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Stray Cat Strut Lyrics

Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh,
Black and orange stray cat sittin' on a fence
Ain't got enough dough to pay the rent
I'm flat broke but I don't care
I strut right by with my tail in the air


Stray cat strut, I'm a ladies' cat,
A feline Casanova, hey man, thats where its at
Get a shoe thrown at me from a mean old man
Get my dinner from a garbage can

Yeah don't cross my path


I don't bother chasing mice around
I slink down the alley looking for a fight
Howling to the moonlight on a hot summer night
Singin' the blues while the lady cats cry,
"Wild stray cat, you're a real gone guy."


I wish I could be as carefree and wild,
but I got cat class and I got cat style.


I don't bother chasing mice around
I slink down the alley looking for a fight
Howling to the moonlight on a hot summer night
Singin' the blues while the lady cats cry,
"Wild stray cat, you're a real gone guy."


I wish I could be as carefree and wild,
but I got cat class and I got cat style.
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13 Meanings

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Cover art for Stray Cat Strut lyrics by Stray Cats

it really is a very cool song........not real clear on the lyrics or how many different cats are talking....but who cares??????

Cover art for Stray Cat Strut lyrics by Stray Cats

what the hell? anarchy? its just freakin cool thats all

Cover art for Stray Cat Strut lyrics by Stray Cats

I wish I was this cool.

Cover art for Stray Cat Strut lyrics by Stray Cats

This song reminds me a lot of 'Blank Generation' by Richard Hell... Totally different content but the sound is similar enough that I can't hear that song without thinking of this one. Weird!

@cestmagique yes, the lead-out of BG is nearly identical to the lead-in of SCS, wouldn't be surprised if Setzer took the germ of Hell's coda and created an entire song around it. Love both tunes

Cover art for Stray Cat Strut lyrics by Stray Cats

This is such a good song

Cover art for Stray Cat Strut lyrics by Stray Cats

This is the epitome of cool songs

Cover art for Stray Cat Strut lyrics by Stray Cats

this song is about anarchy...he's an anarchist and at some point he's talking to other cats that wish they could be like him,but they have cat class and cat style,which means their futile and materialist and they're bound to it,so they cant live in freedom...

Cover art for Stray Cat Strut lyrics by Stray Cats

Dude it's about a stray cat, not anything else. And the 'I wish I could be as carefree and wild, but I got cat class and I got cat style.' part is talkin about how even though he is piss poor, he isn't gonna go all homeless crazy cause he still has style and class.

'A champegne taste with a crappy beer budget' If you will

@Shimerism I 1000% agree... Him being the stray cat ❤️

Cover art for Stray Cat Strut lyrics by Stray Cats

Love this song, but for me, reading between the lines and looking at the music video it could very well be about a prostitute. Like the lyrics: "I don't bother chasing mice around, I slink down the alley looking for a fight" where it could be saying that mice = men and fight = sex. Definately in the video the woman who is dressed like a prostitute is wearing black and orange, like "Black and orange stray cat sittin' on a fence"... she's portrayed AS the stray cat.

My Interpretation

I think your onto something, interpreting it as a metaphor. I can't believe that they bothered to dedicate a classic to a stray tom cat. I don't think I can agree it's about prostitution though. Too many lyrics derail that theme.

Cover art for Stray Cat Strut lyrics by Stray Cats

Have always liked Seltzer. This was my favorite band in the early 80's. Loved the feel of the music. Just a "cool" song as others have said. NOT about prostitution. LOL.