Who Let the Dogs Out

"Who Let the Dogs Out"
Song

"Who Let the Dogs Out?" is a song written and originally recorded by Anslem Douglas for Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival season of 1998. It was heard and taped on a float by hairdresser Keith from the London salon Smile, who played it to Jonathan King, who recorded it and released it under the name Fatt Jakk and his Pack of Pets. It then came to the attention of King's friend Steve Greenberg, who produced it with a group he was promoting called The Baha Men. The Baha Men covered the song and placed it in the movie Rugrats in Paris: The Movie and on its Soundtrack album and then released it as a single in 2000, when it became the band's first hit in the US and the UK. It reached #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and #2 on the UK Singles Chart. It was the 4th biggest-selling single of 2000 in the UK. It was also a big hit in Australia, where it reached #1. The track went to win the Grammy for Best Dance Recording on the 2001 Grammy Awards.

In a poll conducted in 2007 by Rolling Stone to identify the twenty most annoying songs, this song was ranked third.

The Anslem Douglas version was played mainly in parties and dance halls across the islands of Trinidad and Tobago in 1998. After the Baha Men re-released the song, it became a ubiquitous sports anthem at stadiums and arenas throughout the world based largely on the efforts of a sports marketing company hired by the song's producer, Steve Greenberg. Pro Sports Music Marketing founder Frederic Traube created the concept of introducing and marketing the song to sports stadiums.

Chart (2000-2009)	Peak position
UK Top 100 Songs of the Decade	28

Use at Sporting Events

The first use of the song at a sporting event was at Mississippi State University. The university's mascot is the Bulldog, and the university school first played the song during football games in the fall of 1999 using the version sung by Chuck Smooth. It was accompanied by the crowd singing along and the team performing a dance on the field called "The Dawg Pound Rock" just before a kickoff. Later the Southeastern Conference ruled that they could not perform the dance on the field, so the team moved it to the sidelines. Several other teams followed suit, and the song quickly became a national phenomenon.

In June 2000, Gregg Greene, then Director of Promotions for the Seattle Mariners, was the first to play the Baha Men's version of "Who Let the Dogs Out" at a Major League Baseball game. He debuted the tune as a joke for the team's backup catcher, Joe Oliver. Two days later, shortstop Alex Rodriguez requested the ditty for his batter introduction music and the song quickly became the Mariners team anthem. The Baha Men played live at Safeco Field during a Mariners game in September of 2000. The New York Mets, however, claimed that they were the first MLB team to adopt the song (ESPN.com later commented, "This is a little like scientists arguing over who discovered a deadly virus"). The Baha Men recorded a version of the song that changed the chorus to "Who let the Mets out?" and all the lyrics to reflect the team and its players, which was played at Shea Stadium throughout the Mets' 2000 postseason run, including a live performance on the Shea Stadium field before Game 4 of the 2000 World Series against the New York Yankees. The song was written by David Brody of Z100 New York and recorded by the Baha Men initially for Z100. Brody then gave the song to the Mets to play at Shea. Brody has also written songs for the 2006 and 2007 Mets. Richard Hidalgo used the original song as his entrance music while playing for the Houston Astros. The song was the theme song for Monster Mutt & Monster Mutt Dalmatian (Monster Trucks) from 2003-2008 while freestyling on the Monster Jam circuit.

The song was also used by the Baltimore Ravens football team on their run to the Super Bowl in the 2000 season.

In the NRL, the premier rugby league competition in the world, the Canterbury Bulldogs often play this song at home games.

Finnish Ice-Hockey team Espoo Blues uses the song as their goalsong.

New York - Penn League baseball team the Batavia Muckdogs also use the song to this day. It was also a stadium anthem during the league's Mahoning Valley Scrappers's McNamara Division championship run in 2000.

The song is used at games for the Arizona Sundogs, a minor league hockey team located in Prescott Valley, Arizona. Their mascot is a dog named Bernie.

The song is also used at the beginning of each of the periods at the American Hockey League's Hamilton Bulldogs games. Their mascot is named Bruiser.

This catch phrase may have derived from "Who let the dogs loose?" rapped in the same rhythm in Gillette's song "Bad Boys" on her 1994 album "On the Attack".

In the UK, the song was quickly appropriated by Liverpool supporters under then-manager Gerard Houllier. Regular chants of 'Hou led the reds out' by Liverpool fans (a reference to Liverpool's cup treble in 2001) were followed soon after by opposition fans' chants of 'Hou had a heart attack' (a reference to Houllier's illness in October 2001). The song is played after every goal which Dougie Freedman scores for Crystal Palace F.C. at Selhurst Park, with fans singing "Who let the Doug out? Who? Who?" with reference to him. Similarly, Chelsea F.C. fans sing "Who let the Drog out? Who? Who?", in reference to Didier Drogba. Celtic F.C. occasionally play the song before the start of the second half, with the Celtic fans singing "Who let the Tims out?"

In the 2000-2001 NHL season, the Vancouver Canucks used a remix of this song as their goal song.

Minor pro hockey team, The Elmira Jackals, implemented "Who let the dogs out" as their goal song in their 2000 inaugural season. It was used for 5 years, until the team decided to use a new song, much to the dismay of the fans. However, in 2009, the Jackals revived the tradition and brought it back as their goal song. The song seemed to revive their winning tradition, as the jackals started off by winning their first seven games.

This was used as the entrance song for Tom Lawlor at UFC 100.

Uses in the popular culture

• The song was used in Rugrats in Paris: The Movie.
• The song was also used in the film Rat Race while the people were running down the stairs.
• The song has been used in the film, Open Season 2.
• The song was featured in the trailer for Snow Dogs.
• South Park has used "Who Let the Dogs Out?" three times in the episodes; "About Last Night...", Stan's dad, Randy Marsh, sings "Who Let the Obama Out?" during the night street party for Obama; in "Douche and Turd", the Turd Sandwich starts to dance, the song plays during Mr. Garrison's attention of "The South Park Vote '04"; and in "Wing", Kyle, Cartman, Stan, and Kenny dance after Wing touches Sly.
• The song has been used in the 2006 film, The Shaggy Dog.
• The song was used in the 2009 film, The Hangover.
• In an episode of The Simpsons, Homer can be heard singing "Who Let the Dogs Out?" along the radio on his car. In a different episode, Marge is heard singing a children's version of the song, with the lyrics "Who left the milk out? (yuck, yuck, yuck) Dad left the milk out ..." It can be heard a third time on the closing credits of the Simpsons episode "Large Marge" when Marge gets breast implants. The lyrics in the closing credits are changed to "Who let her jugs out,...Marge let her jugs out". In the episode Thank God It's Doomsday, the Baha Men guest star singing "who wants a hiarcut".
• In Phineas and Ferb episode "Cheer Up Candace", when Perry jumps off his chair, in which Major Monogram says "Ran alert! Ran alert! Who let the agents out?"
• In the game Vampyre story main character Mona need to sing the lullaby to tailor's twins. But only song they want to hear is the anthem of their favorite sport command that consists only of words "Who let the wolves out?".
• In Men In Black II, Frank the pug is listening this song in the car while waiting for agent Jay (Will Smith) to come back.
• The song was referenced as a source of satire in a sketch from BBC television series That Mitchell and Webb Look, featuring production executives unable to find an appropriate song for footage featuring an unaccountable release of dogs.
• A reference to the song was made in the King of the Hill episode My Own Private Rodeo, Hank says "Who let the Dale out?".
• In American Dad! episode "Stan's Night Out", Stan plays the song in his car.
• Crazy Frog covers this song called "Who Let the Frog Out?".
• The song is featured in Family Guy episode "420", Stewie Griffin listens to this song while Meg is at school.
• The song is also used in a comedy scene in tamil movie, Santosh Subramium.
• "Who Let the Cards Out" was a song written in 2000 for the St. Louis Cardinals by the Baha Men.
• 2010 Senior Matt Mazur Of James Ford Rhodes Comes Out To It At Their Senior Auction

Song information

Track listing

1. "Who Let the Dogs Out?"
2. "Who Let the Dogs Out?" (Bryan F. Mix)
3. "Who Let the Dogs Out?" (Crisqo Mix)
4. "Who Let the Dogs Out?" (Pal Mixer)
5. "Who Let the Dogs Out?" (Radio Mix)