Dirty Paws

"Dirty Paws" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men for their debut studio album, My Head Is an Animal. It is the opening track and the title of the album comes from a line in the song, and was released as its second single in April 2012 in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Europe.

"Dirty Paws"
Single by Of Monsters and Men
from the album My Head Is an Animal
Released12 April 2012
Format
Recorded2011–12
Genre
Length4:26
LabelUniversal
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Of Monsters and Men
  • Aron Arnarsson
Of Monsters and Men singles chronology
"Little Talks"
(2011)		 "Dirty Paws"
(2012)		 "Mountain Sound"
(2012)

It was featured in the trailer and soundtrack to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Lyric video

A lyric video to the song was released in 2014. The video features a large two-legged creature carrying a flag through an Icelandic mountainscape, with squadrons of phoenix-like birds flying in the sky. It fits with the lyrics of the song, “The sky wasn't big enough for them all" and “The birds, they got help from below.”

Interpretation

This song is widely interpreted but has no official interpretation. This is not the official interpretation, but YouTube's most popular interpretation is this: | The song is about WW2. | Germany was the bees. | France and Britain were the birds. | Americans as dirty paws. | Russia as creatures of the snow. | "The forest" is Europe. | "The holes" are the trenches. | "The killing machines" are the newly introduced artillery and turrets. | The U.S. was called 'dirty paws' because of the presence in most international wars. |"The four dirty paws" are the wars that were 'popularly' fought - Revolutionary, Civil, WW1, and WW2.|And "The dragonfly" being the men returning home from the war, and telling their story

Track listing
CD / digital download
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Dirty Paws"
  • Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir
  • Ragnar Þórhallsson
4:38

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (2012–14) Peak
position
Canada Rock (Billboard)[1] 19
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[2] 35
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[3] 75
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[4] 24
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[5] 22
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[6] 19
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[7] 25

Year-end charts
Chart (2014) Position
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[8] 98

References
  1. "Of Monsters and Men Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  2. "Charts.nz – Of Monsters and Men – Dirty Paws". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  3. "Swisscharts.com – Of Monsters and Men – Dirty Paws". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  4. "Of Monsters and Men Chart History (Hot Rock Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  5. "Of Monsters and Men Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  6. "Of Monsters and Men Chart History (Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  7. "Of Monsters and Men Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  8. "Hot Rock Songs: Year End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
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