I never thought that I would find myself
In bed amongst the stones
The columns are all men
Begging to crush me
No shapes sail on the dark deep lakes

And no flags wave me home
In the caves
All cats are gray
In the caves
The textures coat my skin
In the death cell
A single note
Rings on and on and on


Lyrics submitted by oofus, edited by itamonkey

All Cats Are Grey Lyrics as written by Robert James Smith Laurence Andrew Tolhurst

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

All Cats Are Grey song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

51 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    OMG! I just heard this song for the first time, it is is so beautiful and so very haunting at the same time. I know my thoughts about the lyrics will may not be very well received but are not all songs, poems, literature, written words, etc. open for self interpretation? It is indeed about depression and being in a dark, lonely and hard and very sad place in life but the reason for this is due to being much older and not ever thinking you would be in this particular horrible place, realizing that all of your hopes and dreams have not come true and everyone and everything around you feels lifeless, drab, colorless (grey) phony and stone- like with no feelings at all. "I never thought I would find myself, in bed among the stones." The next lines, "the columns are all men, begging to crush me". This to me, because I am a female, (yes I know this song was written by a male) means all the relationships throughout her life with men have only crushed and defeated her, leaving her very depressed, feeling nothing (grey,) worthless and totally all alone. "No shapes sail on the dark deep lake" is a feeling of true despair because she knows there is no hope, no happiness, no future, nothing at all. "And no flags wave me home", she has spent her life trying to finding "the perfect person/life partner" and has ignored all family, friends and relationships who now care nothing about her. "All cats are grey In the caves", she only associates herself with sad, lonely people as herself and feels dead, no feeling at all, "the textures coats my skin". The last three lines, she is alive but feels dead and enclosed in a cell and the single note that "rings on and on and on".....regret, regret for all the choices in life that has now made her life so very sad and so very lonely (grey) that she wishes she was dead. Even though the lyrics are sad this song is incredibly beautiful and I cannot quit listening to it repeatedly!

    Gigipion October 26, 2019   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Album art
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Album art
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms. “Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.