Left and Leaving
The Weakerthans Lyrics

Gryffin

on Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure

It had something to do with the rain
It was a rainy day when Virtute left

Leaching loamy dirt
The dirt becoming muddy and wet due to the rain.

And the way the back lane came alive
The rain bringing life to the back alley and making it more vibrant.

Half moon whispered go
Personification of the half-moon; Virtute believed it told her to leave

For a while I heard you
The cat heard its owner's footsteps for a brief period.

Missing steps in the street
The owner was upset and confused, stumbling while walking in the street, looking for her.

And your anger pleading
The owner's anger begging for something; perhaps Virtute's return

In an uncertain key
The owner's tone being unsure and lacking confidence.

Singing the sound that you found for me
Virtute's owner is calling out her name in an attempt to find her

When the winter took the tips of my ears
In winter, Virtute lost the tips of her ears to the cold

Found this noisy home
The cat found a new place to live.

Full of pigeons and places to hide
The new place was abundant in pigeons and had many good hiding spots.

And when the voices died
When everything became silent.

I emerged to watch abandoned machines
The cat came out of hiding to look at the machines that had been abandoned.

Waiting for their men
The machines were waiting for someone to come and use them.

To return, I remember the way
The cat remembers how the owner would look for her and she misses him.

I would wait for you
The cat used to wait for her owner to come back.

To arrive with kibble
The owner used to bring kibble for the cat to eat.

And a box full of beer
The owner used to have beer with him when he came back home.

How I'd scratch the empties
The cat remembers how she used to scratch the empty beer cans and bottles for hours to entertain herself.

Desperate to hear
The cat was desperate to hear the familiar sounds of her owner's presence.

You make the sound that you found for me
Virtute longed to hear her owner say her name, to be acknowledged by the person who left her alone for so long.

After scrapping with the ferals and the tabby
After fighting with other cats in the area.

Let you brush my matted fur
Allowed the owner to groom her matted fur.

How I'd knead into your chest while you were sleeping
The cat remembers how she used to knead into her owner's chest while he slept.

Shallow breathing made me purr
The cat would purr while feeling her owner's shallow breathing and being comforted by it.

But I can't remember the sound that you found for me
The cat can no longer remember the name her owner gave her, and it makes her sad and confused.

I can't remember the sound that you found for me
Reinforcing the fact that the cat can no longer remember her name.

I can't remember the sound
The cat can't seem to remember anything about the owner's voice and it vexes her.