This was written by Anslem Douglas, a musician from Trinidad who wrote it two years before The Baha Men recorded it - his original version is called "Doggie." Various versions were hits in the Caribbean, but The Baha Men toned down the calypso rhythm to make it more appealing to American listeners.
We have yet to meet someone who can remember any words to this song other than the chorus, which is: "Who let the dogs out? Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof." The song does have verses and even a hint of meaning - the lyrics are about disrespectful men who hit on women at a party.
In 2015, when we asked Rik Carey of Baha Men about this song's appeal, he gave this explanation: "People are just into their dogs." So how does he feel about the song years later? "It's a blessing, so I wouldn't ever want to change that," Carey said. "It gave us all this experience, so I'm not going to fight it."
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