Song Review – Mo Pitney “It’s Just A Dog”
A new song or video from Mo Pitney these days is becoming grounds for an immediate stop down, and the only drawback to be concerned about is if the new car smell on all the songs will be gone once his debut major label album is released. It’s not just the songs, it’s the care with which Mo Pitney delivers them. Each performance feels custom made and ornamented with such purity and heart, like Christmas presents hand crafted for each recipient instead of the last minute buys at the CVS that most country songs these days feel like.
Singing a song about dogs in country music is nothing new. What was the old saw about country music in the 90’s and 00’s? If you play a country record backwards, you get your wife back, your truck gets fixed, and your dog doesn’t die? It was the desire to do away with old country music stereotypes that got the genre in the mess that it’s in today, and Mo Pitney proves his devotion to the country medium by damning the torpedoes and writing a song about his dog dying anyway.
What makes “Just A Dog” so unique and smart is the acknowledgement Mo gives to the fact that so much of a fuss over a pet seems silly, at least on the surface. Yet this is also the vehicle for the song to become so touching. It’s about having something that means a whole lot to you, even if it doesn’t make sense rationally or to anyone else, and not giving a damn how cool or accepted it is to acknowledge that love, and the loss when it is gone.
Taking this performance of “Just A Dog” from Moe from good to great is the fact that he doesn’t bust out in alligator tears, though the moment seems right for it, the lyrics call for it, and the camera goes searching for them. For once it is refreshing to not see water works in a media environment where even Cheerios commercials are trying to make you cry along.
Moe shows he’s a man, but not one that’s above missing his best friend. And the combination of honesty, poetry, and performance make for one memorable song.
Two guns up!
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Co-written by Jimmy Melton and Dave Turnbull
August 17, 2015 @ 6:43 pm
How about another checklist for songs
Real instruments … Check
A song with meaning and emotion … Check
A strong strait from the heart … Check
And mentioning a girl (with a name), truck, lake, etc without sounding like a damn bro country song … Check
Some of Mo Pitney’s songs have a bit of cheese factor … But overall a 100 x better than mainstream country radio
August 17, 2015 @ 6:44 pm
First heard this song a couple weeks ago. Pretty standard, but you’re right – Moe steps up and just delivers with so much sincerity! Love this guy – 2 guns up is right
August 17, 2015 @ 6:55 pm
That’s the burning question. He’s a Curb Records alum, so who knows.
August 18, 2015 @ 6:37 am
is that you kirkdorffer ?
August 17, 2015 @ 6:47 pm
Someone must have been cutting onions in the other room while I was listening to that.
When is he gonna put an album out?
August 17, 2015 @ 6:50 pm
I just hope he doesn’t sellout like the other ones do. Please stay REAL country!
August 17, 2015 @ 6:50 pm
Wow ! That pretty much hit me like a ton of bricks. Like music is suppose to
August 25, 2015 @ 9:52 am
Ditto. Exactly.
August 17, 2015 @ 6:53 pm
If you’ve paid attention to this young guy, it’s pretty damn amazing that the Grand Ole Opry is giving him the showcase they have. I may be wrong, but I think the Opry is responsible for most of his exposure to this point….and he doesn’t even have an album yet! For all the shit the Opry gets it’s awesome they’re giving young talent a stage to launch their careers on.
August 17, 2015 @ 7:08 pm
Dang, this is a beautiful song!
THIS right here is the essence of country music. It takes a seemingly mundane facet of life and finding the true emotional depth within. The fact that this is about a dog is especially touching, since I harbor a strong love of dogs, despite never having owned one. This is the musical equivalent of “Marley and Me”, one of the most powerful movies that I have ever seen.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the vocals and the melody truly convey the sense of beautiful sadness that lies at the heart of the song.
This, along with his previous output, has made a Mo Pitney fan.
August 17, 2015 @ 7:10 pm
By the way, here’s an even better version of the song, where he sings with a deeper and more textured voice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCEqtAbrWiA
August 18, 2015 @ 8:59 am
I agree…^^^much better version^^^.
August 17, 2015 @ 7:13 pm
Ok. Yeah. My dog lovin heart is feeling that.
August 17, 2015 @ 7:20 pm
Apparently his next radio single is going to be ‘Boy & A Girl Thing’ which is OK but not as good as this song. The thing I really like about this guy is his songs tend to actually tell a story and have a point which is refreshing in this day where so many songs just deteriorate into a bunch of ‘whoa, whoa, whoas’ or repeat the same word three times to fill space.
August 17, 2015 @ 8:11 pm
“tell a story and have a point which is refreshing in this day where so many songs just deteriorate into a bunch of ”˜whoa, whoa, whoas”™ or repeat the same word three times to fill space”
Cuts right to the heart of the matter.
August 17, 2015 @ 7:29 pm
I gotta tell you, to me this is corny as fuck. Glad for those who really loved it though. Good not great in my book.
August 17, 2015 @ 9:07 pm
Fair opinion. A lot of artists could have sung this and I probably would have a similar opinion. It’s Mo’s delivery that makes a corny song un-corny for me.
August 18, 2015 @ 12:14 pm
The kid is only 22. He has the chops. He just needs to live life’s roller coaster a bit more.
August 18, 2015 @ 8:34 am
I agree. So far there hasn’t been anything from Mo that I want to hear twice. His lyrics are overly sentimental and corny. Which sucks, because I love his voice and his style. Every time something gets posted about him, I get my hopes up that he will come through with a well-written song, and it hasn’t happened yet.
August 18, 2015 @ 1:06 pm
Agreed, but I also doubt I am his audience since I prefer songs that are a bit darker/grittier.
That said, while I may not be the biggest fan of his, I am interested that someone with such a new traditional sound is getting some support from Music Row and while I doubt he will ever be my favorite artist, it is nice to hear more traditional instrumentation and subject matter in mainstream Country.
August 17, 2015 @ 7:46 pm
I got to see Mo at CMA fest and enjoyed it. I heard this song about 4 months ago and loved it. Reminds of 90’s country. I really hope he does well. This guy is a prime example for country music to, please for the love of god, split into different formats.
August 17, 2015 @ 7:58 pm
I’ve been watching a lot of youtube videos of Mo and between some of his original songs like this one and some of his covers, especially Borrowed Angel, I’ve been hooked.
August 17, 2015 @ 8:54 pm
I hope he stays country not a sellout. 2 singles in a row I like both songs keep up the good work Mo Pitney.
August 18, 2015 @ 12:17 am
….THIS has everything we are asking for in a country song .( Tom T Hall 2015 ? )….. Mo moves me more with just a guitar and an actual story than anything I’ve heard on country radio since ” The House That Built Me” . I’m so encouraged when I hear a younger artist that ‘gets it’ and who is acknowledged accordingly .
On a side note , I belonged to an online songwriting forum which at times had close to 300 members registered …..NONE of whom have any kind of significant ” track records ” in the biz . There must be at least several dozen songs as good as Mo’s posted by these writers. I was convinced many years back that the shit we are subjected to by radio is in no way due to a shortage of great material .For me , this fact alone makes the state of things even more frustrating with every commercial release
August 18, 2015 @ 12:41 am
Totally agree that this song is reminiscent of “House That Built Me”.
The truly sad fact is that a song like this could have easily made it to #1 five years ago, but stands no chance on country radio today.
August 18, 2015 @ 1:21 am
Mo is the real deal. This guy just loves real country music. IMO his best song is probably “Come Do a Little Life”. Looking forward to his debut album. just hope CURB don’t mess him about.
AC_86
Belfast, N.Ire
August 18, 2015 @ 5:36 am
I love the “if he’s the real thing” cynics. Yes, as hard as it is to imagine, Mo Pitney is the real deal. He isn’t going to morph into what Easton Corbin has become or what Justin Moore is.
As for who is behind his Opry push, look no further than Bill Anderson to see the person pushing this young man around town. Seems “Whisperin” Bill still has some stroke there.
Last I heard an album is due out around October. The best thing Mo has going for him may be being a Curb artist. They aren’t a top tier label in this day and age. Therefore, he should be able to release the music he wants to.
Of course, Curb is also the worst thing he has going for him since its owner can act like a tyrant.
I suggest those that are into this sort of thing check out Mo’s recent cover of “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes?”
Strange to hear someone sing that song and mean it during this modern age of country music.
August 18, 2015 @ 6:25 am
Looking forward to him working in some more of his bluegrass roots.
Looking forward to being a lifelong Mo fan, too!
August 18, 2015 @ 8:20 am
Go Mo!!!!
August 18, 2015 @ 9:02 am
That was so sweet. 🙂
August 18, 2015 @ 4:10 pm
It’s a good song, he kind of reminds me of Strait and Alan Jackson in the 90s tradition of country music. Mo and Jon Pardi are probably the two best in the mainstream at this point. Hope Curb does not cause him to go down the wrong path like they did with Lee Brice.
August 18, 2015 @ 4:31 pm
Seriously, that could have been a Saturday night live skit song. I wasn’t sure if it was real or if he was gonna start laughing & say he’s kidding. I love animals, but that song didnt move me one bit…very cheesy.
August 18, 2015 @ 6:03 pm
I can vouch for lyrical fluff sometimes, and all I ask for in those instances is that it is delivered with heart, sincerity or, if thé material calls for humor, à self-awareness in being in on the joke, or fully owning it.
“It’s Just A Dog” achieves the former in spades as did “Clean Up On Aisle Five”. You can believe what he is selling, and by the time you start to pick up more of an emotional timbre in thé track’s tail end, it achieves much in elevating what would have been an agreeable but instantly forgettable ditty in thé hands of a lesser male vocalist.
I still can’t help but think of Easton Corbin when I think of all the hype surrounding Pitney in thé present. Here we had a fresh face that looked promising from the onset despite some weak songwriting, and many thought he could prove to be the next George Strait. Yet, ever since then, he has progressively waded further and further into the swamp of trend-chasing and impersonality, and now is almost as faceless as all the rest of his minimally talented peers.
I’d like to think Pitney is stronger than that, but I also caution against overhyping. Especially when he has yet to land à studio album.
August 18, 2015 @ 8:16 pm
Mo is the real deal, and Curb is solidly behind him. Why would they sign a traditional artist when radio hasn’t been playing traditional sounding country? Simple answer. I’m hearing from some industry folks that the songwriters in Nashville are sick of bro country and watered down pop, and are wanting to push their traditional songs!
Thirty years ago, country was too pop for most true fans. Randy Travis got signed to Warner Bros, and ushered in a return to traditional country.
Warner Brothers is introducing a new traditional artist, William Michael Morgan. Check out his videos on YouTube, the single “I Met A Girl”, and a live camera phone video of “I Never Go Around Mirrors”. Maybe, on the anniversary of Randy saving country, history could repeat itself.
I’m in my 50’s, have spent most of my life working in country music, and both of these young men give me hope that steel guitars and fiddles will again be in vogue, along with a good story song!
Who knows, we might even hear a 4/4 shuffle again sometime soon!
August 19, 2015 @ 10:04 am
Hey everybody, Read this:
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/country/6670362/is-bro-country-over-and-what-is-its-lasting-legacy
August 21, 2015 @ 8:23 am
Listening to that song with my dog next to me brought a tear to my eye.
August 26, 2015 @ 12:19 pm
My pup of 11 years passed away two weeks ago. I’m not ashamed to admit that this song brought tears to my eyes.
August 26, 2016 @ 8:24 am
The song brought me to my knees.It reminded of my fur baby Fluffy whom I lost in 2014.She was my girl and she always had my back.Showned me unconditional love.Miss her to this day.