About
Dogs and Birds was included as a digital-only bonus track on In and Out of Consciousness in 2010. Written by Robbie Williams with Kelvin Andrews, Danny Spencer and Richard Scott, the song extended the creative partnership formed during the sessions for Reality Killed the Video Star. Although not widely promoted, it remains one of the most distinctive tracks from the compilation’s later sessions.
Produced by Trevor Horn, the song blends acoustic guitars with light electronic textures and a playful Latin rhythm. It contrasts with the reflective tone of the compilation’s other new material, offering a brighter, more rhythmic perspective. Horn’s production gives the track a polished but buoyant quality, maintaining the high studio sheen of Williams’s 2009–10 recordings.
Lyrically, Dogs and Birds uses animal imagery as a metaphor for the tension between men and women, exploring the misunderstandings and differences in communication between the two. Lines such as “Do you sing the same song every day of your life?” highlight the wry humour and social observation typical of Williams’s writing. The interplay between the carefree melody and its sly commentary recalls his earlier satirical pop moments.
“It’s a song about the way people circle each other, not quite understanding what the other is saying. It’s funny and a bit true.”Robbie Williams
Though never performed live or released as a single, Dogs and Birds was praised by fans for its wit and charm. Its inclusion on the digital edition of the album added a lighter counterpoint to the more serious themes of Shame and Heart and I, showing Williams’s instinct for balancing introspection with humour even in his most reflective periods.
Lyrics
Any wonder
We're all so alone
Mama I feel so ashamed
We're just chemical
I didn't make it
But the bed is my home
And someone told me
The dog said to the bird
Do you sing the same song everyday of your life
But she don't say a word
She just swings on her thing and she sings
The writing still on the wall is eligible
The wrong answer etched on my brain
Venus and Mars are now further apart than they've ever been
We better face it
We're just not the same
Then I remember
The dog said to the bird
Do you sing the same song everyday of your life
But she don't say a word
She just swings on her thing and she sings
Oh what a shame all the trouble we went though for second place
Now they're selling
Space on the moon
Speaking in tongues we don't know what's been said till the morning comes
You better worry
There's a storm coming soon
Still recalling
The dog said to the bird
Do you sing the same song everyday of your life
But she don't say a word
She just swings on her thing and she sings
The dog said to the bird
Do you sing the same song everyday of your life
But she don't say a word
She just swings on her thing and she sings
Credits
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Vocalist
Robbie Williams -
Songwriter
Kelvin Andrews, Danny Spencer, Richard Scott