La canción, un lamento de blues sureño, es "la historia de una mujer tirando un gigoló fuera de su casa y su vida": La canción fue escrita para que una mujer cantara en la que reprender "su hombre egoísta y explotador", y en ella "expresa el rechazo de una mujer a un hombre? el perro metafórico en el título"
[Chorus:] You ain't nothin' but a hound dog Just cryin' all the time You ain't nothin' but a hound dog Cryin' all the time Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine [Chorus] Well they said you was high classed Well, that was just a lie Yeah! they said you was high classed Well, that was just a lie Girl you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine [Chorus] Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine