Gene Vincent, real name Vincent Eugene Craddock, (February 11, 1935 – Octob… Read Full Bio ↴Gene Vincent, real name Vincent Eugene Craddock, (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971) was an American rockabilly pioneer musician, best known for his hit Be-Bop-A-Lula. He performed with his backing band, the Blue Caps.

After Be-Bop-A-Lula had become a huge hit in 1956 (peaking at #7 and spending 20 weeks in the Billboard Pop Chart), Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps (often mis-named as 'the' Blue Caps) were unable to follow it up with the same level of commercial success, but released critically acclaimed songs like Race With The Devil (#96 in Billboard) and Bluejean Bop (#49).

Following a visit to Europe in 1959, Vincent managed to attract a new huge and discerning audience there, especially in England and France. By that time his career had mostly ended in the US. In 1960, while on tour in Britain, Vincent and songwriter Sharon Sheeley were seriously injured in a high-speed traffic accident. Vincent broke his ribs, collarbone, and added further damage to his already weak leg which he had injured in a motorcycle accident in 1955 and refused to have amputated, and Sheeley suffered a broken pelvis. Both Vincent and Sheeley survived, but the accident killed Vincent's tourmate and Sheeley's fiancé, Eddie Cochran.

Vincent subsequently moved to England in 1963. His stage shows became "must see" events and his bands through those years were to spawn some of the most respected players in the world today. It was during his early tours of Britain that he adopted the trademark leather outfit, at the suggestion of British Rock 'n' Roll impressario, Jack Good.

Catman
Gene Vincent Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Cat Man's a-coming, you better look out
Cat Man's a-comin', running about
Cat Man's a-comin', lookin' for a girl
Better hide your sister man!

"C" is for the crazy hairdo that he wears around
"A" is for the arms, that he'll sneak around your waist
"T" is for the taste of lips belong to you

Cat Man, CAT MAN!
(Yeah...git it...go!)

"M" is for the mean things that this mean man does
"A" is for a-lot-of hearts that he has ever broke
"N" is for the names of the list you may be on
Cat Man, CAT MAN!
(Rock!)

Cat Man a-lookin' for a woman all day long
Ah-better watch out 'cause he is in you midst
Ah-better watch out 'cause or you're gonna be kissed
Better watch out 'cause he is in you midst
Cat Man, CAT MAN! (Yeah)

Better watch out 'cause I'm the Cat Man
CAT MAN!

Overall Meaning

The song "Catman" tells the story of a dangerous womanizer who is coming to town to find his next victim. Gene Vincent warns everyone to be careful and hide their sisters, as the Catman is known for his crazy hairdo and sneaky arms that he uses to lure in unsuspecting women. The chorus uses an acrostic to spell out "CatMan," highlighting the different aspects of his personality that make him so dangerous. The "M" stands for the mean things he does, while "A" represents the many hearts he's broken, and "N" is for the list of names of his past conquests.

Overall, the song presents a warning to those who might be tempted by the Catman's charm and good looks. Vincent suggests that people should be wary of such individuals who flaunt their power and charisma to manipulate others. He implies that people should be cautious not to get swept up in the Catman's seductive aura, lest they become another victim.

Line by Line Meaning

Cat Man's a-coming, you better look out
Cat Man is on his way and you should be cautious

Cat Man's a-comin', running about
Cat Man is running around and on his way

Cat Man's a-comin', lookin' for a girl
Cat Man is searching for a girl

Better hide your sister man!
Suggests that people should hide their sisters from Cat Man, implying that he's not trustworthy around women.

"C" is for the crazy hairdo that he wears around
The first letter of 'Cat Man' represents his eccentric hair

"A" is for the arms, that he'll sneak around your waist
The second letter of 'Cat Man' represents his tendency to sneakily put his arms around a woman's waist

"T" is for the taste of lips belong to you
The third letter of 'Cat Man' represents the pleasure that you can get from kissing his lips

Cat Man, CAT MAN!
Repeatedly exclaiming his name to emphasize his presence

"M" is for the mean things that this mean man does
The fourth letter of 'Cat Man' represents his mean-spirited behavior

"A" is for a-lot-of hearts that he has ever broke
The fifth letter of 'Cat Man' represents the many hearts he has broken

"N" is for the names of the list you may be on
The sixth letter of 'Cat Man' represents the name of the list of people whose hearts he has broken

Cat Man, CAT MAN!
Repeatedly exclaiming his name to emphasize his presence

Cat Man a-lookin' for a woman all day long
Cat Man spends his time looking for a woman

Ah-better watch out 'cause he is in your midst
Suggests that people should be cautious because Cat Man is among them

Ah-better watch out 'cause or you're gonna be kissed
Suggests that if you don't watch out, Cat Man may kiss you

Better watch out 'cause he is in your midst
People should be careful because Cat Man is in their vicinity, suggesting that he is not to be trusted

Cat Man, CAT MAN! (Yeah)
Repeatedly exclaiming his name to emphasize his presence

Better watch out 'cause I'm the Cat Man
Cat Man is announcing himself as a warning to people