Song of the Day 11/6: Harry Nilsson, “The Puppy Song”

Guest post by Nathan Arizona

What could be more calming in anxious times than watching newborn puppies 24 hours a day, or however long your tolerance for cuteness will let you? You can do that now thanks to a livestream called “Puppy Live” recently imported from Finland. Americans have joined the Finns in a puppy frenzy as they watch these baby dogs play, nurse, wiggle, dream (apparently), pile on top of each other and sleep. Mostly sleep.

The current season features six Legatto Romagrolo puppies (curly-furred waterproof truffle hunters) born on Oct. 10. A viewer contest will give them names. Next month they’ll be given up for televised adoption.

“Puppy Live” originated in Finland six years ago on public television and has been a staple there ever since. Sweden recently picked it up and the Dutch are interested. You can get it over here at the website Pentulive 24/7, and there’s quality puppy video on YouTube (search for “Finnish puppies”). Here’s a sample.

The originator of the show has it figured out. “‘Puppy Live’ offers comfort and relaxation amidst the rush of everyday life,” she told an interviewer. “It’s a wonderful escape from the human world into a ‘puppy bubble.’”

“Puppy Live” is part of a “Slow TV” trend designed to calm frazzled online addicts with nonstop scenes of slowly moving moose herds, views from moving trains, clothes going around in a washing machine, fish swimming in a tank, groceries gliding by on a conveyer belt.

Harry Nilsson wrote about his puppy love while hanging out with the Beatles after they said he was their favorite American musician. Paul McCartney asked him to write a song for a teen-ager he was managing called Mary Hopkin. “The Puppy Song” appeared on her debut album in 1969. Nilsson put it on his own album, “Harry,” later that year.

It’s one of those bouncy throwback “music hall” songs that some ‘60s pop-rockers couldn’t resist (think “When I’m Sixty-Four”). “The Puppy Song” has a sugary Disney flavor. “Dreams are nothin’ more than wishes/And a wish is just a dream you wish would come true.” The song was featured in the 1998 movie “You’ve Got Mail.”

David Cassidy’s 1973 cover reached No. 1 in the U.K. but flopped over here. He’s so gosh darn cute in this performance on British TV he could be on “Puppy Live” if he were a Legatto Romagrolo.

Mary Hopkins’ version was a little zippier than Nilsson’s and in a different key.