Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: hardcore
Song Meaning of “Were My Dogs At” by DMX
What is the innermost longing of DMX’s heart in the song ‘Were My Dogs At’? This song appears to be rooted in the feelings of nostalgia, heartache, and a longing for the past. DMX reminisces on the people and places that he has loved and lost over time. He grapples with the thought that he can never truly recapture the moments he shared with those people and places, and his yearning for his past life comes through repeatedly in the lyrics.
The chorus of the song paints a vivid picture of the tough life DMX has led. He expresses the personal cost of his success, lamenting on the memories and life he left behind. DMX longs for the innocence of his childhood, and his longing is expressed through the lyric “Were my dogs at, how I miss ’em now.” It is clear that DMX is referring to the relationships with his closest friends and family, people he has since been separated from due to the life he has led.
Meanwhile, the verses of the song reinforce the sentiment of nostalgia as DMX reflects on his experiences and his home. He questions the current state of his hometown, filled with crime and addiction, and expresses his heartache at what it has become. He mourns his old life as he reflects on it. Through this song, DMX expresses the emotional toll this longing has taken on him, as evidenced by the lyric “Why can’t I just turn back time and start all over?”
Ultimately, DMX’s longing for his home, friends, and past life comes through in this song. He yearns for the moments and places he has lost over time, and grappling with the idea that he can never get them back.