Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: folk
Song Meaning of “Do The Trick” by Dr. Dog
Do The Trick by Dr. Dog speaks to a desire to get away from it all; to take a break from the stresses of reality. The lyrics tell a story of a man who is over feeling weighed down by his worries and anxieties and is determined to push them aside and find a distraction to take his mind off of them.
The song begins with a candid admission that the narrator can’t face his life anymore and is desperate for a reprieve. He is looking for some sort of “magic” to help him get away from his troubles, and his plea to “Do The Trick” suggests that he is hoping for, and searching for, a supernatural kind of relief.
The narrator explains that he wants to escape not for a moment but for a lifetime. He desires to “someone take my troubles/ Somewhere far away” and even “take the color from my day”—indicating that he looks for a complete obliteration from his troubles.
The chorus, backed by a joyous rhythm, encourages the listener to join in the pursuit of happiness:
Go and make it out of sight
And don’t let it out of your mind
C’mon lets ’round and around and around and around
We will do the trick if we try
The optimistic exuberance of the chorus hides a sense of desperation underneath; the narrator may believe it’s possible to find relief, but is reaching out to companions for reassurance and support.
The song ends on an ambiguous note as the narrator contemplates what he can do to make things better. His questions express a kind of hopelessness in his situation but also a sense of hope that perhaps, if someone will do the trick, he may find the solace that he needs.