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.
Built for Speed
Stray Cats Lyrics
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She's a real low rider paint perfection
With a custom engine painted black with flames
Ain't nobody gonna call that hot rod tame
V eight engine with the fuel injection
Two eight three, that's my ounce of perfection
Get that rod out when it's very late Haven't gotten' round to getting license plates
Well I'm cruising low and I'm cruising mean,
Well I'm cruising slow in my street machine
You're my hot rod mama
And you're really built for speed
When I reach that final destination
I will drive a car and leave a compensation
With a little reeling and a lot of rockin'
You're my hot rod mama in your fishnet stockings
You're built for speed, You're built for speed
The lyrics to Stray Cats' song "Built for Speed" describe the singer's treasured car, a 1957 model that is painted to perfection and equipped with a custom black engine with flames. This car is not meant to be tamely driven, as it is built for speed with a powerful V-8 engine and fuel injection. The singer's pride in this car is evident in his lyrics, which describe his enjoyment of cruising at high speeds in his "dream machine." The song ends with a nod to the singer's desire to leave his hot rod mama with some compensation, acknowledging the high cost of owning and maintaining such a car.
The lyrics of "Built for Speed" reflect a long-standing American fascination with hot rods and the culture that surrounds them. For many people, building and customizing cars is a hobby that represents freedom, individuality, and a love of speed and power. The song is an ode to this culture, celebrating the joy of driving a fast, unique car and the bond that can be formed between a driver and their cherished vehicle.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I come in my fifty seven
I'm proudly driving my '57 Chevy, a classic car known for its style and power.
She's a real low rider paint perfection
My car is designed to stay low to the ground and it's painted perfectly, with not a single flaw.
With a custom engine painted black with flames
My car's engine is unique, with custom parts and painted black with flames to represent its power and speed.
Ain't nobody gonna call that hot rod tame
No one would dare say that my car is ordinary or boring, it's a hot rod that stands out from the rest.
V eight engine with the fuel injection
My car has a powerful V8 engine with fuel injection, which means it has better fuel efficiency and performance.
Two eight three, that's my ounce of perfection
The engine has a displacement of 283 cubic inches, which provides a perfect balance of power and handling in my vehicle.
Get that rod out when it's very late
I like to drive my car late at night, when the streets are empty and I can really let it loose.
Haven't got a round to getting license plates
I don't care about mundane things like getting license plates, I just want to drive my car and feel the power that comes with it.
Well I'm cruising low and I'm cruising mean
I'm driving slow and confidently with a sense of purpose, knowing that I'm in control of a mean machine.
Well I'm cruising slow in my dream machine
I'm driving slowly, but luxuriously, in my dream car that I worked hard to obtain.
You're my hot rod mama
My car is like a partner to me, and I refer to it as my 'hot rod mama' because of its power and speed.
And you're really built for speed
My car was designed to go fast, and it lives up to that expectation every time I get behind the wheel.
When I reach that final destination
When I arrive at my final stop or goal in life, I know that I'll have lived a fast-paced, exciting journey thanks to my car.
I will drive your car and leave you compensation
I'm so confident in my car's ability to impress people that I'm willing to make a bet that whoever drives it will give me money in exchange for the experience.
With a little reeling and a lot of rockin'
Driving my car is like being on a wild ride that's both exciting and intense.
You're my hot rod mama in your fishnet stockings
Just like a seductive woman in fishnet stockings, my car is both sexy and dangerous, with an allure that's hard to resist.
You're built for speed, you're built for speed
My car was designed to be fast and powerful, and it lives up to that expectation every time I drive it.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian Setzer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind