Songs with Animals in Title or Lyrics

In addition to bands, many song titles and lyrics mention animals. Now, not every reference to an animal is literal, nor is every one a metaphor. Therefore, this list is open to interpretation.


America: “A Horse with No Name” and “Muskrat Love” History: America’s Greatest Hits 1975

Badly Drawn Boy: “Have You Fed the Fish?” Have You Fed the Fish? 2002

The Beach Boys: “Pet Sounds” Pet Sounds 1966; “Fall Breaks and Back to Winter (W. Woodpecker Symphony)” Smiley Smile 1967

The Beatles: “And Your Bird Can Sing” Revolver 1966; “Blue Jay Way” and “I Am the Walrus” Magical Mystery Tour 1967; “Hey Bulldog” Yellow Submarine 1969; “Octopus’s Garden” Abbey Road 1969; “Dig a Pony” Let It Be 1970

Francis Cabrel: “Animal” Sarbacane 1992

Crash Test Dummies: “How Does a Duck Know?” God Shuffled His Feet 1993

Bobby Darin: “Bullmoose” As Long As I’m Singing: The Bobby Darin Collection 1995; “You’re Nobody Til Somebody Loves You” recorded live at The Flamingo 11/10/63

Nick Drake: “Parasite” Pink Moon 1972; “Black Eyed Dog” Time of No Reply 1986

ELO: “Bluebird is Dead” On the Third Day 1973; “The Whale” Out of the Blue 1977; “Bluebird” Secret Messages 1983

The English Beat: “Monkey Murders” Wha’ppen 1981

Enigma: “The Voice & the Snake” MCMXC A.D. 1990

Erasure: “Chorus” Chorus 1991 lyrics allude to morning birds

The Fireballs: “Bulldog” Rock Instrumental Classics, Vol. 2: The Sixties 1994

The Flaming Lips: “Frogs” Hit to Death in the Future Head 1992; “This Here Giraffe” and “Christmas at the Zoo” Clouds Taste Metallic 1995; “Sleeping on the Roof” The Soft Bulletin 1999 features sounds of crickets/cicadas

John Gorka: “Flying Red Horse” Out of the Valley 1994
David Gray: “Kangaroo” A New Day at Midnight 2002

Vince Guaraldi: “It’s Your Dog Charlie Brown” Oh, Good Grief! 1978

George Harrison: “Dark Horse” Best of George Harrison 1976; “Fish on the Sand” Cloud 9 1987

Joe Jackson: “We the Cats (Shall Hep Ya)” Jumpin’ Jive 1981

Elton John: “High Flying Bird” Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Only the Piano Player 1972

Mark Knopfler: “The Fireswamp and the Rodents of Unusual Size” The Princess Bride 1987

John Lennon Plastic Ono Band: “Cold Turkey” Shaved Fish 1975

Ottmar Liebert: “Bullfighter’s Dream” Borrasca 1991

The Magnetic Fields: “Absolutely Cuckoo,” “A Chicken with Its Head Cut Off,” “Let’s Pretend We’re Rabbits,”; “Fido, Your Leash is Too Long” “Boa Constrictor” 69 Love Songs Vol. 1 1999

Dave Matthews Band: “Proudest Monkeys” Crash 1996; “Raven” and “Big Eyed Fish” Busted Stuff 2002

Les McCann and Eddie Harris: “Cold Duck Time” Swiss Movement 1969, 1999

Loreena McKennitt: “The Bonny Swans” The Mask and Mirror 1994

Pink Martini: “Lilly” a song about a dog, and “Song of the Black Swan” Hang on Little Tomato 2004

Michael Nesmith: Pioneering long-form video Elephant Parts 1981

Queen: “Great King Rat” and “Mad the Swine” Queen re-issue 1973, 1991; “Ogre Battle” Queen II 1974, 1991

Rusted Root: “Cat Turned Blue” When I Awoke 1994

The Shins: “Red Rabbits” Wincing the Night Away 2007

Spoon: “Paper Tiger” Kill the Moonlight 2002; “The Beast and Dragon, Adored” and “The Infinite Pet” Gimme Fiction 2005; “The Underdog” Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga 2007

Squeeze: “Gone to the Dogs” Play 1991

Sting: “Dream of the Blue Turtles” Dream of the Blue Turtles 1985; The Soul Cages various song lyrics mention marine life 1990; “The Hounds of Winter” Mercury Falling 1996

KT Tunstall: “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” Eye to the Telescope 2006

Joe Walsh: “Coyote Love” Songs for a Dying Planet 1992

World Party: Goodbye Jumbo 1990 elephant and horses photos in liner

XTC: Lead singer Andy Partridge; “New Town Animal in a Furnished Cage” White Music 1977, 1978, 1987; “Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her” The Big Express 1984; “Mermaid Smiled” and “Tissue Tigers (The Arguers)” Rag & Bone Buffet 1990; “My Bird Performs,” “The Smartest Monkeys,” “Crocodile” Nonsuch 1992; “Wounded Horse” Wasp Star 2000; The Dukes of Stratosphear (XTC side project); “The Mole from the Ministry” Chips from the Chocolate Fireball 1985, 1987
Honorable mentions—bugs, insects, and so on:
Barenaked Ladies: “Spider in My Room” Born on a Pirate Ship 1996

B. Bumble & the Stingers: “Bumble Boogie” Rock Instrumental Classics Vol. 2: the Sixties 1994

Dave Matthews Band: “Ants Marching” Under the Table and Dreaming 1994

Dire Straits: “The Bug” On Every Street 1991

The Flaming Lips: “Moth in the Incubator” Transmission from the Satellite Heart 1993; “I’m a Fly in a Sunbeam” Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell EP 2003

Michael Nesmith: “Yellow Butterfly” …tropical campfire’s… 1992

The Who: “Boris the Spider” Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy 1971

XTC: “Ladybird” Mummer 1983; “Across This Antheap” Oranges and Lemons 1989