Starting as a parody of the booming third-wave ska scene in Southern California (their first show, reportedly, was played with fourteen members, at least half of which were wielding horns), The Aquabats played third-wave ska with surf guitar sounds and b-movie inspired lyrics. Over time, their sound became even more eclectic, dropping much of the surf guitar leads and ska rhythms for more varied influences.
Their current sound blends upbeat rock and roll, new wave, punk, and ska/rocksteady with synth largely replacing their horn and woodwind section. Notable influences upon The Aquabats are Devo, Oingo Boingo, Madness, and Toy Dolls.
The Aquabats’ current lineup is The MC Bat Commander (vocals), Ricky Fitness (drums), Crash McLarson (bass), Eagle "Bones" Falconhawk (guitar) & Jimmy the Robot (keyboards/tenor sax). Former members like Chainsaw, The Prince of Karate; Prince Adam; and Catboy have been known to come back into the fold for the occasional show.
The Aquabats's most recent album is Kooky Spooky... In Stereo!, released on August 21, 2020. via Gloopy Records.
Cat With 2 Heads
The Aquabats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the modern man
Modern man then continues
Continues to expand
But what happens when man creates
Something oh so wrong
Nature bites back in a big way
Good heavens what have I done!
[Bridge]
I kept it in a box
I watched it grow a lot
It chewed right through the lock
And ate all the new kids on the block.
A scientist creates a beast
In a secret laboratory
Nature plots revenge
It's blood that it seeks
That's where we begin our story!
[Chorus]
The Cat with 2 Heads
Whoa, the Cat with 2 Heads! [x2]
College brought education
To this privileged man
High school diploma
A science major
with a government grant
Four years later an experiment
To mutate domestic pets
It turned into a nightmare
So lock your doors
Hide your hot dogs
This cat's upset
[Bridge]
Society's been so good to me
My parents paid for my college education
Majoring in biotechnology
Created a beast and now it's after me!
[Chorus x2]
Two heads..... of terro
The Aquabats's song Cat With 2 Heads tells the story of a scientist who creates a mutant cat with two heads in a secret laboratory. The song begins by highlighting how science and technology have brought convenience to modern man but also warns about the dangers of tampering with nature. The lyrics suggest that when man creates something wrong, nature bites back in a big way, indicating that the mutant cat is nature's revenge.
The song goes on to describe how the scientist kept the mutant cat in a box, but it grew a lot, chewed right through the lock, and ate all the new kids on the block. This imagery is an allusion to the popular boy band New Kids on the Block from the 80s and 90s. The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the titular character, the "Cat with 2 heads," which is depicted as a terror.
The lyrics continue to narrate the backstory of the scientist, who is a privileged man with a college education in biotechnology, thanks to his parents' financial support. He conducts an experiment to mutate domestic pets with the help of a government grant. However, the experiment turns into a nightmare, and the lyrics advise the listener to lock their doors and hide their hot dogs to evade the angry feline.
The song's bridge and choruses feature fast-paced punk-influenced music with repetitive lyrics, making it catchy and memorable. The Cat With 2 Heads is a classic example of The Aquabats's quirky and humorous style. They are known for their zany music videos, elaborate costumes, and themes related to superheroes, monsters, and sci-fi.
Line by Line Meaning
Science brings gifts of convenience
Modern science has brought many conveniences to mankind
To the modern man
These gifts have been bestowed upon modern humans
Modern man then continues
Humans keep using science to create more tools and technology
Continues to expand
This expansion has increased the impact on the environment and nature
But what happens when man creates
The lyrics explore the consequences of scientific experimentation
Something oh so wrong
When scientific experiments produce results that could bring harm
Nature bites back in a big way
The natural world will retaliate against attempts to manipulate it
Good heavens what have I done!
The consequences of the experiments are so terrible that the scientist is amazed
I kept it in a box
The experiment was conducted in a closed environment
I watched it grow a lot
The creature grew a lot larger than anticipated
It chewed right through the lock
The creature was so strong that it broke free from its constraints
And ate all the new kids on the block.
The creature proved to be very destructive and consumed everything in sight
A scientist creates a beast
The song describes the story of a scientist who creates a monster
In a secret laboratory
The experiment was conducted in a private location
Nature plots revenge
The natural world will fight back against human manipulation
It's blood that it seeks
The monster represents a threat to other animals, which will fight back
That's where we begin our story!
The song's story starts with the experiment and its consequences
The Cat with 2 Heads
The monster is described as a two-headed cat
Whoa, the Cat with 2 Heads! [x2]
The song repeats this catchy refrain, emphasizing the creature's uniqueness
College brought education
The scientist has a college education and obtained a degree in biotechnology
To this privileged man
The artist characterizes the scientist as privileged with access to resources
High school diploma
The scientist has completed high school
A science major
The scientist's major was in science
with a government grant
The scientist received money from the government to conduct research
Four years later an experiment
After college, the scientist conducted the experiment that went wrong
To mutate domestic pets
The experiment hoped to create a mutated pet
It turned into a nightmare
The experiment produced something dangerous and uncontrollable
So lock your doors
The monster threatens the safety of the community
Hide your hot dogs
The monster has a massive appetite and will consume anything in sight
This cat's upset
The monster is angry and dangerous, and it's a significant threat to the community
Contributed by Sebastian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.