However, after getting financial backing if he used the L.A. Guns name again, Tracii's friend Taime Downe took the name and formed Faster Pussycat in 1985 with lead guitarist Brent Muscat. Muscat has been the only member to perform on all Faster Pussycat releases besides Taime. The band released their self-titled debut in 1987, gaining some commercial success. The album reached the #97 slot on the Billboard 200 chart, and it has received praise from music critics such as Steve Huey of Allmusic, who praised it as "party-hearty" and "fun".
The group's follow-up, named 'Wake Me When It's Over', came out in 1989, during the last years of glam metal's commercial viability. Still tapping into a big audience for their type of sleazy hard rock, they had a hit with the power ballad "House of Pain". 'Wake Me When It's Over' was even certified as gold by the RIAA.
Yet, with the rise of grunge in the early 90s, Faster Pussycat's style of music fell out of favor, despite having little in common with several of the chart-topping glam bands at the time, such as Warrant and Slaughter. They released their third album, named 'Whipped!', to little success in 1992. Sensing the change in musical tastes, they disbanded and went on to various other projects, with frontman Taime Downe going onto form an industrial rock band called Newlydeads.
In 2001, Taime released "Between the Valley of the Ultra Pussy" with some former members of Faster Pussycat under the moniker, which contained newer versions of older songs. The band has since reformed and has recorded a new album, "The Power and the Gloryhole," which was released in 2006. The band's style of music has shifted from the Aerosmith influenced rock to a more industrial one, much like Taime's Newlydeads.
babylon
Faster Pussycat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Boy you is ugly and your girlfriend weighs a ton
We were sittin' in our car in a traffic jam
And the tourist starts screamin' "Ain't you that guy in Wham?"
Wake me up before you go go, baby
No we won't shut up, we're just Babylon and on
Babylon on, Babylon and on
Shut up
Met a hoochie-koochie named Dizzy Cowabunga
I said "Shut your face and take off what you got under"
Went outside, said "your place, not mine
Cause my granny's on the couch and she smells like she might die"
No we won't shut up, we're just Babylon and on
Babylon on, Babylon and on
Shut up
Partying in Bel-Air with Buffy and Biffy
Some homeboy says "Hey guys, you want some sniffy"
On the table was some punch and we put in Spanish fly
Biffy's with dog Spot and Buffy's on my thigh
The lyrics of Faster Pussycat's song "Babylon" are a reflection of the wild and free lifestyle of those who live in Los Angeles. The first verse mocks the superficial and materialistic nature of the city and its inhabitants, as the singer ridicules an ugly man with a heavy girlfriend, and then sarcastically quotes Wham's song "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go", which is the epitome of cheesy 80s pop music, to show how ridiculous it is to be recognized by fans as a celebrity. The chorus of the song seems to be a declaration of rebellion against society and its expectations, with the words "No we won't shut up" repeated several times, indicating a refusal to conform and a desire to continue living the wild, crazy lifestyle.
The second verse continues with the same theme of defying expectations and embracing hedonism, as the singer talks about meeting a woman named Dizzy Cowabunga, and then telling her to take off her clothes. The reference to his grandmother smelling like she's about to die is another nod to the darker and more sordid aspects of life, which are often ignored in the bright lights of Hollywood. The final lines of the verse describe a party in Bel-Air, where drugs and sex are rampant, and the characters are engaged in various illicit acts, seemingly without regard for the consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Livin' in L.A. is so much fun
Living in Los Angeles is an exciting experience
Boy you is ugly and your girlfriend weighs a ton
Insulting someone's appearance and implying their partner is overweight
We were sittin' in our car in a traffic jam
Describing a mundane situation
And the tourist starts screamin' "Ain't you that guy in Wham?"
Being recognized by a tourist for a famous band you're not actually in
Wake me up before you go go, baby
Referencing a famous song, possibly sarcastically
No we won't shut up, we're just Babylon and on
Refusing to be silenced or conform, identifying as part of a wild and free culture
Babylon on, Babylon and on
Reiterating the previous sentiment
Shut up
Rejecting someone's attempts to quiet or control you
Met a hoochie-koochie named Dizzy Cowabunga
Encountering a promiscuous woman with an unusual name
I said "Shut your face and take off what you got under"
Disrespectfully dismissing and objectifying the woman
Went outside, said "your place, not mine
Agreeing to go with the woman, but specifying the location
Cause my granny's on the couch and she smells like she might die"
Using a humorous excuse to avoid bringing the woman to their own home
Partying in Bel-Air with Buffy and Biffy
Engaging in a hedonistic lifestyle with friends of similar social status
Some homeboy says "Hey guys, you want some sniffy"
Being offered drugs at a party
On the table was some punch and we put in Spanish fly
Adding a powerful aphrodisiac to the party drinks
Biffy's with dog Spot and Buffy's on my thigh
Describing a sexual encounter
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@n7bansheebait299
I got Guns n Roses Appetite For Destruction, Def Leppard Hysteria & Faster Pussycat at the same time. 3 totally awesome albums. I liked Faster Pussycat the best but all 3 were freakin awesome. I wanted to listen to all at the same time. But Faster Pussycat won because of this song . I still can't stop listening to this.
@xRepoUKx
You need to try the first & second LA Guns albums + The Beastie Boys No Sleep til Brooklyn.
@CrueHead18
The whole album is amazing. Gets better with age too.
@timmayer7248
God I miss music like this. Takes me back to my high school days. I saw these guys in 1990/91 with Slaughter and Kiss in Duluth, MN for Kiss's "Hot in the Shade" tour. They started with this song if I remember correctly. Awesome show. Taime stopped the song House of Pain because there was a fight in the audience lol. Good memories.
@ruthbriggs5372
God, I still love this! It's like Beastie Boys meets Crue, it was my fave back in the Rock City days 🤘🎸❤
@stoneguy1737
Played at full volume out of a 1981 Trans Am at the bowling alley in 1990
@bbliss4122
We fell in love with this record when we got it at WKNC. The music director stuck a note on the cover to not play the "pussy-pussy-pussy-..." at the start. Cue it on the drum intro past it. ( Fear of the FCC was real back then ) Well......we did that SOME of the time ! Back when college radio was fun.
@shugzkeckley1006
So awesome I'm glad a grew up in the 80s this was my shit
@lizcuero9065
These guys are so funny! Great songs!
@JSS4E
Shame you can't find the original video, it is pure class!