"I Wanna Be Your Dog" is a 1969 song by the American rock band The Stooges. The song is included on their self-titled debut album. Its memorable riff, composed of only three chords, is played continuously throughout the song. The 3-minute-and-9-second-long song, with its raucous, distortion-heavy guitar intro, pounding, single-note piano riff played by producer John Cale of The Velvet Underground, and steady, driving beat, established The Stooges at the cutting edge example of the heavy metal and punk sound. The song notably uses sleigh bells throughout. In 2004, the song was ranked number 438 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Pitchfork Media placed it at number 16 on its list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s".
In popular culture
The song is featured in several films video games and TV shows including Sid and Nancy, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Transporter 3, Skins, Grand Theft Auto IV, The Runaways, Faster, How I Met Your Mother, Friday Night Lights, ', Vietcong, ', Gotham, Dogtown and Z-Boys and Brooklyn Nine-Nine in addition to appearing as a downloadable track as part of "The Stooges 01" pack in Rock Band, and the skateboard video by Flip entitled "Sorry".
The song also appeared in Christian Dior's Spring Summer 2004 fashion show in Paris, France.
Personnel
Iggy Pop: Vocals
Ron Asheton: Guitar
Dave Alexander: Bass Guitar
Scott Asheton: Drums
John Cale: Piano, Percussion, Sleigh Bells
Cover versions
Vicious White Kids, played it live at their only show on August 15, 1978, at the Electric Ballroom. It was released on the Sex Pistols live album Raw and Live.
Parálisis Permanente released a Spanish version of the song on their 1982 album El Acto.
Forgotten Tomb, on their 2011 full length album Under Saturn Retrograde
Sonic Youth, on their first full-length album Confusion Is Sex.
Las Vulpes, a Spanish-Basque punk band, recorded a cover/remake titled "Me gusta ser una zorra". It was their only single, released in 1983.
The World of Skin, a side project of American post-punk band Swans, recorded "I Want to Be Your Dog" as an acoustic, dirge-like cover, released on Shame, Humility, Revenge and The World of Skin, both 1988.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, on their album Up Your Alley.
Slayer, did a parody/tribute titled "I'm Gonna Be Your God", on Undisputed Attitude.
The Gamma Ray, a musical project by Josh Homme, has a piece titled "If Only Everything" which is clearly inspired by the song.
Świetliki, a Polish alternative rock and sung poetry band, released a polish version as "Pies" on their 1996 album Cacy Cacy Fleischmaschine.
Dakar & Grinser, a German duo, included it on their 1999 debut album Are You Really Satisfied Now.
Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13, released on a 2000 split single, included on the box set Little Box of Horrors
Bob Hund recorded a Swedish interpretation of the song, called "Din Hund". Released as a B-side in 2001, it is included on the compilation 10 år bakåt & 100 år framåt.
