A lot of us as little kids thought that this catchy, pithy folk song was literally about a gang of friends on a road trip, including a cat and a dog (any of us with pets especially had an affection for it). The lyrics actually reveal a rather violent tale about a coke dealer (and jealous, mean-spirited addict), his lady (Della), whom we can infer the Dealer doesn't treat very kindly, a close friend or possibly brother named Jake/"Jake the Dog" who carries a gun on him but has scruples, and "a Cat named Kalamazoo" - the most enigmatic figure in this story.
This ragtag group of most likely petty criminals leave the city to go out west and make a lot of money, probably through the dealer's drug trade, but the dealer is a mean addict who snorts his drugs through "a century note" (hundred-dollar bill, so he's probably a show-off and bad with money also). They leave in a pickup truck and end up in Tuscon, where at the bar they stop in, Della becomes enamoured with Randy Boone, a local guitar player there. Interestingly, the narrator notes that Boone is actually a friend of his.
When the Dealer gets jealous of Della's affection for Boone and threatens to kill Boone, this is where the story gets more interesting. Clearly none of the characters like the unnamed Dealer, as not only is he never given a name in the song but it's also implied that Jake shoots the Dealer to stop him from stabbing Boone with his knife, after which Jake, Della, Boone and "Kalamazoo" flee the scene and continue on the run together (although the song can also be interpreted to suggest that Boone stayed behind, as it's never explicitly stated that he goes with them).
The names in the song are pretty much generic: "Randy Boone" is the only character given a surname though, whereas the other characters go by nicknames, pseudonyms or singular names, as criminals on the road are wont to do. Jake, short for "Jacob", is described as a "dog", Della is just Della, not much else known about her, and "Kalamazoo", a gibberish word, is described as a "cat", a "cool cat" who drinks a shot of rye, keeps to himself as a mere observer through the story, and "never [says] a mumblin' word!". The terms "dog" and "cat" are both animal terms and common domestic pets in the West, but in terms of slang, a "dog" is usually a gruff, weathered but loyal person and a "cat" in AAVE is a friend, a companion, a local fellow. Calling someone "dog" used to be considered insulting, but the term has also developed the meaning of "friendship, camaraderie, or solidarity" in recent American slang. Why Hoyt Axton decided to refer to his characters like this is a mystery to me.
I've heard some listeners infer that the Dealer was abusive to Della, Jake and "Kalamazoo" and that the death of him was a chance for this trio to escape together on the Dealer's remaining money to ACTUALLY "make some dreams come true" without any sort of crime being involved, that this is a redemption song about our characters starting over. Jake killed the Dealer to defend Boone, an honourable act rather than murder since Boone was in the act of attempting to stab Boone to death. "Kalamazoo" had a "shot of rye" and was an innocent bystander, and Della never hurt anyone either, she was just the Dealer's woman. These characters are all set free by the Dealer's death - Axton's choice to never give the Dealer a real name and to only describe him by his criminal activity alone is quite telling.
A lot of us as little kids thought that this catchy, pithy folk song was literally about a gang of friends on a road trip, including a cat and a dog (any of us with pets especially had an affection for it). The lyrics actually reveal a rather violent tale about a coke dealer (and jealous, mean-spirited addict), his lady (Della), whom we can infer the Dealer doesn't treat very kindly, a close friend or possibly brother named Jake/"Jake the Dog" who carries a gun on him but has scruples, and "a Cat named Kalamazoo" - the most enigmatic figure in this story.
This ragtag group of most likely petty criminals leave the city to go out west and make a lot of money, probably through the dealer's drug trade, but the dealer is a mean addict who snorts his drugs through "a century note" (hundred-dollar bill, so he's probably a show-off and bad with money also). They leave in a pickup truck and end up in Tuscon, where at the bar they stop in, Della becomes enamoured with Randy Boone, a local guitar player there. Interestingly, the narrator notes that Boone is actually a friend of his.
When the Dealer gets jealous of Della's affection for Boone and threatens to kill Boone, this is where the story gets more interesting. Clearly none of the characters like the unnamed Dealer, as not only is he never given a name in the song but it's also implied that Jake shoots the Dealer to stop him from stabbing Boone with his knife, after which Jake, Della, Boone and "Kalamazoo" flee the scene and continue on the run together (although the song can also be interpreted to suggest that Boone stayed behind, as it's never explicitly stated that he goes with them).
The names in the song are pretty much generic: "Randy Boone" is the only character given a surname though, whereas the other characters go by nicknames, pseudonyms or singular names, as criminals on the road are wont to do. Jake, short for "Jacob", is described as a "dog", Della is just Della, not much else known about her, and "Kalamazoo", a gibberish word, is described as a "cat", a "cool cat" who drinks a shot of rye, keeps to himself as a mere observer through the story, and "never [says] a mumblin' word!". The terms "dog" and "cat" are both animal terms and common domestic pets in the West, but in terms of slang, a "dog" is usually a gruff, weathered but loyal person and a "cat" in AAVE is a friend, a companion, a local fellow. Calling someone "dog" used to be considered insulting, but the term has also developed the meaning of "friendship, camaraderie, or solidarity" in recent American slang. Why Hoyt Axton decided to refer to his characters like this is a mystery to me.
I've heard some listeners infer that the Dealer was abusive to Della, Jake and "Kalamazoo" and that the death of him was a chance for this trio to escape together on the Dealer's remaining money to ACTUALLY "make some dreams come true" without any sort of crime being involved, that this is a redemption song about our characters starting over. Jake killed the Dealer to defend Boone, an honourable act rather than murder since Boone was in the act of attempting to stab Boone to death. "Kalamazoo" had a "shot of rye" and was an innocent bystander, and Della never hurt anyone either, she was just the Dealer's woman. These characters are all set free by the Dealer's death - Axton's choice to never give the Dealer a real name and to only describe him by his criminal activity alone is quite telling.
[Edit: typo]