The band's onetime stated aim was to "expand the frontiers of contemporary popular music at the risk of becoming very unpopular," although this stance was to alter significantly with time. While never achieving the commercial heights of progressive rock contemporaries such as Jethro Tull, Genesis, Yes or Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Gentle Giant was considered to be one of the most experimental bands in the genre (as well as one of the most experimental rock bands of the 1970s).
Gentle Giant's music was considered complex even by progressive rock standards, drawing on a broad swathe of music including folk, soul, jazz, and classical music. Unlike many of their progressive rock contemporaries, their "classical" influences ranged beyond the Romantic and incorporated mediaeval, baroque, and modernist chamber music elements. The band also had a taste for broad themes for their lyrics, drawing inspiration not only from personal events but from philosophy and the works of both François Rabelais and R. D. Laing.
Band members:
Members of classic lineup listed in bold.
Derek Shulman - lead vocals, saxophone, recorder, keyboards, bass, drums, percussion, "Shulberry" (3-string custom electric ukulele) (1970-1980)
Ray Shulman - bass, trumpet, violin, vocals, viola, drums, percussion, recorder, guitar (1970-1980)
Kerry Minnear - keyboards, lead vocals (on recordings only), cello, vibraphone, xylophone, recorder, guitar, bass, drums (1970-1980)
Gary Green - guitar, mandolin, vocals, recorder, bass, drums, xylophone (1970-1980)
John Weathers - drums, percussion, vibraphone, xylophone, vocals, guitar (1972-1980)
Phil Shulman - lead vocals, saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, recorder, percussion (1970–72)
Martin Smith - drums, percussion (1970–1971)
Malcolm Mortimore - drums, percussion (1971–1972)
Black Cat
Gentle Giant Lyrics
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And she's black and her eyes are burning yellow
Fierce and bright
The lights are darkened,
Senses sharpened,
Wide awake
As she acts out her past of Jungle days
Different ways
It gave protection
Of detection
By her prey
With a sway and swing she walks away
And the look in her eye it never seems
To say
The way she's feeling
No revealing,
Black cat ways
The Gentle Giant's song Black Cat paints a vivid picture of a cat wandering through the darkened streets at night, with her black fur contrasting against her burning yellow eyes. The lyrics suggest a sense of danger and intensity as the cat's senses become sharpened and she remains wide awake. The cat's past in the jungle is alluded to, as she once relied on the cover of darkness to protect herself from her prey. As the cat walks away with a sway and a swing, the lyrics suggest that even in her silence, there is much going on under the surface.
One interpretation of the song is that the black cat represents a sense of mystery and unpredictability in human relationships. The lyrics suggest that, like the cat, people sometimes keep their feelings and true intentions hidden from those around them. The mention of the jungle and the dangers of prey also brings to mind a sense of survival and self-preservation.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a cat prowling through the streets at night
A black cat is wandering the streets at night.
And she's black and her eyes are burning yellow
The cat is black and has bright yellow eyes.
Fierce and bright
The cat is intense and radiant.
The lights are darkened,
The street lights are turned off or dimmed.
Senses sharpened,
The cat's heightened senses are on alert.
Wide awake
The cat is completely alert and aware.
As she acts out her past of Jungle days
The cat behaves as if it is still in its natural habitat.
When the night was her friend in many other
The cover of night was the cat's ally in the wild.
Different ways
The cat relied on the night for different reasons.
It gave protection
The darkness provided shelter for the cat.
Of detection
Being detected by potential prey was less likely.
By her prey
The cat hunted and caught other animals.
With a sway and swing she walks away
The cat saunters away with stylish movements.
And the look in her eye it never seems
The expression in the cat's eyes doesn't change.
To say
The cat doesn't communicate its emotions through its eyes.
The way she's feeling
The cat's emotions are unknown.
No revealing,
The cat doesn't give any indication of how it feels.
Black cat ways
This is simply how black cats behave.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DEREK SHULMAN, KERRY MINNEAR, PHILIP SHULMAN, RAYMOND SHULMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind