Early in his career Setzer was a member of the NYC band Bloodless Pharaohs, and later fronted the popular rockabilly revival band, Stray Cats. The Stray Cats particularly caught America's attention with the 1982 album Built for Speed, which included the two Top Ten hits, "Rock This Town" (#9) and "Stray Cat Strut" (#3), as well as with the follow-up 1983 album Rant 'N Rave, which included the two successful singles "(She's) Sexy + 17" (#5), and "I Won't Stand In Your Way" (#35).
In the mid 1990s, Setzer led a comeback of sorts for swing music and big band music, when he formed Brian Setzer Orchestra. The band has released at least 5 albums to date and one live DVD. This group had one hit, "Jump, Jive, and Wail" around the same time swing revival acts like the Cherry Poppin' Daddies' "Zoot Suit Riot" had been received favorably in mainstream America.
Brian Setzer also recorded some solo albums during Stray Cats' break in the 1980s along with some in the 1990s. In 2001 he released an album titled Ignition with his band '68 Comeback Special. A new solo album titled Rockabilly Riot Vol. 1: A Tribute To Sun Records was released on July 26, 2005, in the United States.
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Setzer
Rock This Town
The Brian Setzer Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had my hair piled high and my baby just looked so right
Well, pick you up at ten, gotta have you home at two
Mama don't know what I catched off of you
But that's all right cause we're looking as cool as can be
Well, we found a little place that really didn't lood half bad
I had a whisky on the rocks
Well, I put the cold rock into that can
But all they played was disco, man
Come on, baby, baby, let's get out of here right away
We're gonna rock this town
Rock it inside out
We're gonna rock this town
Make'em scream and shout
Let's rock, rock, rock, man, rock
We're gonna rock till you pop
We're gonna rock till you drop
We're gonna rock this town
Rock it inside out
Well, we're having a ball just 'a bopping on the big dance floor
Well, there's a real square cat, he looks a 1974
Well, he looked at me once, he looked at me twice
Look at me again and there's gonna be fight
We're gonna rock this town
We're gonna rip this place apart
We're gonna rock this town
Rock it inside out
We're gonna rock this town
Make'em scream and shout
Let's rock, rock, rock, man, rock
We're gonna rock till you pop
We're gonna rock till you drop
We're gonna rock this town
Rock this place apart
The Brian Setzer Orchestra's "Rock This Town" is a classic rock and roll song that tells the story of a young couple going out on a Saturday night looking for some fun. The lyrics are filled with energy and excitement, as the singer describes the night out, from the way he and his girl look, to the places they go, to the people they meet.
The opening lines set the stage for the whole song, as we learn that the singer and his girlfriend are gearing up for a night out on the town. The hair piled high and the girl looking so right suggest that they are dressed to impress and ready to party. From there, we learn that they head to a little bar, hoping to have some fun, but are disappointed to find that all they play is disco music. Undeterred, the couple decides to leave and find someplace else to rock this town.
The chorus of the song is explosive, with the singer declaring that they are going to rock this town, inside out, and make 'em scream and shout. The attitude and energy of the song make it clear that this is not just about having a good time, but about really stirring things up and making a statement. Finally, the lyrics close with a threat to anyone who tries to stop them, as the couple declares that they will "rip this town apart" and "rock this place apart."
Line by Line Meaning
Well, my baby and me went out late Saturday night
On Saturday night, really late, my significant other and I went out.
I had my hair piled high and my baby just looked so right
My hair was styled up real high and my partner looked amazing beside me.
Well, pick you up at ten, gotta have you home at two
I promised to pick you up around ten, and we need to be back home by two.
Mama don't know what I catched off of you
My mother doesn't know what contagious illness I might've gotten from you.
But that's all right cause we're looking as cool as can be
Fortunately, we still look absolutely great together!
Well, we found a little place that really didn't lood half bad
We found a small venue that seemed pretty okay.
I had a whisky on the rocks
I drank a whisky with ice.
And change of a dollar for the jukebox
I exchanged a dollar for the jukebox.
Well, I put the cold rock into that can
I selected a song to be played on the jukebox.
But all they played was disco, man
Disappointingly, the jukebox only had disco music.
Come on, baby, baby, let's get out of here right away
I suggested to my partner that we leave the venue at that moment.
We're gonna rock this town
We'll make sure the town is lively with our music and presence.
Rock it inside out
We'll make sure our music reaches every corner of the town.
Make'em scream and shout
We'll make the audience yell out loud in excitement.
Let's rock, rock, rock, man, rock
We'll rock the house tonight!
We're gonna rock till you pop
We'll keep the music going until you can't handle it anymore.
We're gonna rock till you drop
We'll keep the party going until you pass out from exhaustion.
Well, we're having a ball just 'a bopping on the big dance floor
We're currently having a lot of fun dancing on the large dance floor.
Well, there's a real square cat, he looks a 1974
There's somebody here who looks completely out of place, like they're from a different time period.
Well, he looked at me once, he looked at me twice
That person stared at me once or twice.
Look at me again and there's gonna be fight
If that person stares at me again, we're probably going to get into a fight.
We're gonna rip this place apart
We're going to have such a good time that we'll cause chaos in the venue!
Rock this place apart
We'll make sure to leave our mark on this location by truly rocking it!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN SETZER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jim Townsend
Not enough people realize the caliber of Brian Setzer as a guitarist. He is one of the finer axemen of the rock world. Add to that his showmanship, and a superior voice, and the guy is a total package.
Athelstan
He's an exceptional guitar player but he's also got great stage presence and always always looks like he's loving the show.
MattsCats
He's my guitar hero. I mean, aside from all that, he's just a total professional. The amount of work and discipline it takes to tour an orchestra these days is insane.
Maureen Horrigan
SO TALENTED
Marc Demell
I grew up a rocker metal head and cared not for the Stray cats. About ten yrs ago I starting really liking this music ,actually I love it ,HalleluYAH! I am 53 yrs old by the way.
Ramon Insa
@MattsCats y
Guitartravis
I’ve seen The Stray Cats, his big band and two Christmas shows!! Brian and his band are one of, if not, the best live shows you’ll ever have the pleasure of witnessing 🤘🏻🎸...
Bfer Nuttz
I, too, saw the Stray Cats (opening for the Rolling Stones), the Orchestra doing a regular show and then the Christmas show. Also caught his Rockabilly Riot tour in 2019. You are right, he is just amazing live and people who haven't seen him are missing out.
Paulo Silva
What a joy seeing this guy playing a guitar. Definitly a great guitar man.
Mark Crisostomo
Brian is such an amazing performer! His guitar skills are top notch!