The Story Behind Three Dog Night Meaning and Origin

Three Dog Night, a phrase that's become synonymous with a wild and crazy night out, has its roots in the Australian Outback. In the 19th century, a "three dog night" referred to a night so cold that three dogs would be needed to keep a person warm.

The concept of a "three dog night" was first mentioned in a 1894 article in the Sydney Morning Herald, where it was described as a night so cold that "three dogs and a blanket would not keep a man warm." This phrase eventually made its way to the United States and was popularized in the 1960s and 1970s by the rock band Three Dog Night.

Three Dog Night's name was inspired by a magazine article about Aboriginal Australians, where it was explained that on extremely cold nights, people would sleep with three dogs to stay warm.

The story goes that vocalist Danny Hutton's girlfriend, actress June Fairchild, read this article and suggested the name to him.

However, musician Van Dyke Parks disputed this story, claiming he coined the name himself.

Hutton himself explained the origin of the name, saying he was in his kitchen with his manager when he came up with the idea, and that he had been reading a magazine called Mankind that featured an article about the Australian Aborigines.

He recalled that the article mentioned a phrase about needing three dogs to bed with you on a night so cold.

Three Dog Night's name was inspired by a magazine article about Australian Aborigines and their phrase for a night so cold you need to take three dogs to bed with you to stay warm.

The band's manager asked Hutton to come up with a name by Monday, and Hutton's girlfriend showed him the article, which sparked the idea for Three Dog Night.

Three Dog Night's name was literally inspired by a phrase that described a very cold night.

Hutton and his team wrote down 60 names, but this phrase stood out and became the band's name.