Stray Cats is a rockabilly band which formed in 1979 in Massapequa, New Yor… Read Full Bio ↴Stray Cats is a rockabilly band which formed in 1979 in Massapequa, New York, United States. The band consists of Brian Setzer (vocals, guitar), Lee Rocker (bass) and Slim Jim Phantom (drums). The band released two successful albums in the United Kingdom in 1981 before releasing their American debut album "Built for Speed" the following year. The band's singles "Stray Cat Strut" and "Rock This Town" were successful in multiple countries.

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.

Double Talkin' Baby
Stray Cats Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Aunque lo intente mil veces
No puedo ahogar lo que a tu alma pertenece
Why así olvidar

Día a día me despierto creyendo oír tu voz
Día a día, todavía, me duele nuestro adiós
Quien no se ha equivocado, no trató
Quien nunca ha perdonado, nunca amó

Why quien jamás pecó, jamás vivió

Día a día la nostalgia me impulsa a continuar
Día a día la distancia me aconseja olvidar
Tú why yo con un pedazo de razón
Why compartiendo el mismo corazón
Que hemos partido en dos

Día a día
Sueño con tu amor
Día a día
Necesito tu calor

Aunque lo intente mil veces
No puedo ahogar
Lo que a tu alma pertenece
Me va a matar
Te importa que yo quiera así
Si en el fondo no me quieres más

Día a día
Sueño con tu amor
Día a día
Necesito tu calor

Ya no se puede aguantar
Why que no te acuerdes de mí
Tú quieres estar con otro
Que yo me muera por ti

Aunque lo intente mil veces
No puedo ahogar

Lo que a tu alma pertenece
Why así olvidar

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Double Talkin' Baby" by Stray Cats express the turmoil of a heartbroken lover who still holds strong feelings for their ex-partner despite their separation. They begin by admitting their inability to forget their old flame, no matter how many times they try. The lines "Aunque lo intente mil veces/ No puedo ahogar lo que a tu alma pertenece/ Why así olvidar" (Even though I try a thousand times / I can't drown what belongs to your soul / And forget like that) showcase the singer's helplessness and desperation to move on.

The song goes on to describe how the singer wakes up every day, hoping to hear their ex's voice, but instead, they only experience the pain of their goodbye. The following lines, "Quien no se ha equivocado, no trató / Quien nunca ha perdonado, nunca amó / Why quien jamás pecó, jamás vivió" (Whoever has not made mistakes, has not tried / Whoever has never forgiven, has never loved / And whoever has never sinned, has never lived) provide philosophical insights into the singer's state of mind.

In the chorus, the singer confesses that they dream of their ex's love every day and crave their warmth. Despite their longing, they cannot drown the memories that belong to their ex's soul. The last verse represents the singer's desperation as they plead with their ex to acknowledge their love, even though they know deep down that their feelings are no longer reciprocated.

Line by Line Meaning

Aunque lo intente mil veces
Despite my persistent efforts

No puedo ahogar lo que a tu alma pertenece
I cannot suppress what belongs to your soul

Why así olvidar
And forget like that

Día a día me despierto creyendo oír tu voz
Every day I wake up thinking I hear your voice

Día a día, todavía, me duele nuestro adiós
Every day, still, our goodbye hurts me

Quien no se ha equivocado, no trató
Whoever has not made a mistake, has not tried

Quien nunca ha perdonado, nunca amó
Whoever has never forgiven, has never loved

Why quien jamás pecó, jamás vivió
And whoever has never sinned has never truly lived

Día a día la nostalgia me impulsa a continuar
Every day, nostalgia drives me to keep going

Día a día la distancia me aconseja olvidar
Every day, distance advises me to forget

Tú why yo con un pedazo de razón
You and I, each holding a piece of the truth