Seger started his musical career in the 1960s in his native Ann Arbor, Michigan, soon after playing in and around Detroit as a singer and as the leader of Bob Seger and the Last Heard, and then later the Bob Seger System.
In 1968, Bob Seger signed with major label Capitol Records and formed The Bob Seger System. This group was essentially a Michigan proto-punk band not unlike the SRC or The Frost. Their first single was the anti-war message song "2+2=?", which reflected a marked change in Seger's political attitudes from "The Ballad of the Yellow Beret". The single was again a hit in Detroit, but went unnoticed almost everywhere else.
The second single from The Bob Seger System was "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man". Predictably it was a smash hit in Detroit, but it also became Seger's first nationally charted hit, peaking at #17. The song's success led to the release of an album in 1969, and the Ramblin' Gamblin' Man album reached #62 on the Billboard pop albums chart.
Seger was unable to follow up this early moderate success; the Seger System's follow-up album Noah failed to chart at all, leading Seger to briefly quit the music industry and attend college. Seger returned the following year, however, with the System's final album, 1970's Mongrel. In 1971, Seger released his first solo album, the all-acoustic Brand New Morning. This was done in order to fulfill his Capitol contract.
Cat
The Bob Seger System Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But daddy
I said don't do that
All right
Little cat, all alone, somewhere in the Midwest
Where'd you go? Who'll you be?
Maybe you'll turn out to be the best
Come on, yeah, yeah
Cat! Cat! Cat! Cat!
Every day, new day, every way, wrong way
Who'd have seen? Who'd have thought?
Nothing but your tomorrow
Where and when?
It doesn't matter
As long as we do it again
Cat! Cat! Cat! Cat!
Cat! Cat! Cat! Cat!
Hello, who are you?
You know something, I'm someone too
I want to be with you, if it's all right
Gonna take you with me, make you feel all right
Yes, I have a little place, but please don't feel any disgrace
I wouldn't hurt you, you know that
Cat! Cat! Cat! Cat!
Cat! Cat! Cat! Cat! yeah
You're quite alone, how do you feel?
I'm so glad... look in the bed
Take it easy, everything will be just fine
You don't seem to be too afraid
That's wonderful
No I have no hangups
I have no hangups
How about you?
You like to do it?
Nothing wrong with that
What do you mean, you hate your mother?
Oh well. Come on little more, a little more
Can I, please?
Be my cat
Be my cat
Be my cat
Be my cat
Be my cat
Be my cat
Be my cat
Be my cat
Be my cat
Be my cat
Be my cat
Cat! Cat! Cat! Cat!
Cat! Cat!
The Bob Seger System's song Cat is an unconventional and controversial track that takes the form of a conversation between a father and his daughter followed by a monologue between two people who have just met. The lyrics hint at some taboo topics such as promiscuity and incest, making it a song that stirred up controversy upon release in 1968.
The first part of the song involves a father telling his daughter not to do something, although what exactly she is forbidden to do is never explicitly stated. The song then transitions to a conversation between two strangers, with one inviting the other to their home for some intimate time. The two discuss their intentions and feelings openly, with the person inviting the other reassuring them that they will not be hurt.
It is unclear what the message behind the song is, which is likely why it received backlash upon release. Some listeners may interpret it as promoting sexual freedom and empowerment, while others may see it as promoting unhealthy relationships and behaviors. Regardless of interpretation, it is clear that Bob Seger was pushing boundaries with his lyrics and challenging social norms of the time.
Line by Line Meaning
Daughter, daughter, don't do that, don't do that
Father warning his daughter not to do something
But daddy
Daughter questioning her father
I said don't do that
Father reiterating his warning
All right
Daughter accepting her father's warning
Little cat, all alone, somewhere in the Midwest
Talking about a lonely cat from the Midwest
Where'd you go? Who'll you be?
Wondering where the cat will go and what it will become
Maybe you'll turn out to be the best
Hopeful that the cat will be successful
Who knows? Who knows?
Acknowledging the uncertainty of the cat's future
Come on, yeah, yeah
Encouraging the cat
Cat! Cat! Cat! Cat!
Cheering for the cat
Every day, new day, every way, wrong way
Every day is a new opportunity, but sometimes it leads in the wrong direction
Who'd have seen? Who'd have thought?
Surprised at the direction life has taken
Nothing but your tomorrow
Only the future matters
Where and when? It doesn't matter
The specifics of the future don't matter
As long as we do it again
Let's keep moving forward
Hello, who are you?
Asking the cat who it is
You know something, I'm someone too
Identifying oneself as a person
I want to be with you, if it's all right
Expressing a desire to be with the cat
Gonna take you with me, make you feel all right
Bringing the cat along on the journey to make it happy
Yes, I have a little place, but please don't feel any disgrace
Explaining that there's not a lot of space, but assuaging any guilt the cat might feel
I wouldn't hurt you, you know that
Reassuring the cat that it's safe
You're quite alone, how do you feel?
Asking the cat how it feels to be alone
I'm so glad... look in the bed
Implying that the cat is not alone but rather in the bed
Take it easy, everything will be just fine
Encouragement to relax and not worry
You don't seem to be too afraid
Observing that the cat doesn't appear scared
That's wonderful
Expressing happiness for the cat
No I have no hangups
Stating that there are no issues
How about you?
Asking if the cat has any issues
You like to do it?
Asking if the cat enjoys something
Nothing wrong with that
Implying that there's nothing wrong with enjoying something
What do you mean, you hate your mother?
Asking why the cat hates its mother
Oh well. Come on little more, a little more
Moving on from the conversation
Can I, please?
Asking permission for something
Be my cat
Asking the cat to join them
Cat! Cat! Cat! Cat!
Calling for the cat to come
Contributed by Isaac P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
spiralhoney
freaking amazing.
those last few minutes are gold.
definitely goes well with the Rollins Band’s “Gun In Mouth Blues”
tombalas
Bob Seger’s craziest song - love it!
ngobleus
Lol the closest you'll ever get to avant-garde from Seger.
Beau Jan Gels
4:33 There's a reason why Bob Rivers recorded "Bowel Moves".
stagewagon
Did cats behave differently back in '69?
mike67006700
dwk, need to to listen too, from 1970 lp-mongrel. from the lp- noah-death roll, and from, bob seger and the last heard 1966-east side story. two more songs from the last heard from 1967 are, Persecution Smith, Heavy Music. I believe the mongrel album is a great lp, just never got the air play it should have, and i also believe the singles, east side story, death roll, and heavy music are truly great rock songs that never got there due...
Beau Jan Gels
Cocaine is a hell of a drug.
Charles Heaston
PETA called and said this is animal abuse.
dwk67
I like alot of Seger's later work, but aside from Ramblin Gamblin Man, pretty much everything on his early albums is crap and sounds like he was learnng how to write songs on the job. This song is just tuneless noise. Thank goodness Bob kept at it, as he ended up writing alot of great songs from the mid 70's onward.
Nycholas17
I love Seger's work in general from 1966 to 1995...but I gotta say this "song" is far below his talent.