Rufus Thomas (March 26, 1917 – December 15, 2001) was a rhythm and blues an… Read Full Bio ↴Rufus Thomas (March 26, 1917 – December 15, 2001) was a rhythm and blues and soul singer from Memphis, Tennessee, United States, who recorded on Sun Records in the 1950s and on Stax Records in the 1960s and 1970s. He was the father of soul singer Carla Thomas (best known for the classic song "B-A-B-Y") and keyboard player Marvell Thomas. A third daughter, Vaneese, a former French teacher, for years had a recording studio in upstate New York where she sang for television commercials.

The above biography taken from: Wikipedia - Rufus Thomas

The Crown Prince of Dance; an early rock & roll DJ, Memphis soul icon and creator of the Funky Chicken.

Artist Biography (below) by Richie Unterberger

Few of rock & roll's founding figures are as likable as Rufus Thomas. From the 1940s onward, he has personified Memphis music; his small but witty cameo role in Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train, a film which satirizes and enshrines the city's role in popular culture, was entirely appropriate. As a recording artist, he wasn't a major innovator, but he could always be depended upon for some good, silly, and/or outrageous fun with his soul dance tunes. He was one of the few rock or soul stars to reach his commercial and artistic peak in middle age, and was a crucial mentor to many important Memphis blues, rock, and soul musicians.

Thomas was already a professional entertainer in the mid-'30s, when he was a comedian with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels. He recorded music as early as 1941, but really made his mark on the Memphis music scene as a deejay on WDIA, one of the few black-owned stations of the era. He also ran talent shows on Memphis' famous Beale Street that helped showcase the emerging skills of such influential figures as B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, Ike Turner, and Roscoe Gordon.

Thomas had his first success as a recording artist in 1953 with "Bear Cat," a funny answer record to Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog." It made number three on the R&B charts, giving Sun Records its first national hit, though some of the sweetness went out of the triumph after Sun owner Sam Phillips lost a lawsuit for plagiarizing the original Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller tune. Thomas, strangely, would make only one other record for Sun, and recorded only sporadically throughout the rest of the 1950s.

Thomas and his daughter Carla would become the first stars for the Stax label, for whom they recorded a duet in 1959, "'Cause I Love You" (when the company was still known as Satellite). In the '60s, Carla would become one of Stax's biggest stars. On his own, Rufus wasn't as successful as his daughter, but issued a steady stream of decent dance/novelty singles.

These were not deep or emotional statements, or meant to be. Vaguely prefiguring elements of funk, the accent was on the stripped-down groove and Rufus' good-time vocals, which didn't take himself or anything seriously. The biggest by far was "Walking the Dog," which made the Top Ten in 1963, and was covered by the Rolling Stones on their first album.

Thomas hit his commercial peak in the early '70s, when "Do the Funky Chicken," "(Do The) Push and Pull," and "The Breakdown" all made the R&B Top Five. As the song titles themselves make clear, funk was now driving his sound rather than blues or soul. Thomas drew upon his vaudeville background to put them over on-stage with fancy footwork that displayed remarkable agility for a man well into his 50s. The collapse of the Stax label in the mid-'70s meant the end of his career, basically, as it did for many other artists with the company. In 2001, Rufus Thomas was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Later that year, on December 15, he died at St. Francis hospital in Memphis, TN.

The above biography taken from: All Music Biography - Rufus Thomas by Richie Unterberger

Bear Cat
Rufus Thomas Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You know what you said about me, don't you woman?
Well, you ain't nothin' but a bear cat
Been scratchin' at my door
You ain't nothin' but a bear cat
Been scratchin' at my door
You can purr, pretty kitty
But I ain't gonna rub you no more

You said you was a long-hair
But I can see through that
You said you was a long-hair
But I can see through that
And mama I know
You're just an old bear cat

You ain't nothin' but a bear cat
Been scratchin' at my door
Ain't nothin' but a bear cat
Been scratchin' at my door
You can purr pretty kitty
But I ain't gonna rub you no more

Whoa, rub ya

Whoa, git with it now
Git it, git it, git it, git it!

Oh, listen to that old cat
Meow, scat
Oh, tip it miss kitty
Tip it honey, tip it

I'm tellin' you honey
You made me feel so mean
Made me moan and groan
You made me feel so mean
You made me moan and groan
You ain't wantin' no man
You're just lookin' for an old soup bone

You ain't nothin' but a bear cat
Been scratchin' at my door
You're just an old bear cat
Been scratchin' at my door

You can purr pretty kitty
But I ain't gonna rub you no more

Overall Meaning

The song "Bear Cat" by Rufus Thomas is a response to Big Mama Thornton's hit song "Hound Dog." While "Hound Dog" was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1952, it became a hit version in 1956 when it was covered by Elvis Presley. It was a song about a man who had had enough of a woman's cheating, and in "Bear Cat," Thomas takes a similar premise but flips the gender roles.

In "Bear Cat," Thomas sings to a woman who has been cheating on him, calling her a "bear cat" who has been scratching at his door. He also mocks her appearance, claiming she's not really a "long-hair" but an "old bear cat." Despite her attempts to seduce him with her "purring," he's not falling for it anymore. The song ends with Thomas telling her that she's not really interested in men, just looking for an old soup bone.

Overall, "Bear Cat" is a playful but cutting response to "Hound Dog" and a showcase for Thomas's humor and bluesy voice.

Line by Line Meaning

You know what you said about me, don't you woman?
You are aware of the words you spoke about me, aren't you, woman?

Well, you ain't nothin' but a bear cat
I don't think much of you, you're just an annoying woman

Been scratchin' at my door
You've been persistent and trying to get to me

You can purr, pretty kitty
You may act charming and sweet

But I ain't gonna rub you no more
But I'm not going to give in to your advances anymore

You said you was a long-hair
You claimed to be classy and sophisticated

But I can see through that
But I can tell the truth behind your facade

And mama I know
And I'm aware, woman

You're just an old bear cat
That you're just an unattractive, annoying woman

Whoa, rub ya
Whoa, get intimate with you