12 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Bonnie the Cat Lyrics
Can't feel the pain that I expected
I still place keys in the ignition
I know what will be
One thought is stopping me from sleeping
I saw the future and it's breeding
I know what will be
Could be your last resort
Like gold against your soul
There are three things that I would die for
But I am sure you're not one of them
I know what will be
Could be your last resort
Like gold against your soul
You think you've got it all wrapped up now
You stumble on so unsuspecting
I know what will be
I hold your birth control to ransom
The cells divide and grow inside you
I know what will be
I know what will be
I know what will be
I still place keys in the ignition
I know what will be
One thought is stopping me from sleeping
I saw the future and it's breeding
I know what will be
Like gold against your soul
But I am sure you're not one of them
I know what will be
Like gold against your soul
You stumble on so unsuspecting
I know what will be
The cells divide and grow inside you
I know what will be
Song Info
Submitted by
felkon On Sep 13, 2009
More Porcupine Tree
Trains
Blackest Eyes
Arriving Somewhere But Not Here
The Sound Of Muzak
A Smart Kid
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
I think this is about a guy who sleeps with a girl but doesn't really love her ("There are three things that I would die for But I am sure you're not one of them") but then she gets pregnant ('I saw the future and it's breeding") and is in love with him so she uses the baby as an excuse ("birth control to ransom" "Could be your last resort Like gold against your soul") but the guy isn't happy about it Maybe that's why the song seems so mean and dark Steve said that most the songs were about "Incidents" and this kinda classifies as one
Here is my interpretation of the song. Since I'm not English, please don't mind my mistakes :-)
After a breakup, the male person doesn't feel as hurt as he thought, he would (he probably blocks it out). His anger is stronger than his remaining love. Also he still lives his normal life (driving - maybe to work or sth.) He can't sleep, though, because he saw his pregnant wife's baby - probably on an ultrasonic picture. This concerns him and keeps him from sleeping (is it his own kid? or did she cheat on him?)
The refrain shows, that he knows, that she is pregnant and thinks (in order to raise the child) he might be the the only one, who could help her. Maybe the woman doesn't have any family to support her. He knows, she is going to struggle and she is too blind, to see that.
His anger and emptiness inside him is expressed by the way the verses are sung. It almost makes the "melodic" "I know what will be" sound like a satisfaction for him. He's happy to see, she cannot make it on her own.
From what I've heard, this song was originally called Aggressive. However, one of the bandmate's cats was called Bonnie and it was pretty mean. So they changed the song name accordingly.
As for what the song lyrics mean, I have no idea. It's dark and creepy though, thanks to the Silent Hill styled intro.
Steven wilson said in an interview that this song is about the more bitter stage of emotions after a breakup. not so much angry, but definitely bitter.
Steven wilson said in an interview that this song is about the more bitter stage of emotions after a breakup. not so much angry, but definitely bitter.
As for the title, it was named after the studio cat and has nothing to do with the songmeaning. They had been playing with the idea of "Bonnie the Cat" as a potential song title for a while.
As for the title, it was named after the studio cat and has nothing to do with the songmeaning. They had been playing with the idea of "Bonnie the Cat" as a potential song title for a while.
Awesome song! It's so dark and thrilling. Love it.
Nice job on lyrics, man.
I always thought it's about getting the feeling that something bad's gonna happen, but you go along anyway. Maybe even more so reflecting on that feeling after the bad thing has happened to you.
"Can't feel the pain that I expected" So the "incident" (so to call) already happened, but the pain is not as hard as expected.
"I still place keys in the ignition I know what will be" Always had me thinking of when I went to have a "talk" with my then-girlfriend and I had the feeling it's about to end but still I got in my car and drove to her. (It ended on that day, btw.) Only the order of the lines seems slightly odd to support this interpretation.
Those lines however are a complete mystery to me: "Could be your last resort Like gold against your soul"
and
"I hold your birth control to ransom The cells divide and grow inside you" (Could be that the "you" that is reffered to is pregnant, but.. how does it fit into the rest of the song?)
Interesting interpretation, I only want to point out though that your referral to an "incident" is inaccurate, because although the album's theme is The Incident, SW has made it very clear that the whole point of the double-cd is that the 4 songs on Disc 2 have nothing at all to do with the "incident" theme expressed in disc 1. So I just wanted to point that out.
Interesting interpretation, I only want to point out though that your referral to an "incident" is inaccurate, because although the album's theme is The Incident, SW has made it very clear that the whole point of the double-cd is that the 4 songs on Disc 2 have nothing at all to do with the "incident" theme expressed in disc 1. So I just wanted to point that out.
Otherwise, your interpretation is as good as any. This song is cryptic.
Otherwise, your interpretation is as good as any. This song is cryptic.
This song definitely seems to be about the impending birth of a child, or of multiple children, in the future. "I saw the future and it's breeding", "the cells divide and grow inside you", etc.
To go along with the bitter stage of relationship breakup theory, this would simply add an element of an unborn child to the story. However, IMO the song seems to be centered around the issue of the unborn baby, so if SW really did say in an interview what znoahmarhoadskill said than he definitely way oversimplified it.
Anyway, this is a great song and it's specific meaning still baffles me. And I like the misleading title :-)
One random thing: Does anyone else notice that the thumping chorus at the end is the same as The Grand Conjuration or am I making random correlations?!
Oh yeah man! In this song at like the 4:00 mark it sounds like the times when Mikael starts doing the heavy vocals. Hadn't noticed that.
Oh yeah man! In this song at like the 4:00 mark it sounds like the times when Mikael starts doing the heavy vocals. Hadn't noticed that.
Id say this song is about someone trying to control a woman by trying to get her pregnant deliberately without consent. He clearly knows "what will be" by taking this course of action and is surprised that he does not feel guilt or pain in taking this action. He does not think that much of this woman, is not in love with her and this is her "last resort". Ultimately it's all about doing something which has consequences for someone else not out of love but because you want to control them, almost out of revenge as they are not...
Id say this song is about someone trying to control a woman by trying to get her pregnant deliberately without consent. He clearly knows "what will be" by taking this course of action and is surprised that he does not feel guilt or pain in taking this action. He does not think that much of this woman, is not in love with her and this is her "last resort". Ultimately it's all about doing something which has consequences for someone else not out of love but because you want to control them, almost out of revenge as they are not in your control. Dark stuff indeed.
I think this song is simply about rape, or at least, forceful rape. Hahaha, if that makes enough sense.
He goes on and on about how he knows what he's gonna do as if he knows how wrong it is, and what the consequences are.
My guess is that he wants revenge for a bad breakup? He says, "There are three things that I will die for, and you're not one of them." or whatever, and it sounds like he's not willing to accept it. I have heard that the three things are the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit)...but I don't see how that makes sense...interesting though...
This is just a dark, nasty, mysterious song. Named after one of the band member's cat. hahaha.
Steven Wilson said that on The Incident, they were focusing on music and hardly at all on lyrics. So the meaning can't be that great.
"There are three things that I would die for But I am sure you're not one of them I know what will be"
One of my favourite lyrics of all time its just so Depressing and full of misery
I think this song follows (of course) with the general theme of "The Incident" album which is about varying incidents of some tragic event - from the perspective of those most affected by the tragedy.
In the case of "Bonnie the Cat" The tragedy is a breakup - where a pregnancy is involved. To make things more more tragic, the pregnancy was used by the woman as a type of relationship "ransom," her "last resort" and a type of "gold against" her soul - or in other words, a way to add value to being in a relationship with her. So, tragic because the woman tries trapping the man with a pregnancy.
A third level of tragedy is, that the the attempt to hold the pregnancy as a type of relationship ransom, not only doesn't work to keep the man - but tragically leaves him unaffected - cold and uncaring - while even he understands the gravity of the situation and knows he should care more. Instead of caring he's hostile, angry and disaffected.
This is is all from the man's perspective, so he knows he should care, but he's surprised by how little he is affected: "can't feel the pain that I expected... " And despite the intense drama of a breakup complicated by a pregnancy, like an emotionless machine, he routinely drives away and leaves her anyway, "I put the key in the ignition."
He shows he understands the gravity: "I know what will be" but again other than being unable to sleep - he leaves the situation anyway. And again, judging from the song's intense tone, he's also feeling very hostile under the circumstances.