Rufus Thomas - Walking The Dog

First performance: 11/12/1971

Coverinfo

Bruce performed the song 29 times:
 
 
2004-07-17 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park, NJ
Bruce joins Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers, and is aided by Soozie Tyrell and Patti Scialfa for a couple of hours after the Houserockers' main set.
 
 

1982-06-12 Big Man's West, Red Bank, NJ
Following his appearance at the Rally For Disarmament in Central Park, Bruce performs with Sonny Kenn at Big Man's West. Sonny Kenn (born Colorado Springs, CO) is a Jersey-shore musician with a career spanning over 40 years. His first band Sonny & The Starfires featured Springsteen's future drummer Vini Lopez. The Starfires beat Springsteen's first band The Castiles in a Battle-of-the-bands event in 1966. Springsteen played several times with his second band, The Wild Ideas.

1974-04-09 Charlie's Place, Cambridge, MA (Early)
1974-03-24 Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
1974-03-18 Gertie's, Dallas, TX (Late)
1974-03-16 Armadillo World Headquarters, Austin, TX
1974-03-09 Liberty Hall, Houston, TX (Late)
1974-03-07 Liberty Hall, Houston, TX
1974-03-03 Gaston Hall, Washington, DC (Late)
1974-03-03 Gaston Hall, Washington, DC (Early)
1974-02-25 Main Point (The), Bryn Mawr, PA
1974-02-12 Student Center Ballroom, Lexington, KY
1974-02-01 Allen Theatre, Cleveland, OH
1974-01-29 Muther's Music Emporium, Nashville, TN
1974-01-26 Chrysler Hall, Norfolk, VA
1974-01-25 Mosque (The), Richmond, VA
1974-01-12 Joint In The Woods (The), Parsippany, NJ
1974-01-06 Joe's Place, Cambridge, MA
1973-12-20 Bristol Motor Inn, Bristol, RI
1973-12-15 Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY
1973-12-06 Childe Harold, Washington, DC
1973-11-25 Curry Hicks Cage, Amherst, MA
1973-11-17 Roxy Theatre, Philadelphia, PA (Late)
1973-11-11 Kendall Hall, Ewing, NJ
1973-10-31 Main Point (The), Bryn Mawr, PA (Late)
1973-10-30 Main Point (The), Bryn Mawr, PA (Late)

1972-02-25 Back Door (The), Richmond, VA
The Bruce Springsteen Band

1971-12-17 Ledge (The), New Brunswick, NJ
The Bruce Springsteen Band

1971-12-11 Student Prince, Asbury Park, NJ
The Bruce Springsteen Band

Songinfo

"Walking the Dog" (or "Walkin' the Dog") is a Rufus Thomas song. It was released on his 1963 album Walking the Dog. It was his signature hit and also his biggest, reaching number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1963 and remaining on the Hot 100 for 14 weeks. The lyrics make references to children's nursery rhymes, especially Miss Mary Mack. The song was recorded several months later by the Rolling Stones in 1964. Unlike most Stones' recordings, the song features harmony vocals on the chorus solely by Brian Jones (most early Stones songs feature Jones and Bill Wyman on backing vocals, with Keith Richards replacing the two not long after), which makes their recording of the song unique in their catalogue. 
 
 
 

Bruce on the artist

Lyrics

Baby's back, dressed in black,
Silver buttons all down her back
High, low, tipsy toe,
She broke a needle and she can't sew
Walkin' the dog,
Just walkin' the dog
If you don't know how to do it,
I'll show you how to walk te dog
Asked a fellow for fifteen cents,
See the fellow he jumped the fence
Jumped so high he touched the sky,
Never got back till the fourth of July
Walkin' the dog,
Just walkin' the dog
If you don't know how to do it,
I'll show you how to walk the dog