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.
Lonely Summer Nights
Stray Cats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I have spent alone
Just thinking of you don't make dreams come true
When you're so far away
All those lovely moonlit summer nights
I guess they're all in vain
I know that I could don't know if I should
Here I just sitting lonely
Just counting the days I've to stay
But how do I know I still love you
When you're so far away
All those long and lonely summer nights
I guess they're all in vain
Just thinking of you don't make dreams come true
I want you in my arms again
Here I just sitting lonely
Just counting the days I've to stay
But how do I know I still love you
When you're so far away
All those long and lonely summer nights
I guess they're all in vain
Just thinking of you don't make dreams come true
When you're so far away
We'll be together somehow, someday
Oooh
The opening lines of the song "Lonely Summer Nights" by Stray Cats convey a feeling of deep loneliness and heartache that the singer is experiencing during the long, summer nights. The singer describes spending these nights alone and thinking only of the person they are missing who is far away. Although the singer dreams of being reunited with their loved one, they acknowledge that just thinking of them won't make this a reality.
The second verse further emphasizes the emotion of the song as the singer reflects on the beauty of the summer nights they are experiencing, especially the moonlit evenings, but how it all seems meaningless without the person they love by their side. The singer expresses their hope and desire to be with their loved one again, but they cannot be certain whether they should pursue this desire as their love is so far away.
The chorus repeats the theme of the verse that the singer's dreams of being with their loved one are not enough, and they long to have them in their arms again. The final verse leaves a glimmer of hope that they will be reunited someday. Overall, the lyrics of "Lonely Summer Nights" are a poignant reflection on the pain of separation and the longing for connection and love.
Line by Line Meaning
All those long and lonely summer nights
The singer is reminiscing about past nights that were both lengthy and solitary.
That I have spent alone
The singer reflects on the time that they spent without any company.
Just thinking of you don't make dreams come true
Merely ruminating on the presence of someone doesn't actualize one's aspirations.
When you're so far away
The distance between the artist and the person they're thinking of obscured any possibility of their reunion.
All those lovely moonlit summer nights
The artist remembers the summertime nights illuminated by the moon's light fondly.
I guess they're all in vain
The singer feels that their recollections of the past nights are unfulfilling.
I know that I could don't know if I should
The singer is aware that having a decision to make, but isn't sure what the right choice is.
I want you in my arms again
The artist yearns to physically embrace the person that they're thinking of, which hasn't happened in a while.
Here I just sitting lonely
The artist's state of mind is feeling lonely and rooted to one spot in their current location.
Just counting the days I've to stay
The artist is being patient, anticipating the day where they can leave their current location and be reunited with the person they're thinking of.
But how do I know I still love you
The singer is having doubts and questioning the authenticity of their feelings for the person they're thinking of.
We'll be together somehow, someday
Despite the distance and uncertainty, the artist holds out hope that they'll eventually be reunited with the person they're thinking of.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN SETZER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Galassialuce
Avevo solo 12 anni quando si esibirono lì, peccato non esserci stata..
Dai 13 anni in poi però, sempre "con me"!
STUNNING !!
SO SPECIAL!
Amazing Stray Cats...! Special Brian!☆
I Love him!
And then, I remember what..........♡ ....
Cavolo che tempi.
I più belli della mia vita!
Bimba rockabilly accanita, elettrizzata! :)))
@MaiMai-qw2jk
All those long and lonely summer nights
That I have spent alone
Just thinking of you don't make dreams come true
When you're so far away
All those lovely moonlit summer nights
I guess they're all invain
I know that I could don't know if I should
I want you in my arms again
Here I just sitting lonely
Just counting the days I've to stay
But how do I know I still love you
When you're so far away
All those long and lonely summer nights
I guess they're all in vain
Just thinking of you don't make dreams come true
I want you in my arms again
Here I just sitting lonely
Just counting the days I've to stay
But how do I know I still love you
When you're so far away
All those long and lonely summer nights
I guess they're all in vain
Just thinking of you don't make dreams come true
When you're so far away
We'll be together somehow, someday
Ooh
@MaiMai-qw2jk
今中学二年生なんですけど、小６の頃からずっと辛いことがあるとこれを見て元気だしています。本当に、Stray Catsはかっこいい、こういうバンドがまたあればいいのになと思ってます。
@A.BondGirl
SUPERBLY sung, his vocals are melting my heart💕Brian, Jim and Lee are dynamic together. Their chemistry is unmatched!!!!!!! 💕
@SandraGarcia-pn8zs
Stray Cats tenían algo, no cabe duda. La magia de la guitarra de Setzer era única y la performance del trío, carismática.
¡ juventud, divino tesoro !.
@SandraGarcia-pn8zs
Tenían algo los Stray Cats. Algo que nunca más he visto a nadie en este género de música. Y, lo más fascinante y sorprendente, es que eran tres jóvenes de veintipocos años. No cabe duda de que tenían muchísimo talento.
@rockindaddy4241
いつ聴いても良い曲だ！
@amysiebe2354
I just saw him in concert last week in Cincinnati, still amazing and still dreamy❤❤❤❤
@nickdebarros2772
One of my favorite performances to come back to and watch.
@juliag1097
This is an amazing performance. Brian looks so good <3 love him
@muythaimutha
Easily one of the coolest videos on YouTube great footage Brian is a legend 😼
@ichi-pu5ru
誰もが心の中に大切に仕舞っている一夏の思い出!❤これからもどんな夏の思い出が紡がれて行くのか、ワクワクさせてくれる曲です。☀