"Lost Kitten" as written by and James Shaw Emily Haines....
Don't say yes if you can't say no,
Victim of the system, say it isn't so
Squatted on the doorstep, swollen on the blow
Leaving without you, can't say no
Halfway starts with happiness for me
Halfway house, lost kitten in the street
Hit me where it hurts, I'm coming home to lose
Kitten on the catwalk, high-heeled shoes
No more hard-headed Saturdays,
They got it, they want it, they give it away
Tell me one thing you would never do
I was looking for a hooker when I found you
You've got my eyes, you've got my eyes
You'll never be mine, ah, but you've got my eyes
When you lie, I'll cover it up
When you hide, I'll cover it up
When you cry, I'll cover it up
When you come undone, I'll cover it up
So pent up, I was coming home to you
Happy in the nighttime, howlin' at the moon
Sippin' on a cocktail, drinking in the loo
There's something about you I hold on to
You've got my eyes, you've got my eyes
You'll never be mine, ah, but you've got my eyes
When you lie, I'll cover it up
When you hide, I'll cover it up
When you cry, I'll cover it up
When you're blind, I'll cover it up
When you lie, I'll cover it up,
When you hide, I'll cover it up
When you cry, I'll cover it up
When you come undone, I'll cover it up
They got it, they want it, they give it away
They got it, they want it, they give it away
They got it, they want it, they give it away
They got it, they want it, they give it away
They got it, they want it, they give it away
(When you lie, I'll cover it up)
They got it, they want it, they give it away
(When you hide, I'll cover it up)
They got it, they want it, they give it away
(When you cry, I'll cover it up)
They got it, they want it, they give it away
(When you come undone, I'll cover it up)
Victim of the system, say it isn't so
Squatted on the doorstep, swollen on the blow
Leaving without you, can't say no
Halfway starts with happiness for me
Halfway house, lost kitten in the street
Hit me where it hurts, I'm coming home to lose
Kitten on the catwalk, high-heeled shoes
No more hard-headed Saturdays,
They got it, they want it, they give it away
Tell me one thing you would never do
I was looking for a hooker when I found you
You've got my eyes, you've got my eyes
You'll never be mine, ah, but you've got my eyes
When you lie, I'll cover it up
When you hide, I'll cover it up
When you cry, I'll cover it up
When you come undone, I'll cover it up
So pent up, I was coming home to you
Happy in the nighttime, howlin' at the moon
Sippin' on a cocktail, drinking in the loo
There's something about you I hold on to
You've got my eyes, you've got my eyes
You'll never be mine, ah, but you've got my eyes
When you lie, I'll cover it up
When you hide, I'll cover it up
When you cry, I'll cover it up
When you're blind, I'll cover it up
When you lie, I'll cover it up,
When you hide, I'll cover it up
When you cry, I'll cover it up
When you come undone, I'll cover it up
They got it, they want it, they give it away
They got it, they want it, they give it away
They got it, they want it, they give it away
They got it, they want it, they give it away
They got it, they want it, they give it away
(When you lie, I'll cover it up)
They got it, they want it, they give it away
(When you hide, I'll cover it up)
They got it, they want it, they give it away
(When you cry, I'll cover it up)
They got it, they want it, they give it away
(When you come undone, I'll cover it up)
Lyrics submitted by Mortiorchis, edited by katie034, facemeetpavement
"Lost Kitten" as written by James Shaw Emily Haines
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Don't say yes if you can't say no
Victim of the system say it isn't so
Squatted on the doorstep
Swallowed all the blow
Leaving without you can't say no
Half way starts with happiness for me
Half way house lost kitten in the street
Hit me where it hurts, I'm coming home to lose
Kitten on the catwalk, high heeled shoes
No more hot headed Saturdays
They got it! They want it! They give it away!
Tell me one thing you would never do
I was looking for a hooker when I found you
You've got my eyes, you've got my eyes
You'll never be mine but you've got my eyes
When you lie I cover it up
When you hide I cover it up
When you cry I cover it up
When you come undone I cover it up
I was so pent up, I was coming on to you
Happy in the night time howling at the moon
Sipping on a cocktail, drinking in the loo
There's something about you I hold on to
You've got my eyes, you've got my eyes
You'll never be mine but you've got my eyes
The way I like to interpret it, this song is about liking someone so much that you overlook all the bad things about them (something everyone can relate to). You start to make excuses for all the shitty things they do; you start to "cover it up" every time they "lie, hide, cry," and "come undone."
They're like a "lost kitten in the street" to you - so helpless and adorable you can't help but coddle them, make excuses for them.
In this case, I think the line "You've got my eyes... You'll never be mine but you've got my eyes" is something along the lines of really liking someone, not being able to take your eyes off of them, but maybe they don't like you/won't take you seriously, so they'll never be yours.
___
On the other hand, taking the "hooker" line literally, this song is a lot like "Hustle Rose" in that there are shifting viewpoints (between hooker and her customer in "Lost Kitten;" between stripper and her customer in "Hustle Rose").
Whatever it means, I love this song. It's my favorite on the album by far.
i read it as describing a toxic lifestyle/relationship, and the conclusion that it's time to quit. the initial warning ("Don't say yes if you can't say no") and the eventual realization (Leaving without you can't say no").
i totally understand the more literal interpretation (foster system, etc) but the song is just too damn playful for me to really buy it. youtube her live performances of this one and you'll see what i mean...
and yes, "I was looking for a hooker when I found you" is one of the best lines i've heard in a long time.
"Don't say yes if you can't say no,"
--I don't want you with me if you have no choice to be with me, like an addict or someone struggling
"Victim of the system, say it isn't so"
--Because of my cards dealt I have no choice but to be doing this
"Squatted on the doorstep, swallowed all the blow
Leaving without you, can't say no"
-- I need to get out of here because I need to get these things done to get by. I have no choice.
"Halfway starts with happiness for me"
--I'm going to reach stability and happiness at the end of these things I'm doing. There's no compromise nor middle ground that I can live with.
"Halfway house, lost kitten in the street"
--Try to make me live in some type of rehab situation and I'll just leave to live on the streets instead.
"Hit me where it hurts, I'm coming home to lose"
--Place your threats on the things I value most if you want, and I'll come to watch the things I love be taken away.
"Kitten on the catwalk, high-heeled shoes"
--I'm a stray on the streets in far more dangerous situations than you could ever threaten me with.
"No more hard-headed Saturdays,
They got it, they want it, they give it away"
--I don't have to starve and struggle anymore. They have money, they want drugs, and they basically throw their money at me.
"Tell me one thing you would never do
I was looking for a hooker when I found you"
--I was looking for someone who's morals that I could bend at will with money, drugs, and persuasion since that's all that I see around here... Instead I found you.
"You've got my eyes, you've got my eyes
You'll never be mine, ah, but you've got my eyes"
--I'm fascinated and infatuated with you. You'd never want to be with someone like me and I know that... But I've noticed you and I'll protect & guard you from afar.
"When you lie, I'll cover it up
When you hide, I'll cover it up
When you cry, I'll cover it up
When you come undone, I'll cover it up"
--Whatever you desire I'll help you. If you lie I'll be sure it isnt found out or turn it to truth. If you hide you will stay hidden. If you cry then no one will see your weakness. If you fall apart and do something horrible then I'll make sure the blame will never fall to you one way or another.
"So pent up, I was coming home to you"
--either she's pent up in the house while he's on his way to see her
"Happy in the nighttime, howlin' at the moon"
--He's happy on the streets at night as it's going good.
"Sippin' on a cocktail, drinking in the loo"
--meanwhile she's in her bathroom stressed and drinking
"There's something about you I hold on to"
--I know I'm not the type of guy you want around, but I can't let you go.
The main dilemma in this song of why he's so attached to her is he wants to be able to get by while maintaining morals and standards. Instead he's been systematically by circumstance turned into what many would call a monster. The song then repeats many times over that they want the drugs and give the money willingly. He repeats it as a mantra because that's not just his justification to other but to himself as well... but meanwhile he will continue to protect her and keep her safe because that's the only thing he could feel he can do for her when he wants to give her the world... She just wont take anything from his dirtied hands.
I think the you've got my eyes,is more like you've got my eyes watching you.
When you blend, I'll cover it up
instead of
When you're blind, I'll cover it up
You'll never be mine, ah, but you've got my eyes)
It could be about an unhealthy and/or on-again-off-again relationship, but it feels deeper than that. Maybe I'm wrong.
To me it feels like the song tries to tell us to be more careful when starting families. We want to have children, then we get them, and then we give them away to the world, because we aren't ready for them. The parents divorce, and end up unhappy.
"No more hard-headed Saturdays, they got it they want it they give it away"
Now he doesn't have to worry about the dating scene or even paying for hookers because he found someone who's giving it away.
"You've got my eyes, you've got my eyes/ You'll never be mine, ah, but you got my eyes"
He doesn't want her for anything other then to look at and take care of his happiness
"So pent up, I was coming onto you/ Happy in the nighttime, howlin at the moon/ Sippin on cocktails, drinking in the loo/ There's something about you I hold on to"
He hit on her because of his pent up urges and then they have some good times, or at least she's willing at first, now he doesn't want to let her go even though he only wants her for one thing (You'll never be mine, ah, but you got my eyes).
"When you lie, I'll cover it up/ When you hide, I'll cover it up/ When you cry, I'll cover it up/ When you come undone, I'll cover it up"
Then he tells her that if she trys to tell anyone or acts emotional because he's taking advantage of her he'll just cover it up.
I think that's why there was the warning at the beggining, "Don't say yes, if you can't say no" she should have said no from the beggining instead of saying yes only to find out she can't say no later.
Don't say yes if you can't say no
[A hooker can’t say no to a customer.]
Victim of the system say it isn't so
[Reference to the cycle of poverty and the effect of a crappy upbringing and lack of role models]
Squatted on the doorstep
[She’s unwanted and given up for someone else to deal with]
Swallowed all the blow
[Drug addiction, cocaine]
Leaving without you can't say no
[The girl is helpless and alone in the world]
Half way starts with happiness for me
[Foster care is supposed to give children a loving environment]
Half way house lost kitten in the street
[She’s the product of foster care; the comparison to a lost kitten shows how vulnerable she is, especially while on the street]
Hit me where it hurts, I'm coming home to lose
[The ugliness of her life affects my heart, but when I return home I forget]
Kitten on the catwalk, high heeled shoes
[Catwalk or sidewalk, describing the typical attire or image of a hooker]
No more hot headed Saturdays
[hot headed referring to anger, resistance melting away. Saturday is the busiest day of the week]
They got it! They want it! They give it away!
[Customers have money, they ‘want it’ and are willing to pay cash]
Tell me one thing you would never do
[Prostitutes sell their bodies, basically crossing a line, willing to do anything and everything, possibly to fuel a drug addiction]
I was looking for a hooker when I found you
[Literally, I found a hooker, I found you]
You've got my eyes, you've got my eyes
[I’m imagining myself in your situation]
You'll never be mine but you've got my eyes
[I’m never going to help you, but I feel some guilt because of our similarities]
When you lie I cover it up
[I’m just going to ignore your desperation]
When you hide I cover it up
[I’m looking the other way at your poverty]
When you cry I cover it up
[I feel bad, I can’t look while you’re crying]
When you come undone I cover it up
[Ignoring your horrible situation makes me feel better]
I was so pent up, I was coming on to you
[A hooker is so lonely she’s seeking company from one of her customers]
Happy in the night time howling at the moon
[She’s able to ignore her problems for a while, eventually leading to to sex]
Sipping on a cocktail, drinking in the loo
[Self-medicating with alcohol; customers often buy drinks]
There's something about you I hold on to
[I can’t get her situation out of my mind, I keep remembering]
You've got my eyes, you've got my eyes
[I interpret this as the singer pointing out how almost anybody could have fallen into this life]
You'll never be mine but you've got my eyes
[Nobody will pay any attention to hookers or their situation]
[After using a prostitute, the customer returns home doesn't give a second thought]
'You have my eyes but you'll never be mine' As the mother gave her up.