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. The lyrics describe a war among animals, launched by the bees against the birds, but won by an alliance of animals against them.

"Dirty Paws"
Single by Of Monsters and Men
from the album My Head Is an Animal
Released	12 April 2012
Recorded	2011–12
Genre	Indie folk indie pop
Length	4:38
Label	Universal
Songwriter(s)	Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir Ragnar Þórhallsson
Producer(s)	Of Monsters and Men Aron Arnarsson
Of Monsters and Men singles chronology
"Little Talks" (2011) "Dirty Paws" (2012) "Mountain Sound" (2012)
Lyric video
"Dirty Paws" on YouTube

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."

Track listing

CD / digital download

No.	Title	Writer(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 & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[4]	24
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[5]	25

Year-end charts

Chart (2014)	Position
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[6]	98

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[7]	Platinum	60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[8]	Silver	200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[9]	Platinum	1,000,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.