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.
Trying to Get to You
Stray Cats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even through the valleys too
I've been traveling night and day
I've been running all the way
Baby trying to get to you
Ever since I read your letter
Where you said you love me true I've been traveling night and day
I've been running all the wayBaby trying to get to you
When I read your loving letter
Then my heart began to sing
There were many miles between us
But they didn't mean a thing
I just had to reach you baby
In spite of all that I've been through
I kept traveling night and day
I kept running all the way
Baby trying to get to you
There was nothing that could hold me
Or keep me away from you
When your loving letter told me
That you really love me true
Lord above me knows I love you
It was he who brought me through
When my way was dark as night
He would shine his brightest light
Baby trying to get to you
If I had to do it over
That's exactly what I'd do
I would travel night and day
I would still run all the way
When I was trying to get to you
The Stray Cats' song Trying to Get to You is a classic rockabilly-style love song about a man's relentless pursuit of his beloved. The lyrics describe the singer's journey over mountains, through valleys, day and night, all in an effort to reach the woman he loves. He says that her letter declaring her love for him was all the motivation he needed to keep going, even though there were many miles between them.
As the song progresses, the singer credits a higher power for guiding him through the hardships he encountered on his journey. He says that it was the Lord's brightest light that helped him through his darkest moments, illustrating the strength of his love for the woman he is trying to reach.
Overall, the lyrics convey an enduring sense of hope and determination in the face of obstacles, as the singer's focus remains squarely on his goal of reaching his lover. This message is accentuated by the rockabilly beat and upbeat guitar riffs that underscore the song's driving sense of urgency and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been traveling over mountains
I've endured seemingly insurmountable obstacles in order to reach you
Even through the valleys too
I've traversed the low points in life with the hope of reaching you
I've been traveling night and day
I have sacrificed rest in order to make progress towards being with you
I've been running all the way
I have made every effort to be with you as quickly as possible
Baby trying to get to you
My ultimate goal has been to reach you and be together
When I read your loving letter
Your affectionate message provided me with the motivation to come and be with you
Then my heart began to sing
I was overjoyed upon receiving your heartfelt letter
There were many miles between us
The distance separating us has been significant
But they didn't mean a thing
Despite the physical distance, my love for you has kept me going
I just had to reach you baby
Nothing was going to stop me from being with you
In spite of all that I've been through
Despite any hardship or adversity I have faced, I have persevered in order to be with you
There was nothing that could hold me
No obstacle could prevent me from being with you
Or keep me away from you
I have been determined to be with you, no matter what
Lord above me knows I love you
I have an unwavering love for you that I feel has been guided by a higher power
It was he who brought me through
I owe my success in reaching you to a higher power
When my way was dark as night
Even when things seemed bleak and hopeless, I was committed to reaching you
He would shine his brightest light
I feel that a higher power provided the guidance and support that helped me find my way to you
If I had to do it over
If given the chance to start over, I would still take the same journey to be with you
That's exactly what I'd do
I feel that the journey I've taken to be with you has been worth it
I would travel night and day
I would again be willing to sacrifice rest in order to make progress towards being with you
I would still run all the way
I would continue to put forth maximum effort to make progress towards being with you
When I was trying to get to you
My unwavering effort and dedication was all towards being united with you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLES SINGLETON, ROSE MARIE MCCOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Whitetoy1948
Great song, no matter who covers it.
The song was written in 1954 by Charles Singleton & Rose Marie McCoy,
two blacks from Jacksonville and Oneida USA.
Originally recorded by a group called 'The Eagles' in that same year.
Johnny Rivers and Eric Burden also did covers.
Paul McCartney wrote 'In spite of all the danger' inspired by
this song (basically a cover with different lyrics). He recorded it with the Quarrymen, in 1958.
@isaac__calef
I've been traveling over mountains
Even through the valleys, too
I've been traveling night and day
I've been running all the way
Baby, trying to get to you
Ever since I read your letter
Where you said you loved me true
I've been traveling night and day
I've been running all the way
Baby, trying to get to you
When I read your loving letter
Then my heart began to sing
There were many miles between us
But they didn't mean a thing
I just had to reach you, baby
In spite of all that I've been through
I kept traveling night and day
I kept running all the way
Baby, trying to get to you
Well if I had to do it over
That's exactly what I'd do
I would travel night and day
And I'd still run all the way
Baby, trying to get to you
Well, there's nothing that could hold me
Or that could keep me away from you
When your loving letter told me
That you really loved me true
Lord above me knows I love you
It was He who brought me through
When my way was darkest night
He would shine His brightest light
When I was trying to get to you
@Whitetoy1948
Great song, no matter who covers it.
The song was written in 1954 by Charles Singleton & Rose Marie McCoy,
two blacks from Jacksonville and Oneida USA.
Originally recorded by a group called 'The Eagles' in that same year.
Johnny Rivers and Eric Burden also did covers.
Paul McCartney wrote 'In spite of all the danger' inspired by
this song (basically a cover with different lyrics). He recorded it with the Quarrymen, in 1958.
@jonathandrade
Yeah!!! Perfect
@RychleTube
You forgot Elvis
@jonolsen418
Then by Elvis and Ricky Nelson
@CatmanPete
What a voice!
@cacca-tz1id
Stray cats forever💜
@isaac__calef
I've been traveling over mountains
Even through the valleys, too
I've been traveling night and day
I've been running all the way
Baby, trying to get to you
Ever since I read your letter
Where you said you loved me true
I've been traveling night and day
I've been running all the way
Baby, trying to get to you
When I read your loving letter
Then my heart began to sing
There were many miles between us
But they didn't mean a thing
I just had to reach you, baby
In spite of all that I've been through
I kept traveling night and day
I kept running all the way
Baby, trying to get to you
Well if I had to do it over
That's exactly what I'd do
I would travel night and day
And I'd still run all the way
Baby, trying to get to you
Well, there's nothing that could hold me
Or that could keep me away from you
When your loving letter told me
That you really loved me true
Lord above me knows I love you
It was He who brought me through
When my way was darkest night
He would shine His brightest light
When I was trying to get to you
@dangallagher364
Rockabilly at it's best!!!
@mrpensive7341
from Elvis to here. Hmmmm stray cats i love ya but Elvis!! owns this song ;-)
@darrelltiencken2194
Um this is the Stray Cats not a random band!....and they are GREAT!