Originating from Boston, Massachusetts and currently based in Amsterdam, th… Read Full Bio ↴Originating from Boston, Massachusetts and currently based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Jaya the Cat play an uncompromising and original mix of reggae, punk rock and ska music.

Founded through a mutual love of 60’s and 70’s dub and punk by three friends namely Geoff Lagadec - (vocals / guitar) ; Dave Smith - (guitar / vocals) and Ben Murphy - (bass).
Jaya The Cat create songs ranging from booze fueled anthems to chilled out dance tracks to outright political commentary.

With a current line up including Jordi ‘Pockets’ Nieuwenburg on guitar, Jeroen Kok on bass, and Onverwagt on keyboards.

Following the 2001 release of their debut album Basement Style ( Gold Circle Records ), Jaya The Cat were joined by ex-Shadows Fall drummer David ‘The Germ’ Germain and began a steady touring schedule of stages across the United States and Europe, playing major clubs and festivals such as Lowlands in Holland, Pukkelpop in Belgium, and the Warped Tour in the US. Their music has also been featured in numerous skate, surf and snowboard videos.

Summer 2003 saw their sophomore release, First Beer of a New Day ‘’ (4tune Records).
Although both albums met with positive critical success and they had gathered a loyal worldwide following, personal differences saw the departure of Smith and Murphy that fall, which effectively left the band in limbo. After a freezing music-less winter working shitty jobs in Boston, Lagadec and Germain met up and decided to look for new members. Temporarily joined for a spring European tour by dutch musicians Jan Jaap Onverwagt (Green Lizard) and Alejandro Londoño, they took a 3 month sublet on an apartment in Amsterdam with the plan of regrouping and figuring out what the hell to do with themselves. Three months turned into three years.
In the interim, the band has continued to grow, playing hundreds of live shows to an ever expanding audience, as well as adding keyboards, samples, percussion and a tiki bar to their onstage act. An average Jaya the Cat concert usually becomes more of a party than a performance, with the audience singing, dancing and drinking right along with the band.

September 7th 2007, saw the European release of their third studio album entitled More Late Night Transmissions with... on I Scream Records. Drawing on their experiences, More Late Night Transmissions with... delivers 13 tracks filled with seedy bars, cheap hotels, dysfunctional love affairs and political disillusionment. Punk rock, reggae, ska and pop, glued in their own unique style.

More Late Night Transmissions with... was released on the 10th of May in the US by I Scream Records USA.

Discography:
* CD ‘Basement Style’ (Gold Circle Records 2000)
* CD ‘First ‘Beer Of A New Day’ (4Tune Records 2002)
* CD/LP ‘Ernesto’s Burning’ (Music Machine Records 2004)
* CD More Late Night Transmissions with... (I Scream Records 2007)
* CD Single ‘Closing Time’ (I Scream Records 2007)
* CD Single 'Good Morning' (I Scream Records 2008)
* CD More Late Night Transmissions with... (I Scream Records 2009)

Web links:
Jaya The Cat Official Site
Facebook Fan Page
Myspace page
Purevolume

El Camino
Jaya the Cat Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

But the nice thing about it was, it was a pickup truck, but it was a Chevelle
And you could get it with a SS package and up to like a 450 horsepower,
454 engine and a four-speed transmission, positraction rear end, all kinds of sway bars
and handle like a 'vet and go like a son of a bitch

Another summer night, blasting down the pike
Got my windows down and a cooler to my right
Here to say, everything's gonna be alright

Broken lines stretchin' out in my headlights
Burnt orange with a black hard top
Positraction and dual exhaust
Like an angel with three speeds and tyres
She'll never break my heart or fuck with my mind
Rest stops flashing by
Neon lights punch a hole in the night sky
Feel like Magellan on an asphalt sea
As close to heaven as I'll ever be
Shurpin' gears, and drinkin' Ponies
Never gave a goddamn 'bout what they told me
So it's a buck twenty and a sixty five
I put the pedal to the floor and I drive
EL CAMINO

Ninety three to three all away to the Cape
Seventy two SS with a small block V8
Passin' all the shit in plastic roll in the states
Gettin' all boned up and kickin' back to the reggae
I'm not asleep, I'm wide the fuck awake.
All four barrels pumpin' gas into the intake
I ain't drivin' I'm drifting, and you can talk all day
But that don't mean I have to listen, man
Break lights on the highway always drive me fuckin' nuts
The only thing worse is gettin' tailed by the fuzz
It's all like blue lights flashing in your mirrors
It's just a Crown Vic jammed full of buzz interference
So, I shift gears, let them pass on the left
Everyone just keep your drinks down for a sec
I'm all like "Officer don't hurt me please, 'cause ain’t got nothing but weed"
EL CAMINO
EL CAMINO

Officer don't hurt me please, 'cause i've got nothing but weed
Officer don't hurt me please, 'cause i've got nothing but weed

Officer don't hurt me please, 'cause i've got nothing but weed
Officer don't hurt me please, 'cause i've got nothing but weed

Overall Meaning

"El Camino" is a song by Jaya The Cat that celebrates the joy of driving a classic American car, namely the Chevrolet El Camino. The lyrics of the song pay tribute to the car's unique combination of style and muscle, describing it as a pickup truck that can handle like a sports car and go like a "son of a bitch." The singer of the song is cruising down the highway on a summer night, with the windows down and a cooler of beer by his side. He feels free and happy, enjoying the sensation of speed and power that the car gives him.

The car seems to have a personality of its own, with the singer describing it as an "angel" that will never break his heart or mess with his mind. He sees himself as a modern-day explorer, navigating the asphalt sea and feeling as close to heaven as he'll ever be. However, the song also touches on the tension between the driver and the police, with the singer admitting that he often smokes weed while driving and fears getting pulled over. The car becomes a symbol of rebellion and freedom, a way to escape the mundane and the oppressive.

Overall, "El Camino" is a fun, upbeat song that celebrates the joy of driving and the allure of classic cars. It taps into the romanticized image of the open road and the American dream, while also acknowledging the darker side of that freedom.

Line by Line Meaning

But the nice thing about it was, it was a pickup truck, but it was a Chevelle
The singer likes the unique features of the Chevelle pickup truck hybrid.

And you could get it with a SS package and up to like a 450 horsepower,
The Chevelle also offers a powerful engine upgrade with options up to 450 horsepower.

454 engine and a four-speed transmission, positraction rear end, all kinds of sway bars
The Chevelle has additional features, including a 454 engine, four-speed transmission, positraction rear end, and sway bars.

and handle like a 'vet and go like a son of a bitch
The Chevelle handles really well and has impressive speed.

Another summer night, blasting down the pike
The artist is driving on a summer night on the road.

Got my windows down and a cooler to my right
The singer has their windows down and a cooler next to them in the car.

Here to say, everything's gonna be alright
The singer is optimistic that everything will be okay.

Broken lines stretchin' out in my headlights
The artist sees broken lane lines in their headlights.

Burnt orange with a black hard top
The artist's car is burnt orange with a black hard top roof.

Positraction and dual exhaust
The artist's car has positraction and dual exhaust systems.

Like an angel with three speeds and tyres
The singer's car feels like it has angelic capabilities and has three gears and tires.

She'll never break my heart or fuck with my mind
The artist's car will never let them down or cause them stress.

Rest stops flashing by
The singer is passing rest stops quickly.

Neon lights punch a hole in the night sky
Neon lights create a bright spot in the otherwise dark night sky.

Feel like Magellan on an asphalt sea
The singer feels like an explorer on the vast expanse of asphalt road.

As close to heaven as I'll ever be
The artist feels like they are in a state of utmost happiness and contentment.

Shurpin' gears, and drinkin' Ponies
The artist is shifting gears and drinking alcohol while driving.

Never gave a goddamn 'bout what they told me
The singer has a rebel attitude and doesn't care about societal expectations.

So it's a buck twenty and a sixty five
The singer is driving at a speed of 120 and passing a car going 65.

I put the pedal to the floor and I drive
The artist is accelerating to drive at high speed.

EL CAMINO
The name of the car the artist is driving.

Ninety three to three all away to the Cape
The artist is driving to the town of Cape, a long distance away.

Seventy two SS with a small block V8
The singer has a 1972 Chevelle SS with a small block V8 engine.

Passin' all the shit in plastic roll in the states
The artist is passing by a lot of cars with plastic wraps still on them, perhaps indicating they are new cars.

Gettin' all boned up and kickin' back to the reggae
The singer is excited and listening to reggae music while driving.

I'm not asleep, I'm wide the fuck awake.
The singer is alert and not drowsy while driving.

All four barrels pumpin' gas into the intake
The engine's four barrels are working to pump gas into the intake system.

I ain't drivin' I'm drifting, and you can talk all day
The artist feels like they are not driving, rather drifting, and doesn't care what others think.

But that don't mean I have to listen, man
The artist doesn't have to listen to someone else's opinion about their driving.

Break lights on the highway always drive me fuckin' nuts
The singer dislikes seeing brake lights on the highway.

The only thing worse is gettin' tailed by the fuzz
The only thing worse than brake lights is being followed by police officers.

It's all like blue lights flashing in your mirrors
The artist sees the flashing blue lights of police cars in their mirrors.

It's just a Crown Vic jammed full of buzz interference
The police car behind them is probably causing some kind of noise interference in the artist's car.

So, I shift gears, let them pass on the left
The artist changes gears and allows the police car to pass on their left.

Everyone just keep your drinks down for a sec
The singer is telling everyone in the car to pause their activities for a moment while the police car passes.

Officer don't hurt me please, 'cause ain't got nothing but weed
The artist is concerned about being punished by the police for having only marijuana in their possession.

Contributed by Carson F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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