Formed in 1963 in Muswell Hill, North London, they first gained prominence on the heels of the well-received and highly influential single "You Really Got Me" (1964). The group originally consisted of lead singer/guitarist Ray Davies, his brother lead guitarist Dave Davies, drummer Mick Avory, and bassist Pete Quaife. Quaife left (twice) in the late 1960s, and Avory finally left in 1984 as the result of a long-running dispute with Dave Davies, leaving only the Davies brothers as the core of the original group.
With Ray Davies' songwriting skills and unabashedly English voices, Dave Davies' impressive guitar work, and Avory's tight and steady drumming, the band became one of the best and most influential groups of British pop and the "British Invasion" of the U.S.A., lasting longer than any of their competitors, apart from the Rolling Stones, as they broke up in 1996. Their catalogue of songs has been covered by Van Halen, The Pretenders, The Black Keys, The Stranglers, Queens of the Stone Age , and many more.
Members:
Ray Davies – vocals, rhythm guitar (1963–1996)
Dave Davies – lead guitar, vocals (1963–1996)
Pete Quaife – bass guitar (1963–1969)
John Dalton – bass guitar (1969–1976)
Andy Pyle – bass guitar (1976–1978)
Jim Rodford – bass guitar (1978–1996)
Mick Avory – drums (1963–1984)
Bob Henrit – drums (1984–1996)
John Gosling – keyboards, piano (1970–1978)
Gordon Edwards – keyboards, piano (1978–1979)
Ian Gibbons – keyboards, piano (1979–1989, 1993–1996)
Mark Haley – keyboards, piano (1989–1993)
Phenomenal Cat
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the land of idiot boys,
There live a cat, a phenomenal cat,
Who loved to wallow all day.
No one bothered him
As he sat, content in his tree.
He just lived to eat 'cause it kept him fat,
Though he was big and fat,
All the world was good to him,
And he pointed out on the map
All the places he had been.
[Cowes, Cathage,Karthom,Cannes?], [India,Sardinia?], Kathmandu,
The Scilley Isles and Sahara, too
Fum, fum, diddle-um di
La la la la, la-la la la
La la la la, la-la la la la
La la la la-la la la
Once when he was thin
He had flown to old Hong Kong,
And had learned the secret of life,
And the sea and the sky beyond.
So he gave up his diet and sat in a tree,
And ate himself through eternity.
Fum, fum, diddle-um di
La la la la la-la la la
La la la la, la-la la la la
La la la la-la la la
Fum, fum, diddle-um di
Fum, fum, diddle-um di
The Kinks' song "Phenomenal Cat" tells the tale of a cat who lives in a different world- the land of idiot boys. The titular feline spends his days wallowing and eating, not caring about anything else. Despite his size and laziness, the world treats him well, and he has been to a variety of exotic and far-flung locations. However, the cat has been contemplative enough to learn the secrets of life in Hong Kong and chooses to shed its lavish lifestyle to sit in a tree, eat and go through eternity.
The song invites listeners to reflect on their own lives in several ways. First, it conveys the idea that there is a certain measure of contentment that comes from living a simple and unbothered lifestyle, free from the cares and troubles of the world. Second, the song suggests that people often seek much more than they need to meet their basic requirements in life. Finally, this song encourages us to appreciate our transience because life is short, and none of us has a lot of time to waste.
Line by Line Meaning
A long, long time ago,
It happened many years ago, in a time far in the past.
In the land of idiot boys,
It happened in a place where people were foolish or naive.
There live a cat, a phenomenal cat,
There was a remarkable, exceptional cat that resided there.
Who loved to wallow all day.
The cat enjoyed rolling around or lounging leisurely throughout the day.
No one bothered him
The cat was undisturbed and not bothered by anyone.
As he sat, content in his tree.
The cat was satisfied and happy being perched on a tree.
He just lived to eat 'cause it kept him fat,
The cat's main focus in life was eating since it helped him maintain his plump figure.
And that's how he wanted to stay.
The cat was content and desired to remain in his current state.
Though he was big and fat,
Despite being large and obese,
All the world was good to him,
The cat received kindness and was treated well by everyone.
And he pointed out on the map
The cat marked various locations on a map by indicating them with his paw.
All the places he had been.
The cat had traveled to numerous destinations in his life.
Cowes, Carthage, Karthom, Cannes?
List of places the cat visited, though some names may be misheard or nonsensical.
India, Sardinia?, Kathmandu,
Additional places the cat visited, with some uncertain pronunciation.
The Scilley Isles and Sahara, too
The cat traveled to both the Scilly Isles, an archipelago in England, and the Sahara desert.
Once when he was thin
At one point in his life, the cat was skinny or not as heavy.
He had flown to old Hong Kong,
The cat ventured to Hong Kong by flying there.
And had learned the secret of life,
During his time in Hong Kong, the cat discovered the answer or solution to what life is about or how to live it to the fullest.
And the sea and the sky beyond.
The cat also gained knowledge or perspective on the vastness of the ocean and the sky.
So he gave up his diet and sat in a tree,
Upon acquiring this newfound enlightenment, the cat abandoned his eating habits and instead chose to relax on a tree.
And ate himself through eternity.
It is implied the cat ate himself to death or infinity, possibly as a way to transcend mortality and attain a higher state of being.
Fum, fum, diddle-um di
Repetitive, nonsensical phrase used to close each verse of the song.
La la la la, la-la la la
Vocalization used to fill space or create a melodic tune in the song.
La la la la, la-la la la la
Extended version of the melody used in the song.
La la la la-la la la
Shortened version of the melody used in the song.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@romeohv
A long, long time ago
In the land of idiot boys
There lived a cat, a phenomenal cat
Who loved to wallow all day
No one bothered him
As he sat, content in his tree
He just lived to eat 'cause it kept him fat
And that's how he wanted to stay
Though he was big and fat
All the world was good to him
And he pointed out on the map
All the places he had been
Cowes, Sardinia, Kathmandu
The Scilly Isles and Sahara, too
Fum, fum, diddle-um di
La la la la, la-la la la
La la la la, la-la la la la
La la la la-la la la
Once when he was thin
He had flown to old Hong Kong
And had learned the secret of life
And the sea and the sky beyond
So he gave up his diet and sat in a tree
And ate himself through eternity
Fum, fum, diddle-um di
La la la la la-la la la
La la la la, la-la la la la
La la la la-la la la
Fum, fum, diddle-um di (diddle-um di)
Fum, fum, diddle-um di (diddle-um di, diddle-um di)
@user-ip9yu7lp1q
A long, long time ago
In the land of idiot boys
There lived a cat, a phenomenal cat
Who loved to wallow all day
No one bothered him
As he sat, content in his tree
He just lived to eat 'cause it kept him fat
And that's how he wanted to stay
Though he was big and fat
All the world was good to him
And he pointed out on the map
All the places he had been
Cowes, Sardinia, Kathmandu
The Scilly Isles and Sahara, too
Fum, fum, diddle-um di
La
Once when he was thin
He had flown to old Hong Kong
And had learned the secret of life
And the sea and the sky beyond
So he gave up his diet and sat in a tree
And ate himself through eternity
@stephencoomer5692
A long, long time ago,
In the land of idiot boys,
There live a cat, a phenomenal cat,
Who loved to wallow all day.
No one bothered him
As he sat, content in his tree.
He just lived to eat 'cause it kept him fat,
And that's how he wanted to stay.
Though he was big and fat,
All the world was good to him,
And he pointed out on the map
All the places he had been.
[Cowes, Cathage,Karthom,Cannes?], [India,Sardinia?], Kathmandu,
The Scilley Isles and Sahara, too
Fum, fum, diddle-um di
La la la la, la-la la la
La la la la, la-la la la la
La la la la-la la la
Once when he was thin
He had flown to old Hong Kong,
And had learned the secret of life,
And the sea and the sky beyond.
So he gave up his diet and sat in a tree,
And ate himself through eternity.
Fum, fum, diddle-um di
La la la la la-la la la
La la la la, la-la la la la
La la la la-la la la
Fum, fum, diddle-um di
Fum, fum, diddle-um di
@kathann6608
A long, long time ago,
In the land of idiot boys,
There live a cat, a phenomenal cat,
Who loved to wallow all day.
No one bothered him
As he sat, content in his tree.
He just lived to eat 'cause it kept him fat,
And that's how he wanted to stay.
Though he was big and fat,
All the world was good to him,
And he pointed out on the map
All the places he had been.
Cowes, Sardinia, Katmandu,
The Scilley Isles and Sahara, too
Fum, fum, diddle-um di
La la la la, la-la la la
La la la la, la-la la la la
La la la la-la la la
Once when he was thin
He had flown to old Hong Kong,
And had learned the secret of life,
And the sea and the sky beyond.
So he gave up his diet and sat in a tree,
And ate himself through eternity.
Fum, fum, diddle-um di
La la la la la-la la la
La la la la, la-la la la la
La la la la-la la la
Fum, fum, diddle-um di
Fum, fum, diddle-um di
@zackzallie8735
1968: Village Green, Astral Weeks, Electric Ladyland, The White Album, Odessey & Oracle and Beggars' Banquet.
Such an amazing year for music albums.
@francescoderosa2004
Don't forget "A saucerful of secrets" by Pink Floyd, "In-a-gadda-da-vida" by Iron Butterfly and "White light/white heat" by Velvet Underground. Cheers
@zackzallie8735
@Francesco De Rosa Fuck, yes. The Band's Music from Big Pink too.
@francescoderosa2004
@Zack Zallie Yes
@shojaejlali1290
Wasn't Ogdens nut gone flake '68 too?
@kelechi_77
God Bless The Red Krayola And All Who Sail With It, Os Mutantes, Ogden's Nut Gone Flake, The United States of America, S.F Sorrow.
@v-town1980
This song always makes me miss my cat Kato. Sweet as the day is long. Soft as cotton.
@medotata5356
What a perfect album :)
@sommerioslo
It's like a fairy tale album. Not discounting the rest of the band, but Ray was really coming up with something else, literally.
@zic75
Yesssss