You Can't Keep a Good Dog Down

"You Can't Keep a Good Dog Down" is the opening song of All Dogs Go To Heaven. It is sung by Charlie and Itchy to a group of craps playing dogs.

Lyrics:

[Intro]
[Charlie, spoken]
Why settle for a couple of bones when you can have the whole bank?
Ha ha ha ha ha!

[Itchy, spoken]
Hey, Charlie!
Charlie, look!
You hit the jackpot!
Oh ho ho
Atta boy, Charlie, I'm proud o' ya!
Charlie, tell 'em!

[Verse 1]
(sung)
Charlie: Oh, you can’t keep a good dog down

Itchy: No sir!

Charlie: No, you can’t keep a good dog down
I’ve seen pain and hurt

Itchy: That's right

Charlie: I’ve eaten dirt

Itchy: That's true

Charlie: It’s hard to buy but even I've been jilted by a skirt!

Itchy: He lies!

Charlie: But look, pal, I’m still around

Itchy: Haha!

Charlie: Cause you can’t keep a good dog down!

[Chorus]
Itchy: Ya can’t keep a good dog down

Charlie: No you can’t!

Itchy: No no no no, you can’t keep a good dog down

Charlie: I’ve been bought and sold

Itchy: He’s been warm and cold

Charlie: But 10 to 1 I’ll still be runnin’ rackets when I’m old

Itchy: Not in some cage in the city pound

Charlie B. Barkin, & Itchy: 'Cause ya can’t keep a good dog
Can’t keep a good
I say ya can’t keep a good dog down

[Verse 2]
Itchy: In him’s the luck of the Irish

Charlie: The pride of the German

Itchy: And even, haha, a bit of Siam

Charlie: Siam? You see the come of the English

Itchy: The charm of the Spanish

Charlie: A pedigree a-certainly ain’t what I am!
So call me a mixed up pup

Itchy: You’re a mixed up pup

Charlie: Haha!
But the only way this pup knows is up!

[Itchy, spoken]
OK, boys! C'mon!
Help me get 'im!
You get his leg
Lift 'im up! C'mon!
Didn't'cha hear the man?
Up! Up! Up!
C'mon!

[Chorus]
(sung)
[CHARLIE & DOGS & All ANIMAlS]
🎶Oh, ya can’t keep a good dog down🎶
(Bow wow wow wow!)
You can’t keep a good dog down
(Bow wow wow wow!)

Itchy: He’s been fat and thin

Charlie: I’ve been out and in

Itchy: He tried a life of virtue

Charlie: But prefer a life of sin!
So tonight, man, we own this town
I’ve known hunger, I’ve known thirst
Lived the best and seen the worst
But the only way I know to finish is to finish first!

[CHARLIE & DOGS & All ANIMAlS ]
So watch out when you hear this sound!

(all of the DOGS howl uproariously)

[CHARLIE & DOGS & ITCHY & All ANIMAlS]
'Cause you can’t keep a good dog
No, ya can’t keep a good
I say you can’t keep a good dog down
You can’t keep a good dog down!

Trivia

The song was also included in "MGM Sing-Alongs: Having Fun" with onscreen lyrics and a bone as a bouncing object.