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.
Lookin' Better Every Beer
Stray Cats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
for your warm, sweet embrace,
I saved a place by my side for you,
and your farewell, just for the record,
sounded so sincere,
and the girl on my left,
is lookin' better every beer.
just to see the skies of blue,
it's just as hard being lonely
as it is to be with you,
and when you parted,
you just knew I'd drown in my own tears,
and the girl on my left,
is lookin' better every beer.
I've given up feeling sorry for myself,
I've still some pride left in me,
and I'll find someone else.
I saved a place in my heart
for your warm, sweet embrace,
I saved a place by my side for you,
and your farewell, just for the record,
sounded so sincere,
and the girl on my left,
is lookin' better every beer.
In "Lookin' Better Every Beer," Stray Cats sing about the emotional struggle of trying to move on from a past relationship. The song opens with the singer talking about how they kept a place in their heart and by their side for the person they used to be with, but it's clear that things have ended between them and they're trying to move on. The chorus repeats the phrase "and the girl on my left, is lookin' better every beer," which seems to indicate that the singer is trying to distract themselves from their heartbreak by focusing on other people.
The second verse goes on to express the difficulty of being alone, and how even though the person they were with wasn't good for them, it's still hard to let go. The singer references the fact that the other person knew they would be upset after the breakup and likely tries to make them feel guilty for it. However, the singer doesn't want to wallow in their sadness forever, and they make a promise to themselves to move on and find someone new.
Overall, "Lookin' Better Every Beer" is a relatable tune about the pain of heartbreak and the struggle to find closure and move on. The repeated phrase in the chorus is particularly poignant, highlighting the temporary relief of distracting oneself with alcohol or other people, but also acknowledging that it doesn't erase the pain entirely.
Line by Line Meaning
I saved a place in my heart
Despite our distance, I still care for you deeply
for your warm, sweet embrace,
I long for the comfort and tenderness of your arms
I saved a place by my side for you,
I once hoped you would always be by my side
and your farewell, just for the record,
You said goodbye as though it was a mere formality
sounded so sincere,
Your words sounded genuine and heartfelt
and the girl on my left,
Though I miss you, I can't help but notice
is lookin' better every beer.
That the more I drink, the more appealing she seems to me.
I've done my time, I've paid my dues,
I've endured many difficulties and struggles
just to see the skies of blue,
in order to find happiness
it's just as hard being lonely
Being by myself is just as tough as being with you
as it is to be with you,
because I cannot forget the pain of our relationship
and when you parted,
When you left me behind
you just knew I'd drown in my own tears,
You knew I would be devastated
and the girl on my left,
Despite my heartache, I can't help but notice
is lookin' better every beer.
That with every drink, she becomes more attractive to me.
I've given up feeling sorry for myself,
I refuse to harm myself with feelings of self-pity
I've still some pride left in me,
I still have some self-respect
and I'll find someone else.
And I have faith that I will find love again.
I saved a place in my heart
Though I am moving on, I still cherish the memories we shared
for your warm, sweet embrace,
and will always fondly remember the feeling of your embrace.
I saved a place by my side for you,
I will miss having you as my partner
and your farewell, just for the record,
Even though I know we are over for good
sounded so sincere,
I know that you truly meant what you said goodbye.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Hustle
I saved a place in my heart
For your warm sweet embrace
I saved a place by my side for you
And your farewell, just for the record, sounded so sincere
And the girl on my left is lookin' better every beer
I've done my time, I paid my dues
Just to see the skies of blue
It's just as hard being lonely
As it is to be with you
And when you parted
You just knew I'd drown in my own tears
And the girl on my left is lookin' better every beer
I've given up feeling sorry for myself
I've still some pride left inside
And I'll find someone else
I saved a place in my heart
For your warm sweet embrace
I saved a place by my side for you
And your farewell, just for the record, sounded so sincere
And the girl on my left is lookin' better every beer
Dusty Doll
Brian is one of the most over looked stars Of rock and roll ever. He is so talented, just fantastic.
The Hustle
I saved a place in my heart
For your warm sweet embrace
I saved a place by my side for you
And your farewell, just for the record, sounded so sincere
And the girl on my left is lookin' better every beer
I've done my time, I paid my dues
Just to see the skies of blue
It's just as hard being lonely
As it is to be with you
And when you parted
You just knew I'd drown in my own tears
And the girl on my left is lookin' better every beer
I've given up feeling sorry for myself
I've still some pride left inside
And I'll find someone else
I saved a place in my heart
For your warm sweet embrace
I saved a place by my side for you
And your farewell, just for the record, sounded so sincere
And the girl on my left is lookin' better every beer
Mark Beeby
great song loved it since the 80,s still a classic
Javamay
Probably just the best love/drinking songs ever performed.
Kevin Gibson
I got it in a two-single set with, I believe, a gatefold cover. Still love this tune. That middle eight ...
Wade Raney
No-one could better this version,no way,no how !!!!
citrona fraise
One of my favorite song🎵
rhowar1
I sang this song acapella at an audition for a musical. I got the part.
Ken Koenig
Bought this 45 back in 1983 when it came out....still have it ; )
Mike Strafford
are you Chads dad?