Shoot the Dog
Encyclopedia
"Shoot the Dog" is a single by the singer-songwriter George Michael
, released as the second single from his album, Patience, though released a year and a half prior to the album. The song is an anti-George W. Bush
song. Released on 29 July 2002, it peaked at number one in Denmark and number twelve in the United Kingdom. The music video for the song is completely animated.
The single marked twenty years since the release of Wham!
's first single, "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)
", another politically-charged song written by Michael. "Shoot the Dog" samples The Human League
song, "Love Action (I Believe in Love)
".
The music video featured animation provided by the satirical British cartoon series 2DTV
.
The video starts in the White House
where president George W. Bush
is given an explanation about the current state of affairs in the world. Bush (depicted behaving like a naïve child) hasn't understood a word of it, so a general re-explains everything with the use of a hand puppet
. Then the song starts and George Michael
enters the White House leaving a men's toilet (in reference to the 1998 scandal when Michael was caught during a lewd act in a toilet). He, Bush and the general start dancing to the music before Michael leaves the scenery.
In the next scene Michael leaves his house (dressed like Homer Simpson
) and is bullied by his neighbour and his dog. Back home that night the neighbour goes on tormenting him by playing loud music which irritates George Michael and his family members (who are all clones of himself and are dressed like The Simpsons
). Then Michael-Homer chases the dog with a gun, only to be shot himself. Three travesty versions of Michael start dancing to the music, only to be bothered by Geri Halliwell
.
Then George Michael (as himself) walks to the White House lawn where President Bush throws a ball so his dog can fetch it. British Prime Minister Tony Blair
chases and returns the ball instead, cuddled by Bush in reward. Michael continues his walk and enters Iraq
where he accidentally steps on a missile
, launched to England, while Saddam Hussein
praises the act. The missile crashes in Blair's bedroom where Cherie Blair
tries to get his attention, but Blair is only interested in Bush, who suddenly crawls into their bed.
In the next scene three versions of George Michael dance next to each other (all are references to other musical periods of his professional career). Back on the White House lawn Blair tries to catch another ball thrown by Bush, but it changes into a missile which crashes into the Michaels/Simpsons' house. There Blair watches tv with the family. Trevor McDonald
announces a world war
, but shrugs his shoulders not knowing what to do. Blair changes the channel to Elizabeth II and Prince Charles
greeting people from the balcony of Buckingham Palace
. Now with a hairstyle similar to Philip Oakey, Michael jumps on the balcony and starts dancing with the Queen and one of her dogs. Prince Charles tries to do the same but moves completely out of rhythm. Then the Queen's crown falls of her head and lands on Charles' head. He is excited, but then bitten in his behind by the dog.
Meanwhile Michael jumps to two large groups of soldiers. He sticks flowers into their guns (a reference to the famous picture of hippie protesters by Bernie Boston
) and then strips to his underwear before jumping on Cherie Blair's bed. She quickly changes the channel of the television set she's watching and the scene changes to David Beckham
and Paul Scholes
playing soccer. Tony Blair appears in American football
attire and changes the football into an American football before leaving the stadium. Pierluigi Collina
gives him a red card
, while David Seaman
starts crying. While Michael seduces Cherie, Tony Blair uses Great Britain
as a speedboat
to annex his country to the United States
. In the final scene Michael dances in a cowboy
outfit, joined by Bush and Blair, before the two politicians leave the scene together. Then other clones of Michael jump in to join him, until they all resemble the Village People
. Bush and Blair re-enter the scene dancing the tango together and the song ends. Back in the White House President Bush liked the song so much that he asks his general to repeat everything. The general is not pleased.
UK enhanced CD single
UK DVD single
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
, released as the second single from his album, Patience, though released a year and a half prior to the album. The song is an anti-George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
song. Released on 29 July 2002, it peaked at number one in Denmark and number twelve in the United Kingdom. The music video for the song is completely animated.
The single marked twenty years since the release of Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
's first single, "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)
Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)
"Wham Rap! "' is a 1982 song by British pop duo Wham! on Innervision Records. It was written by Wham! members George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley....
", another politically-charged song written by Michael. "Shoot the Dog" samples The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
song, "Love Action (I Believe in Love)
Love Action (I Believe in Love)
"Love Action " is a song by the British synthpop group The Human League, released as a single in the UK in July 1981. It peaked at number three in the UK Singles Chart, the band's first Top 10 success....
".
Music video
"Shoot The Dog" also samples the song "Be near me" by U.K. pop group ABC.The music video featured animation provided by the satirical British cartoon series 2DTV
2DTV
2DTV is a British satirical animated television show that was broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom, directed by Tim Searle.2DTV employs the same satirical style as Spitting Image, but using animation rather than puppets. The animation was produced on computer, frequently with animators working up...
.
The video starts in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
where president George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
is given an explanation about the current state of affairs in the world. Bush (depicted behaving like a naïve child) hasn't understood a word of it, so a general re-explains everything with the use of a hand puppet
Hand puppet
A hand puppet is a type of puppet that is controlled by the leg or face that occupies the interior of the puppet. Glove puppets are a variation of hand puppets...
. Then the song starts and George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
enters the White House leaving a men's toilet (in reference to the 1998 scandal when Michael was caught during a lewd act in a toilet). He, Bush and the general start dancing to the music before Michael leaves the scenery.
In the next scene Michael leaves his house (dressed like Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
) and is bullied by his neighbour and his dog. Back home that night the neighbour goes on tormenting him by playing loud music which irritates George Michael and his family members (who are all clones of himself and are dressed like The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
). Then Michael-Homer chases the dog with a gun, only to be shot himself. Three travesty versions of Michael start dancing to the music, only to be bothered by Geri Halliwell
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell is an English pop singer-songwriter, author and actress. After coming to international prominence in the late 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career in 1998 and released her album Schizophonic...
.
Then George Michael (as himself) walks to the White House lawn where President Bush throws a ball so his dog can fetch it. British Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
chases and returns the ball instead, cuddled by Bush in reward. Michael continues his walk and enters Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
where he accidentally steps on a missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
, launched to England, while Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
praises the act. The missile crashes in Blair's bedroom where Cherie Blair
Cherie Blair
Cherie Blair , known professionally as Cherie Booth QC, is a British barrister working in the legal system of England and Wales. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair; the couple have three sons and one daughter...
tries to get his attention, but Blair is only interested in Bush, who suddenly crawls into their bed.
In the next scene three versions of George Michael dance next to each other (all are references to other musical periods of his professional career). Back on the White House lawn Blair tries to catch another ball thrown by Bush, but it changes into a missile which crashes into the Michaels/Simpsons' house. There Blair watches tv with the family. Trevor McDonald
Trevor McDonald
Sir Trevor McDonald OBE is a Trinidadian-British newsreader and journalist. He had a long career as a news presenter with ITN...
announces a world war
World war
A world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
, but shrugs his shoulders not knowing what to do. Blair changes the channel to Elizabeth II and Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
greeting people from the balcony of Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
. Now with a hairstyle similar to Philip Oakey, Michael jumps on the balcony and starts dancing with the Queen and one of her dogs. Prince Charles tries to do the same but moves completely out of rhythm. Then the Queen's crown falls of her head and lands on Charles' head. He is excited, but then bitten in his behind by the dog.
Meanwhile Michael jumps to two large groups of soldiers. He sticks flowers into their guns (a reference to the famous picture of hippie protesters by Bernie Boston
Bernie Boston
Bernie Boston was an American photographer most noted for his iconic Pulitzer Prize-nominated photograph, Flower Power.-Life and career:...
) and then strips to his underwear before jumping on Cherie Blair's bed. She quickly changes the channel of the television set she's watching and the scene changes to David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
and Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being...
playing soccer. Tony Blair appears in American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
attire and changes the football into an American football before leaving the stadium. Pierluigi Collina
Pierluigi Collina
Pierluigi Collina is a former Italian football referee. He is still involved in football as non-paid consultant to the Italian Football Referees Association , and is a member of the UEFA Referees Committee...
gives him a red card
Penalty card
A penalty card is used in many sports as a means of warning, reprimanding or penalising a player, coach or team official. Penalty cards are most commonly used by referees or umpires to indicate that a player has committed an offense. The referee will hold the card above his or her head while...
, while David Seaman
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
starts crying. While Michael seduces Cherie, Tony Blair uses Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
as a speedboat
Motorboat
A motorboat is a boat which is powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gearbox and the propeller in one portable unit.An inboard/outboard contains a hybrid of a...
to annex his country to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In the final scene Michael dances in a cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
outfit, joined by Bush and Blair, before the two politicians leave the scene together. Then other clones of Michael jump in to join him, until they all resemble the Village People
Village People
Village People is a concept disco group that formed in the United States in 1977, well known for their on-stage costumes depicting American cultural stereotypes, as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics....
. Bush and Blair re-enter the scene dancing the tango together and the song ends. Back in the White House President Bush liked the song so much that he asks his general to repeat everything. The general is not pleased.
Formats and track listings
UK CD single- "Shoot the Dog" (Explicit Album Version) – 5:03
- "Shoot the Dog" (Moogymen Mix) – 7:19
UK enhanced CD single
- "Shoot the Dog" (Explicit Album Version) – 5:03
- "Shoot the Dog" (Moogymen Mix) – 7:19
- "Shoot the Dog" (Alex Kid Shoot The Radio Remix) – 3:57
- "Shoot the Dog" (Video) – 5:31
UK DVD single
- "Shoot the Dog" – 5:35
- "Freeek!Freeek!"Freeek!" is a single written and performed by English pop singer George Michael, and a remastered version called "Freeek! '04" was later featured on his album, Patience....
" – 4:33
Charts
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
36 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
41 |
| Belgian Flanders Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
46 |
| Belgian Wallonia Ultratip Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
1 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
33 |
| Danish Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
1 |
| Dutch Single Top 100 | 26 |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
59 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
44 |
| Hungarian Singles Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
7 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
23 |
| Italian Singles Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
5 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 4 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
39 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
14 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
12 |
See also
- "Land of ConfusionLand of Confusion"Land of Confusion" is a rock song written by the band Genesis for their 1986 album Invisible Touch. The song was the third track on the album and was the fourth track from the album to become a single, which reached #4 in the US and #14 in the UK in early 1987. It made #8 in the Netherlands...
" by GenesisGenesis (band)Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
(a protest song that also featured many celebrity caricatures in the music video).