1. a Dutch pop band, parti… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists with this name
1. a Dutch pop band, particularly successful around 1970.
2. a reggae band from London
3. a rock 'n' roll band from Scotland
4. a Dubstep band from Russia (stylized as Th3 Cats)
1. The Cats were a rock band from the Dutch fisherman's town of Volendam that existed from 1966 and 1985. Alongside fellow Volendammers, BZN, The Cats may be regarded as the most important band in the so-called Palingsound ('Eel Sound') genre, as the music of Volendam is often referred to.
Initially founded as The Blue Cats, The Cats had five Dutch #1 singles, one platinum and thirteen gold albums in their home country and were particularly successful in Germany also.
The band consisted of singers and guitarists, Cees Veerman (born 6-10-1943) and Piet Veerman (born 1-3-1943). Jaap Schilder (born 9-1-1943) played guitar and piano, bass player was Arnold Mühren (born 28-1-1944), drummer was Theo Klouwer (born 30-6-1947, died 8-2-2001).
Piet Veerman left the band in the 1980s and had a major Dutch (and German) solo hit with the song Sailing Home.
The band briefly re-united in 2006 to record a single.
2. John Ogetti Kpiaye was born in 1948 in the East End of London to an English mother and Nigerian father. He lived in the countryside from the age of 4 to 12. He attended Phoenix School for asthmatics in Mile End and Daneford Modern in Bethnal Green. He left school at 15 and began working as an apprentice welder. In 1966 his mother bought him his first guitar which he quickly taught himself to play. At that time he was into ska and rock steady as well as soul and he began learning those styles. A year later he quit his job, formed a band called The Hustling Kind (later the name changed to The Cats) and decided to try and make it as a musician. He hasn’t looked back since.
Success was soon to come. In 1968 Kpiaye thought it would be a good idea to do a rock steady/reggae rendition of the classical composition Swan Lake. He worked out a piano melody line on his sister’s piano at home and his band recorded the tune. They made history as the first British reggae group to have a top 50 entry in the UK singles chart. This led to tours in the UK and Europe but by 1971 the group had split up.
3. http://www.myspace.com/thecatsputtintherockinroll
The Cats are three Scottish guys who love to play good old-fashioned rock and roll. If it’s not Andy’s rocking vocals or big old bull bass that get you moving, it will be Fraz’s flying fingers on his Gretsch guitar, or Sandy’s pounding drums
We are THE CATS and we are three rockers that love to entertain anyone who dares to stand in our way. The name of the game is Rock n Roll done the old fashioned way (the way your papa told you about). Music is all about one thing and that is ENTERTAINMENT. When we are playing and we get somethin going with our audience there is nothin better and we've had no complaints so far. They just love the Pounding Drums, Flying Guitar, Bull Bass, and Rockin Vocals. We love all our fellow cats and kittens gettin down to our sounds. As Eddie Cochrane would say Cmon Everybody!
4. http://the-cats.com/ : The CATS are an EDM project from Russia, with the symbiosis of the bass styles - Dubstep, Trap, Drum'n'Bass and Progressive. The combined forces of Olga Lucky, DJ TaraZ and Temmy Lee united as a full-on live bass music band. Th3 Cats is based on the contrasts of the band member's musics styles.
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Those Were the Days
The Cats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can still recall
And I remember
How whe had it all
And though ist's years away
It seems like only yesterday
It seems like only yesterday
Nothing on our minds
Having such a good time
Carefree and blind
We would laugh all day
'Cause everything was just okay
And we thought it would stay that way
If I knew then what I know now
I might have done it all so different
But somehow as time was passing by
We just didn't seem to care
From teenage fools to grown up men
We might have made some stupid plans
But back then the time was always right
There was magic in the air
Those where the days
What I wouldn't give to travel back for just one day
And if you ask me honestly
I think I'd rather stay
'Cause my heart; it still beats for way back when
I can still recall
But I really know better not
It's a pity I know better not
If I knew then what I know now
I might have done it all so different
But somehow as time was passing by
We just didn't seem to care
From teenage fools to grown up men
We might have made some stupid plans
But back then the time was always right
There was magic in the air
Those where the days
A teenage fool I'll always be
To anyone remembering me
From way back when 'Times where when' They were the best years of my life
Those where the days
Those where the days
The Cats' song "Those Were the Days" is a reflection on the nostalgia of one's youth and the freedom and carefree attitude that comes with it. The opening lines, "I can still recall, and I remember, how we had it all," are a clear reference to the idea that the events that took place during this time in one's life were memorable and impactful. The singer goes on to say that even though it has been years since those times, it seems like only yesterday because of how significant it was.
The second verse, "Nothing on our minds, having such a good time, carefree and blind, we would laugh all day," paints a picture of youth's innocence and the lack of responsibility that comes with it. The line "we thought it would stay that way" implies an awareness that this attitude toward life cannot last forever. The chorus, "If I knew then what I know now, I might have done it all so different, but somehow as time was passing by, we just didn't seem to care," speaks to the realization of the choices one has made in their life and how hindsight is always 20/20.
The song's final verse, "What I wouldn't give to travel back for just one day, and if you ask me honestly, I think I'd rather stay, 'cause my heart; it still beats for way back when," is a reflection on the overall tone of the song. It is a hope to relive youth but also a recognition that it cannot happen. The final line, "Those where the days," is an expression of the tangible fondness that the singer and the listener share for that time in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
I can still recall
I have vivid memories of the past
And I remember
I have not forgotten
How we had it all
We enjoyed life to the fullest
And though it's years away
Despite it being so long ago
It seems like only yesterday
It feels like it was just recently
Nothing on our minds
We were carefree
Having such a good time
We were having a blast
Carefree and blind
We were unaware of our troubles
We would laugh all day
Humor was a constant companion
'Cause everything was just okay
Life was perfect
And we thought it would stay that way
We believed it would last forever
If I knew then what I know now
Hindsight is 20/20
I might have done it all so different
I would have made different choices
But somehow as time was passing by
As we grew older
We just didn't seem to care
We were oblivious to the consequences
From teenage fools to grown-up men
From naive adolescents to mature adults
We might have made some stupid plans
We made some foolish decisions
But back then the time was always right
We felt that the timing was perfect
There was magic in the air
We experienced unforgettable moments
What I wouldn't give to travel back for just one day
I wish I could relive the past
And if you ask me honestly
To tell the truth
I think I'd rather stay
I could stay there indefinitely
'Cause my heart; it still beats for way back when
I still have affection for the old times
But I really know better not
I understand that it's not wise to dwell on the past
It's a pity I know better not
I regret that I can't relive the past
A teenage fool I'll always be
I will always be youthful at heart
To anyone remembering me
For those who remember me
From way back when 'Times were when'
From the old days when things were different
They were the best years of my life
Those years were the most memorable and enjoyable
Those were the days
Those were fantastic times
Those were the days
Those were truly the best times
Contributed by Benjamin R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.