(Probably) True Supposition

Did you know that the inspiration for the K-Os song "The Dog is Mine" was (probably) the movie Our Idiot Brother? Consider the evidence.

• The chorus and very title of the song reference the main character's central motivation throughout the film. When he gets out of jail Ned desperately wants to reconnect with his dog but his former partner Janet kicks him off their farm and refuses to let him bring his golden retriever named Willie Nelson with him. In K-Os's words, Janet makes it so that "a dog gotta be a prize." Her actions drive him to solicit legal advice on the matter (a very unusual step for an outside-the-system guy like Ned) and he even goes so far as to try and steal the dog back. One of his sister's explains that no one could love anything as unconditionally as Ned  loves Willie Nelson. At the end of the movie it is not any human relationship but Ned's relationship with his dog that gives him a reason to leave jail. In his eyes, "The Dog is [Emphatically] Mine," and every capital letter belongs in that title/thought.
• The timing of the song's release fits with the production timeline of an album given when K-Os likely saw Our Idiot Brother: The movie was released in January 2011 and the song came out in September 2012.
• K-Os sings, "Got to pack my things and go" which syncs with Ned's eviction at the hands of Janet as well as making reference to the pack he wears in several scenes throughout the film. Indeed, the word pack is repeated in the line, "I thought you don't pack a soul," which also describes Janet's ruthless cleavage of Ned from his precious dog.
• Other K-Os lyrics talk about how he "tried to empathize" and implore the listener to "go ahead with your better self." These lines succinctly articulate Ned's worldview. He tries to connect with people by listening to them on an emotional level and he explains to Princess Arabella in the film that he believes trusting people inspires them to bring out their best selves.
• Ned is the apotheosis of naive. He sells marijuana to a uniformed police officer because he genuinely believes the policeman is asking his help and isn't merely entrapping him. Hence K-Os writing a line in his song about being "too naïve to know."
• The song has a stoner rock vibe to it, which is a very interesting and particular style for a versatile artist like K-Os to choose.