Galia Durant’s story began in a household running amok with records, art and books. Galia’s mum collected protest songs while her dad is a professorial art historian with an encyclopaedic knowledge of Indian classical music. Galia “loved it all,” finding no real distinction between Woody Guthrie peacenik anthems, Sarangi etudes and her elder brother’s acid jazz albums. After struggling to learn violin and piano (she preferred her 1988 vintage Casio SK-8 sampling keyboard, which the band still use), at 8, Galia graduated from a more-ideas-than-action ‘band’, “GO”, formed with her brother.
Carim Clasmann’s musical youth was spent in German recording studios learning the alchemical business of faders, compressors and microphones. A self-professed failure at the school recorder and a frustrated guitarist, he dabbled in music-making while cutting demos for other people. Quickly rising through the Cologne studio ranks, Carim learned his chops recording bands like Einstürzende Neubauten and Die Toten Hosen and even worked at Can’s famous Inner Space studio, always dallying with music of his own on the side. He moved to London at the close of the ‘90s, working and then taking up residence at the King’s Cross studio/house he and Psapp currently call home.
Carim met Galia through mutual, musically-inclined friends who would often gather at the studio. For a year or so the duo experimented, united by an eclectic taste for Tom Waits, the Cure, Erik Satie, Duke Ellington and “anything that’s silly and uses stupid noises.” Their own ‘silly noises’ married to Galia’s sultry vocals and perspicacious lyrics produced recordings of shimmering originality and nascent charm - an opinion shared by the handful of labels to which Psapp, as they’d by now christened themselves, sent demos toward the end of 2002. A litany of recordings duly followed. Early 2003’s debut EP for Melodic called, instructively, Do Something Wrong was followed by a single, "Difficult Key", the following Autumn. After seeing a live show by Morr Music electronicists ISAN and befriending the band’s Robin Saville, Psapp’s next recordings would appear on Saville’s own Arable imprint, with Winter ‘04’s Buttons And War EP attracting rave notices.
Around this time several Psapp tracks found their way to US music consultants who were universally wowed by the band’s evocative charms. The duo’s music seemed to chime with the TV zeitgeist and their music started to seep into primetime dramas (not to mention a very high profile Volkswagen advert), culminating in the track Cosy In The Rocket being chosen as the theme music to hit ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, which premiered in March 2005. At a stroke, burgeoning inquisitiveness about Psapp turned into an eager US fanbase. Meanwhile, in King’s Cross, dust wasn’t being allowed to settle. A Japanese EP, Northdown appeared in March 2004, swiftly followed by a vinyl-only 4-track nugget, Rear Moth for the discreet Wiaiwya imprint – some tracks from which would appear on the band’s debut album for Arable (also licensed to Leaf for the US and Canada, Third Ear in Japan and Gronland for much of Europe). Released in February 2005, Tiger, My Friend consolidated the burgeoning interest in all things Psapp. MOJO magazine’s four star review – “Arresting, childlike pop confections… effortlessly carved pop sophistication…” was typically hyperbolic. With Psapp duly rising, the major labels soon came a-courting but by autumn 2005 Psapp had spurned their fevered advances, preferring to ink a deal with Domino.
Toward the close of ’05 Psapp embarked on their first live ventures. Translating their records’ layered complexity to the stage was never going to be easy, but with the multi-instrumental Galia and Carim joined by Gwen Cheeseman (violin, floatation toys), Eshan Khadaroo (drums, lumps of wood), and Jim Whelan (bass, keyboards, ashtrays etc), (joined in 2008 by Matt Jones (keyboardist, Ultrasound, Minuteman)), Psapp took to the road around the UK and Europe, eventually honing an exhilarating, ‘in the flesh’ version of their incomparable recorded sound. Initial touring forays successfully completed, Psapp set about buffing their second album to lustrous perfection, pausing only to head down to the Dorchester Hotel to pick up the BMI Award for 2005’s Best TV Theme Tune for ‘Cosy In The Rocket’.
Psapp are known for their humour on stage, throwing cats (hand-made by the band) into the audience and their highly eclectic music videos.
Everybody Wants To Be A Cat
Psapp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because the cat's the only cat
Who knows where it's at
Everybody's picking up on that feline beat
'Cause everything else is obsolete
Now, a square with a horn
Makes you wish you weren't born
And with a square in the act
He can set music back
To the caveman days
I've heard some corny birds who tried to sing
But a cat's the only cat who knows how to swing
Who wants to dig a long-haired gig or stuff like that?
When everybody wants to be a cat
A square with a horn
Makes you wish you weren't born
Every time he plays
But with a square in the act
You can set music back
To the stone age days
Everybody wants to be a cat
Because the cat's the only cat
Who knows where it's at
While playing jazz, you always have a welcome mat
'Cause everybody digs a swinging cat
Everybody, everybody, everybody wants to be a cat
Everybody, everybody, everybody wants to be a cat
Everybody, everybody, everybody wants to be a cat
Everybody, everybody, everybody wants to be a cat
Everybody, everybody, everybody wants to be a cat
Everybody, everybody, everybody wants to be a cat
The song "Everybody Wants to Be a Cat" by Psapp is a playful and jazzy tune that celebrates the free-spirited nature of cats. The lyrics are essentially an ode to the coolness and uniqueness of cats. The first verse states that everyone wants to be a cat because they are the only ones who know where it's at. This is likely a reference to the fact that cats are aloof and independent creatures who seemingly have everything under control.
The second verse introduces the idea of a "square with a horn," who is essentially anyone who is not a cat. The person playing the instrument is criticized for not being as cool or with it as a cat. The line "With a square in the act, he can set music back to the caveman days" implies that any music that is not jazzy or free-spirited is outdated and primitive.
The third verse continues the theme of praising cats for their musical prowess. The line "But a cat's the only cat who knows how to swing" highlights the idea that only cats truly understand and embody the essence of jazz music. In the final verse, the lyrics encourage everyone to embrace their inner cat and join in on the swinging fun, as "everybody digs a swinging cat."
Overall, the song is a fun and light-hearted celebration of the unique and irreverent nature of cats. It promotes the idea of individuality and encourages listeners to embrace their inner cool cat.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody wants to be a cat
To be like a cat, confident in oneself and knowing one's way around, is what everybody aspires to be
Because the cat's the only cat
The cat is unique and incomparable to anything else
Who knows where it's at
The cat is sure of itself and knows what it wants and where to find it
Everybody's picking up on that feline beat
Everyone is catching onto and being influenced by the cat's cool, jazzy rhythm
'Cause everything else is obsolete
Everything else pales in comparison to the cat's musical style
Now, a square with a horn
Someone who is uncool, and unable to produce good music
Makes you wish you weren't born
Their terrible music makes you cringe and regret being alive
Every time he plays
Whenever this uncool person tries to make music
And with a square in the act
If this uncool person is allowed to perform together with others
He can set music back
Their terrible music drags modern music back in time to the primitive era
To the caveman days
Their music is so primitive it transports listeners back to prehistoric times
I've heard some corny birds who tried to sing
I've heard some uncool people attempt to sing and make music
But a cat's the only cat who knows how to swing
Only a cat is able to produce cool rhythm and style
Who wants to dig a long-haired gig or stuff like that?
Who wants to listen to uncool, outdated music like rock or folk?
When everybody wants to be a cat
Everyone wants to be as cool and confident as a cat
While playing jazz, you always have a welcome mat
When playing jazz like a cat, you're always welcomed and accepted
'Cause everybody digs a swinging cat
Everyone loves and enjoys a cool and talented cat who produces great music
Everybody, everybody, everybody wants to be a cat
The desire to be cool, confident and talented like a cat is universal and widespread
Everybody, everybody, everybody wants to be a cat
The desire to be cool, confident and talented like a cat is universal and widespread
Everybody, everybody, everybody wants to be a cat
The desire to be cool, confident and talented like a cat is universal and widespread
Everybody, everybody, everybody wants to be a cat
The desire to be cool, confident and talented like a cat is universal and widespread
Everybody, everybody, everybody wants to be a cat
The desire to be cool, confident and talented like a cat is universal and widespread
Everybody, everybody, everybody wants to be a cat
The desire to be cool, confident and talented like a cat is universal and widespread
Contributed by Liam E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Marija Bogojevic
Odlična verzija, pravo uzivanje i sjajna pesma.... Bravo
Ann Renne
I love her voice!
Andrea Elizabeth
Everybody wants to be a cat
Because a cat's the only cat who knows where it's at
Tell me, everybody's pickin' up on that feline beat
'Cause everything else is obsolete
A square with a horn
Makes you wish you weren't born
Every time he plays
But with a square in the act
You can set music back
To the caveman days
I've heard some corny birds who tried to sing
Still a cat's the only cat
Who knows how to swing
Who wants to dig a long-haired gig stuff like that?
When everybody wants to be a cat
A square with a horn
Makes you wish you weren't born,
Every time he plays
Oh riki-tiki-tinky
With a square in the act
You can set music back to the Caveman days
Everybody wants to be a cat
Because a cat's the only cat who knows where it's at
When playin' jazz he always has a welcome mat
'Cause everybody digs a swingin' cat
Everybody, everybody
Everybody wants to be a cat
Hallelujah
Everybody, everybody
Everybody wants to be a cat
Everybody, everybody
Everybody wants to be a cat
Everybody, everybody
Everybody wants to be a cat
bunnyhatchetdee
this is actually my aunt's voice :)
Rhea
I hope she's doing well. I asbolutely adore Psapp's music.
Egg_211
Dude that’s awesome give her my regards she’s amazing!!!!!
Christopher Letty
I really enjoyed this!
Quốc Tế Kinh Doanh
love thís
Jelle Schukken
a-riky-tiky-tinky
Singer Svetlana Tritonus
Die Stimme ist schön zu hören, aber die Umsetzung hat leider nicht den Swing des Originals.