Rumble in Brighton
Stray Cats Lyrics


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There's the Rockabilly Cats
With their pomps real high
Wearin' black drape coats
All real gone guys
Cool skinheads with their rolled up jeans
Lookin' real rough and mighty mean

There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
Ringside seats for the neighborhood fight
There ain't a damn thing that the cops can do
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight

The sew fishhooks under their collars
They got razors in their shoes
I said "Go cat, go" their battle cry
World War 3 is starting to brew

Now the skinheads are all using blackjacks
And they're looking mighty mean
They got chains wrapped around their fingers
And their heads are all shaven clean

There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
Ringside seats for the neighborhood fight
There ain't a damn thing that the cops can do
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight

Well, there ain't a man left standing
So let's all go get a beer
No team is the winner
So we'll see you all next year

There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
Ringside seats for the neighborhood fight




There ain't a damn thing that the cops can do
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight

Rumble in Brighton tonight
Rumble on the beach tonight
Rumble in Brighton tonight
Rumble on the beach tonight
There ain't a damn thing that the cops can do
Line right up for the sideline view
Ringside seats for the neighborhood fight
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight

Overall Meaning

"Rumble in Brighton" by Stray Cats is a descriptive narrative of a street fight that takes place in Brighton, a seaside town in southern England known for its vibrant nightlife and music scene. The song provides detailed descriptions of the different factions of youth culture that are present in Brighton at the time - the rockabilly cats with their pompadours and black drape coats, the cool skinheads with their rolled-up jeans, and the tough guys who wear fishhooks and razor blades as accessories.


The song builds up to the climax of the street fight, which is vividly depicted using violent imagery. The skinheads are described as using blackjacks and chains wrapped around their fingers while their heads are shaven clean, signifying their aggression and intent. The lyrics also suggest that the fight was planned in advance and had a certain level of camaraderie, with a battle cry of "Go cat, go" and the reference to World War III starting to brew.


The chorus of the song, which repeats throughout, emphasizes the futility of the police to intervene in these street fights that are part of the youth subculture of the time. The song ends on a casual note with the suggestion to go get a beer, implying that the fight was just a part of the town's nightlife and would happen again next year.


Line by Line Meaning

There's the Rockabilly Cats With their pomps real high Wearin' black drape coats All real gone guys Cool skinheads with their rolled up jeans Lookin' real rough and mighty mean
The Rockabilly Cats with their high pompadours, black drape coats, cool skinheads with rolled up jeans, and a rough and tough appearance are gathered in Brighton tonight.


There's a rumble in Brighton tonight Ringside seats for the neighborhood fight There ain't a damn thing that the cops can do There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
There is a big fight happening tonight in Brighton, with the spectators having front-row seats, and even if the police try their best, they cannot stop the rumble from happening.


The sew fishhooks under their collars They got razors in their shoes I said "Go cat, go" their battle cry World War 3 is starting to brew
Some of the fighters have sewn fishhooks under their collars and keep razors in their shoes. The battle cry is 'Go cat, go,' and the tension is so high that it feels like World War III might break out any moment.


Now the skinheads are all using blackjacks And they're looking mighty mean They got chains wrapped around their fingers And their heads are all shaven clean
Now the skinheads of Brighton have started using blackjacks, have chains wrapped around their fingers, and with their heads shaven, they look mighty sinister in the fight.


Well, there ain't a man left standing So let's all go get a beer No team is the winner So we'll see you all next year
After the rumble and scuffle, not a single fighter was left standing, and everyone decided to visit the pub to have a cold beer. There was no winner, no loser, and everyone agreed to plan to see each other the next year.


Rumble in Brighton tonight Rumble on the beach tonight Rumble in Brighton tonight Rumble on the beach tonight There ain't a damn thing that the cops can do Line right up for the sideline view Ringside seats for the neighborhood fight There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
There is a massive fight happening in Brighton, on the beach that even the police cannot stop. People can line up for a good view from the sidelines, and spectators have ringside seats to witness the neighborhood brawl. The rumble is getting more intense as the night progresses.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN SETZER, JAMES MC DONNELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@smokinjz

There's the Rockabilly Cats
With their pomps real high
Wearin' black drape coats
All real gone guys
Cool skinheads with their rolled up jeans
Lookin' real rough and mighty mean
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
Ringside seats for the neighborhood fight
There ain't a damn thing that the cops can do
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
The sew fishhooks under their collars
They got razors in their shoes
I said "Go cat, go" their battle cry
World War 3 is starting to brew
Now the skinheads are all using blackjacks
And they're looking mighty mean
They got chains wrapped around their fingers
And their heads are all shaven clean
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
Ringside seats for the neighborhood fight
There ain't a damn thing that the cops can do
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
Well, there ain't a man left standing
So let's all go get a beer
No team is the winner
So we'll see you all next year
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
Ringside seats for the neighborhood fight
There ain't a damn thing that the cops can do
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
Rumble in Brighton tonight
Rumble on the beach tonight
Rumble in Brighton tonight
Rumble on the beach tonight
There ain't a damn thing that the cops can do
Line right up for the sideline view
Ringside seats for the neighborhood fight
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight



All comments from YouTube:

@joshualaskowski8939

I coach lacrosse at Brighton high school, this is our theme song for the season.

Perfect!

@fernandomaron87

How come there's only 3 guys, a Gretsch guitar, a big bass and a small drum kit, doing this massive sound? Simply amazing.

@eightieslivenow7579

because it's the stray cats

@alexasaltz4229

Brian Seltzer is an amazing guitarist! I saw the Stray Cats in the early 80's in Europe. I was at the US Festival in '83 before they made it big in the US. The crowd at first was unsure if what they were hearing, by the sets end the crowd was going wild!

@kristianyrjola

YES IT IS!!!

@randybackgammon890

Production and overdubbing....good band though

@amyhulvey5534

Cuz its massive

7 More Replies...

@babyjesus2025

Coolest band ever😜👈

@Mickm0j0green

1982 San Diego seen these guys. It’s 2023 and Brian is still playing rockabilly! Says something.

@smokinjz

There's the Rockabilly Cats
With their pomps real high
Wearin' black drape coats
All real gone guys
Cool skinheads with their rolled up jeans
Lookin' real rough and mighty mean
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
Ringside seats for the neighborhood fight
There ain't a damn thing that the cops can do
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
The sew fishhooks under their collars
They got razors in their shoes
I said "Go cat, go" their battle cry
World War 3 is starting to brew
Now the skinheads are all using blackjacks
And they're looking mighty mean
They got chains wrapped around their fingers
And their heads are all shaven clean
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
Ringside seats for the neighborhood fight
There ain't a damn thing that the cops can do
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
Well, there ain't a man left standing
So let's all go get a beer
No team is the winner
So we'll see you all next year
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
Ringside seats for the neighborhood fight
There ain't a damn thing that the cops can do
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight
Rumble in Brighton tonight
Rumble on the beach tonight
Rumble in Brighton tonight
Rumble on the beach tonight
There ain't a damn thing that the cops can do
Line right up for the sideline view
Ringside seats for the neighborhood fight
There's a rumble in Brighton tonight

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