.   The layer that is the most consistent when it comes in is the cow bell.  When it is its turn to be played, it completes the same rhythm.  There is no one instrument that is played throughout the whole song.  However, the sound of the guitar seems to follow the sound of the vocalist.  Many of the instruments do this; this is what makes the music so fast and complex.

There is a quick tempo in “Who Let The Dogs Out.”  I cannot find a specific pulse in the song even though I know there has to be one, if not more than one.  I think it would be difficult for any average music lover to really hear the music the same way as a professional.   The song picks up its original sound at the chorus every time and then it swings in another direction and disperses.  The motives behind this song are to bring fun to something that is bland and boring…to give an ordinary task significance.

The harmony of this song is composed of all the characteristics brought together by all the different instruments used. It has a dissonant harmony because there is a lot of tension between the instruments and the three parts  of singing.  The dynamics of “Who Let The Dogs Out” are continually shifting.   It is meant to be a loud song which does include shouting and chanting.  The articulation of the lead singer and chorus is very clear however, the rapper is not so clear. His words tend to blend together, as many rappers’ do.  I do have to mention that you can hear how the Bahamian accent is a part of the song; each vocalist has a Bahamian accent. You can hear the difference of every instrument and voice within the song simply because each person has a different timbre.  Also you can hear that there are more than one instrument being used because each instrument has a distinctive sound.

References

Baha Men. Who Let The Dogs Out. Artemis Records. 2000.

Binelli, Mark. “The Men Who Let the Dogs Out.” Rolling Stone (853) 9 Nov. 2000: 2+.

 

Browne, David. “Baha Men.” Entertainment Weekly (642) 1 Mar. 2002: 80+.

 

Hay, Carla. Letting ‘Dogs Out’ Benefits Baha Men as S-Curve Drives U.S.” Billboard 112.37 9 Sept. 2000: 15+.

Olson, Catherine A. “Pro Sports Marketing Pitches Hits for Athletic Events.” Billboard 114.39 28 Sept. 2002: 59.

Philadelphia, Desa “Northern Exposure.” Time 156.18 30 Oct. 2000: 92+.

Porter, Darwin, and Danforth Prince. Frommer’s Bahamas. 2010 ed. New Jersey: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2009.

Pryce, Vinette K. Bahamas’ Grammy Winners on Tour. New York Amsterdam News, 93.12 21 Mar. 2002: 14.

The Fresh Creek Dance Band. Gal, You Want to go Back to Scambo? Folkways Records, 1959.

Williams, Colleen Madonna Flood. The Bahamas. Philadelphia: Mason Crest Publishers, 2004.