Nashville Cats
The Lovin' Spoonful Lyrics


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[Chorus]
Nashville cats, play clean as country water
Nashville cats, play wild as mountain dew
Nashville cats, been playin' since they's babies
Nashville cats, get work before they're two

Well, there's thirteen hundred and fifty two
Guitar pickers in Nashville
And they can pick more notes than the number of ants
On a Tennessee ant hill
Yeah, there's thirteen hundred and fifty two
Guitar cases in Nashville
And any one that unpacks 'is guitar could play
Twice as better than I will

Yeah, I was just thirteen, you might say I was a
Musical proverbial knee-high
When I heard a couple new-sounding tunes on the tubes
And they blasted me sky-high
And the record man said every one is a yellow sun
Record from Nashville
And up north there ain't nobody buys them
And I said, "But I Will"

And it was

[Chorus]

Well, there's sixteen thousand eight hundred 'n' twenty one
Mothers from Nashville
All their friends play music, and they ain't uptight
If one of the kids will
Because it's custom made for any mothers son
To be a guitar picker in Nashville
And I sure am glad I got a chance to say a word about
The music and the mothers from Nashville

[Chorus]





Kick it

Overall Meaning

The Lovin' Spoonful's song "Nashville Cats" is a tribute to the talented guitar pickers and musicians from Nashville. The song's chorus talks about the skill of these musicians, describing how they play as "clean as country water" and "wild as mountain dew". The lyrics in the verses continue to praise the musicians, sharing statistics about the number of guitar pickers and guitar cases in Nashville. The song also talks about the impact of Nashville music on people, describing how the music "blasted me sky-high" and how the custom of being a guitar picker is passed down from generation to generation in Nashville families.


The song's lyrics celebrate the music of Nashville, which has long been viewed as the home of country music in the United States. The song showcases the city's rich musical heritage, highlighting the skill, passion and dedication of its musicians. It is interesting to note that the song was written by John Sebastian, who is himself a celebrated musician and songwriter. Sebastian was heavily influenced by the country music scene in Nashville and wrote the song as a tribute to the musicians he had encountered there.


Line by Line Meaning

Nashville cats, play clean as country water
The musicians in Nashville play country music with great purity and clarity.


Nashville cats, play wild as mountain dew
The musicians in Nashville also play with a fervor and energy comparable to the wildness of mountain dew.


Nashville cats, been playin' since they's babies
Many of these Nashville musicians have been playing music since they were children.


Nashville cats, get work before they're two
These musicians also start getting gigs and making money off their music before they even turn two years old.


Well, there's thirteen hundred and fifty two
There are a lot of guitar players in Nashville, specifically 1,352 of them.


Guitar pickers in Nashville
These guitar players are referred to as 'pickers' in Nashville.


And they can pick more notes than the number of ants
These pickers can play an incredible amount of notes on their guitars, more than the number of ants on a Tennessee ant hill.


On a Tennessee ant hill
This is a comparison to show just how many notes the pickers can play on their guitars.


Yeah, there's thirteen hundred and fifty two
The number of guitar cases in Nashville is the same as the number of pickers - 1,352.


And any one that unpacks 'is guitar could play
Any one of these guitar cases could be unpacked and played by someone who is better than the artist of the song.


Twice as better than I will
This person is not a great guitar player, and could be easily outstripped by even a novice picker in Nashville.


Yeah, I was just thirteen, you might say I was a
The artist of the song learned about Nashville music when they were just thirteen years old.


Musical proverbial knee-high
This is a way of saying that they were very young, but still interested in music.


When I heard a couple new-sounding tunes on the tubes
The singer heard some new and unique music on TV or the radio.


And they blasted me sky-high
This new music completely blew the singer's mind and they were instantly hooked.


And the record man said every one is a yellow sun
The man who sold the records told the artist that all the best music was coming from Nashville.


Record from Nashville
This refers to records that were produced in Nashville and had a distinct sound compared to music produced elsewhere.


And up north there ain't nobody buys them
These records didn't sell well outside of the South, specifically in the North where people didn't appreciate country music as much.


And I said, "But I Will"
The singer was so moved by this music that they promised to buy it and keep listening to it.


Well, there's sixteen thousand eight hundred 'n' twenty one
There are a lot of mothers in Nashville who support their children's love of music, specifically 16,821 of them.


Mothers from Nashville
These women are all from Nashville and are supportive of their children's musical passions.


All their friends play music, and they ain't uptight
The mothers' friends are also supportive of music and don't judge their children or other musicians for their passion.


If one of the kids will
If one of their children is interested in music, these mothers will support them completely and help them to pursue their dreams.


Because it's custom made for any mothers son
In Nashville, it's almost expected for young boys to become guitar players and musicians, especially if their mothers are also musical.


To be a guitar picker in Nashville
Being a guitar picker in Nashville is seen as an ideal career path for young boys in the city.


And I sure am glad I got a chance to say a word about
The singer of the song is happy to be able to share their love and appreciation for Nashville music.


The music and the mothers from Nashville
This line references the strong connection between music and motherhood in Nashville.


[Chorus]
The chorus is repeated throughout the song and is meant to showcase the unique sound and talent of Nashville musicians.


Kick it
This is likely an invitation to the band to start playing a new song or to continue playing into the next section of the current song.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, CARLIN AMERICA INC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JOHN SEBASTIAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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