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.
Blast off
Stray Cats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Blast off
Well I left planet earth one fine spring day
Ran a red light on the milky way
I ran rings around Saturn and shot past the moon
Destination Mars and I'll be there soon
I'm the rockingest cat in the galaxy
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Blast off
Well I didn't take a bath in 48 hours
So I took a detour and had a meteor shower
Had a date with Venus and I wanted more
So I gave mr. Spock a pompadour
I'm the rockingest cat in the galaxy
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Blast off
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Blast off
Walking on the moon in blue suede shoes
Well I saw dr. Smith and the robot too
I had a martian burger and a sonic shake
Then I went and had a hotdog with a Jupite shake hey hey hey
I'm the rockingest cat in the galaxy
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Blast off
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Blast off
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Blast off
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Blast off
The lyrics to "Blast Off" by Stray Cats depict a journey through outer space as the singer, who describes himself as the "rockingest cat in the galaxy," ventures from planet Earth to Mars with several stops along the way. The song's opening line sets the tone for the adventure that is to come: "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Blast off." The lyrics that follow describe the singer's journey as he travels through the universe, running red lights on the Milky Way, running rings around Saturn, and passing by the moon en route to Mars.
The lyrics also include several humorous references to science fiction and popular culture. The singer mentions having a date with Venus, giving "Mr. Spock a pompadour," and encountering characters from the TV series Lost in Space on the moon. He also indulges in some interstellar fast food, enjoying a "martian burger and a sonic shake" and a hot dog with a "Jupite shake." Throughout the song, the singer's confident and irreverent attitude reinforces his status as the "rockingest cat" in the galaxy.
Overall, "Blast Off" is a fun and energetic song that celebrates the wonder and excitement of space exploration. Its catchy melody and lively lyrics make it a classic example of Stray Cats' signature rockabilly sound.
Line by Line Meaning
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Blast off
The countdown to blasting off into space
Well I left planet earth one fine spring day
The singer left Earth on a specific, pleasant day
Ran a red light on the milky way
The singer moved quickly through the galaxy, not following rules
I ran rings around Saturn and shot past the moon
The artist flew past popular celestial bodies with ease
Destination Mars and I'll be there soon
The artist's goal is to reach Mars and will soon arrive
I'm the rockingest cat in the galaxy
The singer feels confident and talented
Well I didn't take a bath in 48 hours
The singer neglected personal hygiene for some time
So I took a detour and had a meteor shower
The artist encountered meteors, similar to a shower experience
Had a date with Venus and I wanted more
The artist spent time with Venus but desired more interactions
So I gave mr. Spock a pompadour
The artist may have influenced or styled Mr. Spock's hair
Walking on the moon in blue suede shoes
The singer is on the moon wearing blue suede shoes
Well I saw dr. Smith and the robot too
The artist encountered Dr. Smith and a robot, possibly from Lost in Space
I had a martian burger and a sonic shake
The singer consumed a burger and shake made from Martian components
Then I went and had a hotdog with a Jupite shake hey hey hey
The singer indulged in a hotdog and shake from Jupiter
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Blast off
The countdown continues to signify a return to Earth
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Blast off
The countdown ends, and the artist is back on Earth
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Blast off
The countdown signals a launch back into space
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Blast off
The song concludes with another countdown, possibly indicating another adventure in space
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN SETZER, LEE ROCKER, SLIM PHANTOM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind