(1998-2006) (2010-present)

Soledad Brothers are an American blues pu… Read Full Bio ↴(1998-2006) (2010-present)

Soledad Brothers are an American blues punk group from Maumee, Ohio. Consisting of Benjamin Swank on drums, Johnny Walker on guitar and vocals, and Oliver Henry (who was recruited just before the release of their second album) on sax and guitar, they took their name from a trio of convicted felons, George Jackson, Fleeta Drumgo, and John Clutchette who were incarcerated at Soledad Prison and killed by police fire. They are known for their very energetic, loud sound.

Their debut self-titled album was engineered by Jack White of The White Stripes, with whom they shared an apartment in Detroit.

Singer Johnny Walker now resides in Covington, Kentucky and has started the band Cut in the Hill Gang

Benjamin Swank is now working at Jack White's record label, Third Man Records in Nashville.

Cage That Tiger
Soledad Brothers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I want a purr all I get is a growl
When the lamb is loose she's on the prowl
Sharpen her claws up and down your back
Cat's eyes is green cat's heart is black

You got to cage that tiger
You got to cage that tiger
Before she eats you up

Hey hey now
Hey hey now
Oh yeah

She's public feline number 9
Does what she wants and she takes her time
Sneaks on by like she's looking for blood
Like a man killed her on the hunt

You got to cage that tiger
You got to cage that tiger
Before she eats you up

Hey hey now
Hey hey now
Oh yeah

I want a purr all I get is a growl
When the lamb is loose she's on the prowl
Sharpen her claws up and down your back
Cat's eyes is green cat's heart is black

You got to cage that tiger
You got to cage that tiger
Before she eats you up

Hey hey now

Hey hey now
Oh yeah

Overall Meaning

The Soledad Brothers' song "Cage That Tiger" uses animalistic imagery to describe a woman who is dangerous and unpredictable. The song starts by expressing a desire for a comforting purr, but instead, the woman in question growls like a wild animal. The second line reinforces this image by likening the woman to a loose lamb on the prowl. The woman is also described as having sharp claws that can scratch up and down a man's back, while her eyes are green like a cat's, and her heart is black.

The chorus of the song emphasizes the need to "cage that tiger" before she devours her prey. This repeated phrase acts as a warning to men who might be lured in by the woman's seductive qualities but fail to recognize the danger that lurks beneath the surface. The second verse describes the woman as a "public feline number 9" who does whatever she wants and takes her time. She sneaks around as if looking for blood, like a predatory animal who has just killed its prey.

Line by Line Meaning

I want a purr all I get is a growl
I desire affection but only receive hostility

When the lamb is loose she's on the prowl
She preys on the vulnerable

Sharpen her claws up and down your back
She inflicts pain and betrayal

Cat's eyes is green cat's heart is black
Her outward appearance is deceiving, she is ruthless and heartless

You got to cage that tiger
You need to restrain or control her behavior

Before she eats you up
Before she destroys you completely

She's public feline number 9
She's a well-known threat or danger to others

Does what she wants and she takes her time
She acts with impunity and without regard to consequences

Sneaks on by like she's looking for blood
She moves with calculated stealth and intends to cause harm

Like a man killed her on the hunt
She seeks vengeance for past wrongs and is relentless in her pursuit

Hey hey now
A vocalization that demands attention and action