The group, whose style was based upon the sounds of Sun Records artists and other artists from the 1950s, were heavily influenced by Eddie Cochran, Carl Perkins, Gene Vincent and Bill Haley & His Comets. The Stray Cats quickly developed a large following in the New York music scene playing at CBGB and Max's Kansas City as well as venues on Long Island. When the Cats heard a rumor that there was a revival of the 1950s Teddy Boy youth subculture in England, the band moved to the UK. They then spearheaded the nascent rockabilly revival, by blending the 1950s Sun Studio sound with modern punk musical elements. In terms of visual style the Stray Cats also blended elements of 1950 rockabilly clothes such as wearing drape jackets, brothel creepers and western shirts with punk clothes such as tight black zipper trousers and modern versions of 1950s hair styles.
In the summer of 1980 the Cats found themselves being courted by the elite of the music world including Virgin Records, Stiff Records and Arista Records. Word quickly spread and soon members of The Rolling Stones, The Who and Led Zeppelin were at their shows. After a gig in London, Stray Cats met producer Dave Edmunds, well known as a roots rock enthusiast for his work with Rockpile and as a solo artist. Edmunds offered to work with the group, and they entered the studio to record their self-titled debut album, Stray Cats, released in England in 1981 on Arista Records. They had three hits that year with "Runaway Boys", "Rock This Town", and "Stray Cat Strut". The UK follow-up to Stray Cats, Gonna Ball, was not as well-received, providing no hits. Yet the combined sales of their first two albums was enough to convince EMI America to compile the best tracks from the two UK albums and issue an album (Built for Speed) in the U.S. in 1982. The record went on to sell double platinum in the US and Canada and was the #2 record on the Billboard album charts for 26 weeks
Musical and personal conflicts began to emerge in the ways that the individual members handled their new-found success; Phantom married actress Britt Ekland, while Setzer made guest appearances with stars like Bob Dylan and Stevie Nicks and became the concert guitarist for Robert Plant's Honeydrippers side project. In late 1984, the band added former BMT's guitarist and Long Island native Tommy Byrnes on second guitar and harmony vocals, and after a European and US tour which ended at the New Orleans World's Fair, parted ways.
Rocker and Phantom formed a trio called Phantom Rocker & Slick (the "Slick" being former David Bowie guitarist Earl Slick) which contained the single "Men Without Shame", guest musicians on this record included both Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones and Nicky Hopkins on the piano. Setzer went on to a solo career, retaining Byrnes and exchanging his rockabilly focus for a more wide-ranging roots rock/Americana sound on albums such as 1986's The Knife Feels Like Justice. In 1986, the Stray Cats reunited in Los Angeles, and recorded the covers-heavy Rock Therapy. In 1989, they reunited once again for the album Blast Off!, which was accompanied by a tour with US blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. No longer with EMI America, they entered the studio with Nile Rodgers for the record titled Let's Go Faster, issued by Liberation in 1990. After 1992's Dave Edmunds-produced Choo Choo Hot Fish, and after another covers album, 1993's Original Cool, the group called it quits again.
In 2004, the Stray Cats reunited for a month-long tour of Europe. A live album culled from those concerts, Rumble In Brixton, included one new studio track, "Mystery Train Kept A Rollin'." In 2007, they reunited once again for a successful and long awaited US tour with ZZ Top and The Pretenders. This was their first North American tour in over 15 years. In the 2000s, the band toured Europe as part of their Farewell Tour, although the band has performed concerts intermittently in the ensuing years.
In 2008, for the first time in 18 years, the Stray Cats visited Australia and New Zealand which included several consecutive sold out shows of their Farewell (Australia) Tour.
In April 2009 the band reunited for a single show to celebrate Brian’s 50th birthday at the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis, MN.
18 Miles to Memphis
Stray Cats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just to reach our destination in your town
We've been five hundred miles everyones asleep there's not a sound
Ooh eighteen wheels a-rolling, eighteen wheels a-rolling round and round
Please mister driver won't you pull over here we're really hungry
Well we'll have 14 steak and eggs,
14 orange juice and 14 cups of coffeeLet's get back on the bus, this is one place that I really want to see
Well we're 18 Miles from Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
Yeah, 18 Miles to Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
Got a rocket in my pocket and I hit the fuse
Taking off in your direction have you heard the news
We're just 18 Miles to Memphis and we won't leave 'til I rocked you all
Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, big 'ol Texas
From New England down to Georgia, Kansas City, Colorado,
California
Well it's the last night of our tour,
We're gonna rock you through the roof, just wait and see
Yeah we're 18 Miles from Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
Ooh, 18 Miles to Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
Yeah, 18 Miles to Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
Ooh, 18 Miles to Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
Well we're 18 Miles to Memphis and we won't leave 'til we rocked you all
The lyrics to Stray Cats' song "18 Miles to Memphis" describe a group of travelers who have been driving through the night to reach their destination, which happens to be in Memphis. Despite the long distance, they remain energetic and ready to rock. The lyrics mention the distance they've traveled and the hunger they feel, which is satisfied by a hearty meal of steak and eggs, orange juice, and coffee. They urge their driver to keep going, eager to arrive in Memphis and perform their music for their fans.
The song captures the excitement and passion of live music performance and the dedication of musicians to travel long distances to reach their audience. The references to various states in the United States also emphasize the vast distance and geographic expanse of the trip. The phrase "18 Miles to Memphis" is repeated several times throughout the song, creating a sense of anticipation and building momentum towards the climax of the performance.
Line by Line Meaning
We've been driving all night long
We have been driving all night to reach our destination in your town
Just to reach our destination in your town
Our only goal is to arrive in your town
We've been five hundred miles everyones asleep there's not a sound
We have traveled five hundred miles and everyone is asleep, there is no noise
Ooh eighteen wheels a-rolling, eighteen wheels a-rolling round and round
Our eighteen-wheeler truck wheels are rolling continuously, round and round
Please mister driver won't you pull over here we're really hungry
We are requesting our driver to stop as we are really hungry
Well we'll have 14 steak and eggs, 14 orange juice and 14 cups of coffee
We want to have 14 servings each of steak and eggs, orange juice, and coffee
Let's get back on the bus, this is one place that I really want to see
After eating, we want to get back on the bus as there is a place we really want to visit
Well we're 18 Miles from Memphis
We are currently 18 miles away from Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
We have 18 miles left to reach Memphis
Yeah, 18 Miles to Memphis
Yes, we still have 18 miles left to reach Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
We have 18 miles left to reach Memphis
Got a rocket in my pocket and I hit the fuse
I have a lot of energy and I am ready to go
Taking off in your direction have you heard the news
We are heading towards your location, have you been informed?
We're just 18 Miles to Memphis and we won't leave 'til I rocked you all
We are only 18 miles away from Memphis and we won't leave until we have given you the best performance possible
Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, big 'ol Texas
These are just some of the places we have traveled and performed in
From New England down to Georgia, Kansas City, Colorado, California
We have traveled from east to west, performing all over the country
Well it's the last night of our tour,
This is our final night of touring
We're gonna rock you through the roof, just wait and see
We are going to give you an amazing performance that will rock you to your core
Yeah we're 18 Miles from Memphis
Once again, we are 18 miles away from Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
We still have 18 miles to go before we reach Memphis
Ooh, 18 Miles to Memphis
Yes, we are still 18 miles away from Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
We still have 18 miles to go before we reach Memphis
Yeah, 18 Miles to Memphis
Yes, we are still 18 miles away from Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
We still have 18 miles to go before we reach Memphis
Ooh, 18 Miles to Memphis
Yes, we are still 18 miles away from Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
We still have 18 miles to go before we reach Memphis
Well we're 18 Miles to Memphis and we won't leave 'til we rocked you all
Once again, we are only 18 miles away from Memphis and we won't leave until we have given you the best performance possible
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN SETZER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@superdizzy78
We've been driving all night long
Just to reach our destination in your town
We've been five hundred miles everyones asleep there's not a sound
Ooh eighteen wheels a-rolling, eighteen wheels a-rolling round and round
Please mister driver won't you pull over here we're really hungry
Well we'll have 14 steak and eggs,
14 orange juice and 14 cups of coffee
Let's get back on the bus, this is one place that I really want to see
Well we're 18 Miles from Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
Yeah, 18 Miles to Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
Got a rocket in my pocket and I hit the fuse
Taking off in your direction have you heard the news
We're just 18 Miles to Memphis and we won't leave 'til I rocked you all
Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, big 'ol Texas
From New England down to Georgia, Kansas City, Colorado,
California
Well it's the last night of our tour,
We're gonna rock you through the roof, just wait and see
Yeah we're 18 Miles from Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
Ooh, 18 Miles to Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
Yeah, 18 Miles to Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
Ooh, 18 Miles to Memphis
18 Miles to Memphis
Well we're 18 Miles to Memphis and we won't leave 'til we rocked you all
@bartleyparsons6857
This is a real ripper! I play this at every country/rural bar I ever find myself in. Rocks the house every time.
@jesserai
Wore this tape out when I was a kid
@nitorishogiplayer3465
I remember listening to this album and this country-sounding song stood out to me.
@user-ss9vm1gd6f
💖 ＳＴＲＡＹ ＣＡＴＳ ＦＯＲＥＶＥＲ 💖
@starbird7583
STAND BACK CATS!!! YOUR PLACE IN HISTORY IS ASSURED!! 🐈⭐️🐆⭐️🐅⭐️
@billleyland128
They don't rock any better than this.
@MrCowen2
yeah well wheel have fourteen steak and eggs, fourteen orange juice, fourteen cups of coffeeeee yeah....
@arturcunha2248
This was and is the best sound ever played by Stray Cats !! Back to my 80's playing my deck over and over ! Long live Stray Cats !!
@willpn100
I stilll have that 1987 LP "Rant and Rave". Good memories.
@starbird7583
Hell yes!!! On cassette!! Still plays! Still playin it!!! Thanks Cats!!! Your place in history is assured!!!🐈 💫🐅✨🐆⭐️