Lost Kitten

The actual lyrics (from the booklet):

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

I'm not sure if the line "I was looking for a hooker when I found you" is literal or metaphorical, but either way it's an awesome line.

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 was actually really caught off guard by the meaning of this song from once I read the lyrics more carefully. It's about a criminal longing for someone on an easier side of life.

"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.

To me, it seems more like an underage girl that's living on the street and most likely prostituting herself. And she is picked up by an older man who feels guilty about the situation and tries to do the right thing but is tempted and maybe gives in. He tries to take care of her so he feels less guilty.

I think the you've got my eyes,is more like you've got my eyes watching you.

I’m honestly shocked no one is referencing the music video, and frankly quite grossed out by one suggestion here currently lmao.

The music video colours the song entirely for me. I don’t know if it’s the song’s original intention but it fits perfectly. A large percentage of the LGBTQ scene is night life and all that encompasses that; sex work (often due to no other choice “victim of the system”), drag and gay clubs. The music video follows one individual (I believe Sheldon Orlando Mcintosh, a Canadian Drag Race queen) as they try to find their drag mother (usually the drag queen that calls the shots at clubs and is a shoulder to lean on) though finds it difficult while it’s day. I feel this also explains the lines “you’ll never be mine, but you’ve got my eye”, especially as Sheldon’s character appears especially enamoured by the beauty of their mother (or the reverse; the drag mother admitting while there isn’t a biological connection that they will watch over them anyway).

[Edit: Addition]

Correction: in the second chorus, it's

When you blend, I'll cover it up

instead of

When you're blind, I'll cover it up

I was hoping other people had some suggestions, but it seems I'm the first. The song seems to evoke some imagery of abandoning a child into the foster system (Victim of the system, say it isn't so/ Squatted on the doorstep, swollen on the blow/ Leaving without you, can't say no; ...You've got my eyes, you've got my eyes/ 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.

I have to agree with Mortiorchis, to me this song kinda tells the story of a woman who gives her child up for adoption and years later sees the damage this has had on said child.

I think it tells us right away what's going on. There's a warning at the beggining, "Don't say yes if you can't say no" and then it tells the story of a guy who is looking simply for happiness for himself and finds a girl at a halfway house. He's sympathetic to her, "Victim of the system, say it isn't so", and then she takes care of him, "Squatted on the doorstep, swallowed all the blow" (not swollen on the blow). In other words, she doesn't spit but swallows. So when it says, "I was looking for a hooker when I found you" it means he found this willing girl at a halfway house.

"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.

It's about a girl who wants someone they can't exactly have. The two have sex and may be in a relationships, but it's not official and that's what she wants. She's willing to over look his flaws because she's obsessed with this person. She's kind of hurt that she can't have him 100% but she's settling for the parts he is giving to her because she just like him soo much.