Ratcat formed in 1986 in Sydney and were a mainstay of that city's live music scene until they were eventually signed to Waterfront Records where they released a self-titled EP, several singles ("I Think I Love You", "Baby's Got A Gun") and their debut album, This Nightmare in 1989. Another EP, Killing Joke, and another single, "Saying Goodbye" followed.
In 1990, the band signed to the rooArt label. Their first release for their new label was a 6-track EP called Tingles. A combination of budget pricing and catchy A-side "That Aint Bad" saw the Tingles EP reach #1 on ARIA's alternative charts, and shortly afterwards, the top of the Australian national chart. The band's subsequent album, Blind Love and the singles "Don't Go Now" both reached #1. Their next single "Baby Baby" and a follow-up album Insideout sold well, but not to the extent of their previous successes. The band sporadically played live shows over the next few years and released another album Easyrider in 1997.
Ratcat reformed in 1998 to play at the Homebake Festival with new bassist Nic Dalton (formerly of The Lemonheads) and again in 2006 to play a support slot on the Psychedelic Furs Australian tour.
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Dead
Ratcat Lyrics
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Watch me pull a rabbit from his hat.
I Oooooowa! A OooooHAI
A Happy little play toy puppet on a string.
She asks herself what's makes me do these things.
I Oooooowa! A OooooHAaa
Now your gone, I just don't know what to do,
I just wish I still had you on my side,
That you would since, how will my mind survive.
We're gonna take you on a holiday,
Away from this place that you are so afraid.
I Oooooowa! A OooooHAaa
I wish I had everything I that Had Lost.
My in Innocience and to see things had no cost.
I Oooooowa! A OooooHA
Now your gone I just don't know what to do,
I'm so lonely, so lonely sitting here without you
I just wish I still had you on my side
That you would since, how will my mind survive.
My world is spinning much to fast
And I've lost everything that I once had
Wontcha tell me what am I to do
Can't you see that I'm still in love with you.
A dead dog lies with the cats out on the mat,
Watch me pull a rabbit from his hat.
I Oooooowa! A OooooHAI Oooooowa! A OooooHA
Now your gone I just don't know what to do,
I'm so lonely, so lonely sitting here without you.
I just wish I still had you on my side.
That you would since, how will my mind survive.
The lyrics of Ratcat's song "Dead" are quite abstruse and difficult to pin down to a single interpretation. The song seems to be a lamentation of a man who has lost everything he valued, including his companion, and is now trying to grapple with the overwhelming sense of solitude and loss. The opening line about the dead dog and the cats out on the mat is quite enigmatic and could be pointing towards the idea of death and decay, which is also reflected in the later part of the song where the singer says "My world is spinning much too fast, And I've lost everything that I once had."
The next part of the song is a bit more comprehensible and seems to be a reflection by the singer on his actions and behavior. He asks himself what makes him do the things he does while the chorus is repeated with the lines "I Oooooowa! A OooooHAaa," which could be interpreted as him grappling with his emotions and feelings during his introspection.
The next part of the song talks about the loss of a companion and the subsequent feelings of loneliness and desolation. The lines "Now your gone, I just don't know what to do, I'm so lonely, so lonely sitting here without you" encapsulate the sense of despair and loss that the singer is feeling. He wishes he still had the companionship of the person he has lost, and how that person was the one who could ground him and give him a sense of purpose.
The final lines of the song return to the opening image of the dead dog and the rabbit from the hat, and the chorus is repeated. These lines could be interpreted as a manifestation of the singer's surreal and disjointed thoughts that come from the overwhelming sense of loss and solitude.
Line by Line Meaning
A dead dog lies with the cats out on the mat,
A scene of death and decay amidst domesticated animals.
Watch me pull a rabbit from his hat.
An act of wizardry that masks the crude reality of death.
I Oooooowa! A OooooHAI
An exclamation of joy and wonder, used ironically.
A Happy little play toy puppet on a string.
A depiction of oneself as a powerless and vulnerable toy.
She asks herself what's makes me do these things.
A struggle to understand one's own motivations and actions.
I Oooooowa! A OooooHAaa
A repetition of the ironic exclamation, suggesting a lack of control.
Now your gone, I just don't know what to do,
A feeling of helplessness and despair after losing a loved one.
I'm so lonely, so lonely sitting here without you
An overwhelming sense of isolation and emptiness.
I just wish I still had you on my side,
A longing for the comfort and security of a lost relationship.
That you would since, how will my mind survive.
A recognition of the importance of the relationship for one's mental wellbeing.
We're gonna take you on a holiday,
A promise of escape from a troubling situation.
Away from this place that you are so afraid.
A suggestion that the situation is dangerous or oppressive.
I wish I had everything I that Had Lost.
Regret for losing something valuable.
My in Innocience and to see things had no cost.
A nostalgia for simplicity and purity.
My world is spinning much to fast
A feeling of being overwhelmed and out of control.
And I've lost everything that I once had
A recognition of the extent of one's loss.
Wontcha tell me what am I to do
An appeal for guidance or support from someone else.
Can't you see that I'm still in love with you.
A declaration of continued love and attachment.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SIMON DAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind