Formed in the early part of 2005, Van She is a band from Sydney. Unashamedl… Read Full Bio ↴Formed in the early part of 2005, Van She is a band from Sydney. Unashamedly taking bits and bobs from 80’s post punk, funk and synth pop, 90’s grunge, French house, film scores, 70’s Krautrock and the latest collection of innovative artists like Tom Vek and M83, Van She is that unique beast that one was beginning to believe no longer existed – a band that takes all these influences from days gone but makes them sound unique, modern, and…. fresh. A lazy pastiche this isn’t.

Van She formed when Nick Routledge [vocals, guitar], Matt Van Schie [bass], Michael Di Francesco [synths] and Tomek Archer [drums] all responded to an ad in Sydney’s Drum Media and arrived at an audition for a vocalist for a doom metal band with influences including Sepultura, Entombed, Black Skull and Phil Collins to find the whole thing was a sham. You could call it the result of Satan at work, or you could call it fate.

Since the chance meeting Van She have been playing out and about around Sydney, headlining their own shows and supporting the likes of The Presets and Wolf & Cub.

They’ve also been in the studio, the fruits of which we now see in the shape of a 6 track, self titled EP. Opener Mission acts as a gloomy but punchy entry point into the Van She world, while Kelly is like the epic, lovelorn cousin to The Presets’ Girl And The Sea. Sex City throbs and blips like a restless adolescent, and Survive is the greatest post post punk tune to make use of slap bass. Kelly Reprise blisses out for just a few seconds before Here With You brings us to a beautifully textured, melancholic close.

Cat & The Eye
Van She Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Charlie once sat on the sidewalk, baby
He asked her about my name
And at that noise you came and met me
You said that I was to blame

Sugarcane eyes with no decision
It's your trial and tribulation
Isn't It time you made up your mind

And gave me a ticket to ride
I won't get you down until

These light are tripping us out
We are so out of control
Won't you come on a ride?
This time we'll do it for kicks
We can fall away
With the cat and the eye

Pretty face paper people, baby
They all look the same to me
Running on angels ain't that easy
These things you've gotta believe

Everything's kind of different for me
The songs still mean the same
Isn't it time to reinvent me so
Let's take a piece of the pie
I won't get you down until

These light are tripping us out
We are so out of control
Won't you come on a ride?
This time we'll do it for kicks
We can fall away
With the cat and the eye

These light are tripping us out
We are so out of control
Won't you come on a ride?
This time we'll do it for kicks
We can fall away
With the cat and the eye

Here we are
Chasing on a sunbeam
Here we are
Chasing on a sunbeam

Pacing on to sorry
Pacing on to sorry

These light are tripping us out
We are so out of control
Won't you come on a ride?
This time we'll do it for kicks

We can fall away
With the cat and the eye

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Cat & The Eye" by Van She speak of a sense of unease and uncertainty in life, almost as if the singer is feeling lost and disconnected from the world. The first verse sees him asking someone about himself, only to be blamed for something unnamed. The second verse talks about the difficulty of distinguishing between people who all look the same and the challenge of chasing dreams that require a leap of faith. Throughout the song, the singer seems to be looking for something to hold onto or a way to reinvent himself.

In the chorus, the lyrics suggest that the singer is willing to take a risk and go on a journey of self-discovery with someone special. They are ready to immerse themselves in an experience that will take them away from their troubles and allow them to let go of control. The reference to the "cat and the eye" may be an allusion to an old folk tale about a cat and a crow, where the cat tricks the crow into dropping a piece of food by convincing it to sing while the cat eyes the food. The singer may be portraying themselves as the cat, seeking to outsmart their doubts and finding the courage to take a chance.

Overall, the lyrics of "Cat & The Eye" by Van She speak to themes of uncertainty, taking risks, and reinventing oneself. The song may be interpreted as a call to action for individuals who are feeling stuck or disconnected from their surroundings, encouraging them to embrace their inner adventurer and chase their dreams.

Line by Line Meaning

Charlie once sat on the sidewalk, baby
Charlie used to sit on the sidewalk and watch the world go by.

He asked her about my name
Charlie asked someone to find out what my name was.

And at that noise you came and met me
Someone heard about Charlie's inquiry and introduced themselves to me.

You said that I was to blame
The person who introduced themselves to me blamed me for something.

Sugarcane eyes with no decision
My eyes are sweet and charming, but I cannot make a decision.

It's your trial and tribulation
It's your test and difficulty.

Isn't It time you made up your mind
Don't you think it's time for you to make a decision?

And gave me a ticket to ride
And allowed me to go along with you.

I won't get you down until
I won't let you down until...

These light are tripping us out
These lights are making us feel disoriented.

We are so out of control
We are unable to control ourselves.

Won't you come on a ride?
Wouldn't you like to come along for a ride?

This time we'll do it for kicks
This time we'll do it just for fun.

We can fall away
We can escape.

With the cat and the eye
With whatever we might find out there.

Pretty face paper people, baby
People with attractive faces who are shallow and uninteresting.

They all look the same to me
They are indistinguishable from one another in my eyes.

Running on angels ain't that easy
Relying on good luck or divine intervention is not so simple.

These things you've gotta believe
These things you must believe in.

Everything's kind of different for me
Things seem unique or special from my perspective.

The songs still mean the same
The lyrics to the songs remain unchanged, though the world around me may feel different.

Isn't it time to reinvent me so
Wouldn't it be a good time for me to change and become someone new?

Let's take a piece of the pie
Let's take advantage of an opportunity.

Here we are
We are in this place right now.

Chasing on a sunbeam
Pursuing something that's impossible to catch.

Pacing on to sorry
Moving forward with a sense of regret.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: TOMEK ARCHER, MICHAEL DI FRANCESCO, NICHOLAS ROUTLEDGE, MATTHEW VAN SCHIE, Tomek Marian Archer

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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