The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
I watch my yellow cat
Invade my red cat in the yard
The feline war has raged for years
So I assume it'd be too hard
For me to drive my foot between them
I would never risk the scratch
Just to prove to one or both of them
A cat is just a cat
Again, I watch my cousin greg
Watch mtv inside his home
He makes fun of the hip hop videos
From the couch he rides alone
Snug in the cushion of his cackling
He forgets his living doubts
He has relied on this for years
You will not yank the carpet out
These are my friends
This is who they have been for always
These are my days
This is how they stay
I watch this dude
Each night, same table
He creates and crumples up
His eyes are wide from sipping endlessly
His endless coffee cup
He feeds me quotes
That lonely goat
I watch him grazing by himself
I will not stop him when he rambles
I'm becoming one myself
Lou is bugged
Shot up with drugs
He sweats this bird he hardly knows
All that he wants is to see someone
He respects without their clothes
So like some hybrid mother/lover
She'd soothe and heal his wounds
And kiss those dying ears so softly
That the reaper stops to swoon
Oh please
These are my friends
This is who they have been for always
These are my days
This is how they stay
These are my friends
This is who they remain forever
This is how we stay
I watch my neighbor's son
Play with his shotgun in the street
I think I'll blaze all day
And marvel at the massive food I eat
It's strange, I'm skinny when I'm standing
But I'm buddha when I sit
And if I'm truly so enlightened
Why'd I waste your time on it
As I look back at countless crossroads
And the middle where I stay
Right up the beaten path to boredom
Where the fakest fucks get laid
By the faux-finest finds
It's been that way
God damn you, how you stay
With every scummy, crummy hour
Of the scummy, crummy day
These are my friends
This is who they have been for always
These are my days
This is how they stay
These are my friends
This is who they remain forever
This is how we stay
Invade my red cat in the yard
The feline war has raged for years
So I assume it'd be too hard
For me to drive my foot between them
I would never risk the scratch
Just to prove to one or both of them
A cat is just a cat
Again, I watch my cousin greg
Watch mtv inside his home
He makes fun of the hip hop videos
From the couch he rides alone
Snug in the cushion of his cackling
He forgets his living doubts
He has relied on this for years
You will not yank the carpet out
These are my friends
This is who they have been for always
These are my days
This is how they stay
I watch this dude
Each night, same table
He creates and crumples up
His eyes are wide from sipping endlessly
His endless coffee cup
He feeds me quotes
That lonely goat
I watch him grazing by himself
I will not stop him when he rambles
I'm becoming one myself
Lou is bugged
Shot up with drugs
He sweats this bird he hardly knows
All that he wants is to see someone
He respects without their clothes
So like some hybrid mother/lover
She'd soothe and heal his wounds
And kiss those dying ears so softly
That the reaper stops to swoon
Oh please
These are my friends
This is who they have been for always
These are my days
This is how they stay
These are my friends
This is who they remain forever
This is how we stay
I watch my neighbor's son
Play with his shotgun in the street
I think I'll blaze all day
And marvel at the massive food I eat
It's strange, I'm skinny when I'm standing
But I'm buddha when I sit
And if I'm truly so enlightened
Why'd I waste your time on it
As I look back at countless crossroads
And the middle where I stay
Right up the beaten path to boredom
Where the fakest fucks get laid
By the faux-finest finds
It's been that way
God damn you, how you stay
With every scummy, crummy hour
Of the scummy, crummy day
These are my friends
This is who they have been for always
These are my days
This is how they stay
These are my friends
This is who they remain forever
This is how we stay
Lyrics submitted by AllStarMe, edited by Rude Boy EEEE
Yellow Cat (Slash) Red Cat Lyrics as written by Max Bemis
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Good point about the ignorance of racism and violence, Ive never thought about that before.
As for the Yellow = peace, red = war comment, why would his "yellow cat invade his red cat".
I read somewhere this song is about how life never changes and nobody does anything about anything.