Common Sense Journalism: Should've had dogs

Common Sense Journalism

An extension of the Common Sense Journalism monthly column by Doug Fisher, former broadcaster, newspaper reporter and wire service editor. From new media to old, much of journalism is just plain common sense.

"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Unknown (often improperly attributed to Thomas Jefferson)

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." - Upton Sinclair

"Common sense is not so common" - Voltaire "Common sense is instinct; enough of it is genius" - George Bernard Shaw

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Should've had dogs

So a few weeks ago my older son calls and says we're going to be grandparents.

And this song goes off in my head. It's a Roger Whittaker song, from his 1993 Celebration album -- you know, one of those you hear on the radio late at night, one of those ones that gets stuck in the back of your consciousness and pops to the surface at weird moments.

I've always wondered why some country artist or two didn't pick up this song -- it seems like the perfect tune. And Whittaker lyrics are hard to find. But thanks to Orlando's Doug Bagley who's also going to be a grandpa (must be a Doug thing), they're up on the Net. (And pop over to Amazon through the link above to sample the first 30 seconds -- and you'll get the idea of why this is one of those danged brain-burying tunes.)

You can go to Bagley's to see the entire lyrics, but to my son and his wife, I present this portion in tribute, in warning and in revenge {grin}.

From Roger Whittaker's
"I Should've Had Dogs"

Suddenly they seem to arrive in two’s and three’s
Any ordinary man would be brought down to his knees
She says daddy can I have that dress and I want that hat
How can any daddy tell her no when she asks like that?

Oh I should’ve had dogs
Oh I should’ve had dogs
If I’d known then what I know now
Well I would’ve had dogs

Now my eldest son has survived to seventeen
And I’m the stupidest man that the world has ever seen
I’m wrong about everything in his young life
And the endless things I’m wrong about lead to strife

Oh I should’ve had dogs
Oh I should’ve had dogs
If I’d known then what I know now
Well I would’ve had dogs

It’s said that trial and tribulation ends
And they all grow up and you all get to be friends
I can’t wait for the day I know will come to pass
When they have kids of their own and I can laugh, ha, ha, ha, ha

Oh you should’ve had dogs
Oh you should’ve had dogs
If you’d know then what I know now
Well you would’ve had dogs

Oh you should’ve had dogs
Oh you should’ve had dogs
If they put you what you put me through
Well you’d wish you’d had dogs