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.
Gonna Ball
Stray Cats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna ball, like I never did ball before
I may never get a break like this in life no more
I got money in my pocket, I ain't begging for friends
Cadillac, El Dorado, and it's gone to my head
Short time to live, long time to stay dead
I ain't doin' no favors, I ain't asking for none?Cause I got money, I can pay for my fun
That's the way I want it, that's the way it must be done
Gonna ball, like I never did ball before, yeah
Gonna ball, like I never did ball before
I may never get a break like this in life no more
I said little mama, we're gonna jump and shout
When that El Dorado holds up and I can walk it out
I wanna stay, pretty baby, you don't know what it's all about
I want no special woman, I want no special friend
I want a good time stay, yeah, tomorrow I may be down again
Don't dial my number, I'll tell you when
Gonna ball, like I never did ball before, yeah
Gonna ball, like I never did ball before
I may never get a break like this in life no more
What'd I tell ya
Gonna ball, like I never did ball before, yeah
Gonna ball, like I never did ball before
I may never get a break like this in life no more
I got money in my pocket, I ain't begging for friends
Cadillac, El Dorado, and it's gone to my head
Short time to live, long time to stay dead
?Cause I got money, I can pay for my fun
That's the way I want it, that's the way it must be done
Gonna ball, like I never did ball before, yeah
Gonna ball, like I never did ball before
I may never get a break like this in life no more
The Stray Cats' "Gonna Ball" is a rockabilly song that exudes the sensuality and excitement that came to define the genre in the 1950s. The lyrics follow a narrator who is determined to live life to the fullest and indulge in pleasure as much as possible before it's too late. The lines "Gonna ball, like I never did ball before, yeah / I may never get a break like this in life no more" convey a sense of urgency and a desire to seize the moment.
The singer is clearly not seeking any emotional connections, as evidenced by the lines "I want no special woman, I want no special friend / I want a good time stay, yeah, tomorrow I may be down again." This is a classic rockabilly trope, which emphasizes transitory relationships and a lack of commitment. The Stray Cats present this theme with a sense of abandon and a driving beat that encourages the listener to let go and enjoy themselves.
Overall, "Gonna Ball" is a tribute to the joy and release that can be found through music and dancing. The song's lyrics and music work together to create a powerful sense of celebration and freedom, which is at the heart of rockabilly culture.
Line by Line Meaning
Gonna ball, like I never did ball before, yeah
I'm going to party harder than I ever have before, with enthusiasm and excitement.
Gonna ball, like I never did ball before
I'm going to party harder than I ever have before, with enthusiasm and excitement.
I may never get a break like this in life no more
I might not get another chance to party like this in my lifetime.
I got money in my pocket, I ain't begging for friends
I have enough money to pay for my own partying expenses and don't need to rely on others for help.
Cadillac, El Dorado, and it's gone to my head
I have expensive cars that I'm proud of, but it may be causing me to become conceited or overly confident.
Short time to live, long time to stay dead
Life is short, and death is a long and permanent state, so I need to celebrate and enjoy every moment to the fullest.
I ain't doin' no favors, I ain't asking for none
I'm not doing anyone any favors, nor am I expecting any in return.
?Cause I got money, I can pay for my fun
Because I have money, I don't need anyone else to pay for my fun.
That's the way I want it, that's the way it must be done
I want things to be done my way, and that's how they should be done.
I said little mama, we're gonna jump and shout
I told a girl we're going to dance and shout at the party.
When that El Dorado holds up and I can walk it out
When the El Dorado is parked and not being driven, we can walk around and enjoy the party.
I wanna stay, pretty baby, you don't know what it's all about
I want to stay at the party, and the girl I'm with doesn't fully understand the joy and excitement of it all.
I want no special woman, I want no special friend
I don't want any particular woman or friend at the party, I just want to party and have fun.
I want a good time stay, yeah, tomorrow I may be down again
I want the good times to keep going, because tomorrow I might not feel as happy or energetic.
Don't dial my number, I'll tell you when
Don't call me, I'll contact you when I feel like it.
What'd I tell ya
I told you this was going to be an epic party!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN SETZER, JAMES MC DONNELL, LEON DRUCKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AnitaVickers-ey2nw
Go legend Stray cats u r the best. No competition at all. Love u still Stray cats especially Brian Setzer. He's so handsome and still is in 2023. Go go cats.
@donatoienzi9775
The best 👌
@stephenparis9595
Sometimes I'll see an old video and think, "how did I ever like those guys". I definitely don't feel that way about this band. This sh!t holds up.
@massimilianotranni5577
Stray cats are the best rockabilly band in the world
@ericellis485
This was it man. They were fuckin GOLD!!!!!!!!!!
@johnvolume3384
Du deuxième album des Stray Cats,qui est une tuerie.(From the second Stray Cats album.This album is a killer one)
@HubMeunier
Je confirme 😉
@mikelzorrozua6666
¡Que recuerdos!
@grossac54
❤❤👍👍🎸🎸
@RastaSaiyaman
Very cool footage, Brian Setzer was my inspiration to start playing guitar.