Sly – The Cat Empire

Sly – The Cat Empire

View the video HERE. Purchase on iTunes HERE. Lyrics at the bottom of today’s blog.

Disclaimer: Not that anyone cares, but I decided to do a different song than what was originally on deck”. After a week of Pink, I didn’t feel like doing another female pop/rock thing. I guess you could say I exercised my perBLOGative. [Insert: sound of crickets, the tumble of a lone tumbleweed, the dead silence of nobody laughing at my pun...]

I was driving home from work a couple years ago when this brilliant, crazy, energetic, lyric mouthful of song blasted out of my stereo.  This song has the unusual distinction of being the ONLY song in the last 20 years (and probably more) that I actually called the radio station to request*. I even emailed the DJ thanking him for playing it, and asked that he keep it on their playlist (because everyone knows that DJ’s and not corporate entities control what is played on radio stations).

*[Side Note]

When I was in 1st grade I inherited a huge white AM radio from one of my sisters. I remember it having gold dials for some reason. I took a black Sharpie and drew a notch and a big “720” where I could find 720 KDWN easily on the dial. I used to call their DJ’s all time, most frequently at 7:19AM or PM to remind them that the time was about to be the same numbers as their AM frequency. There was a thrill of hearing the guy’s voice from the radio speaker in the earpiece of the phone. They were actually very nice considering how annoying I probably was. The last call I made to KDWN was to request Crocodile Rock, by Elton John, but I couldn’t quite remember the name. I wanted the song about the dancing lizard. It took a couple minutes but the voice on the phone figured it out. He even dedicated it to “my little friend in Henderson”. I was a changed man.

I love this band and the way they combine rock, ska, and funk…which is also a good way to describe “Sly”.  This song is a lyrical Rubik’s cube whimsical tongue-twister, that took me forever to understand, let alone transcribe. It’s bouncy on the surface but has some very compelling and deep roots. I love the fact that they recorded the album in Havana Cuba with smoking hot players…AND it has a piano solo! Ole! “Sly” comes from their album “Two Shoes” which is #10 on my all-time top-10 list…in case you were wondering.

I hope you like this as much as I did. Now go write something that will make someone want to call a DJ.

~Shane

PS. Remember, as always to cast your vote in the current song poll.

PPS. Your voices were heard. Starting this Friday, I will analyze and offer suggestions to YOUR lyrics. Post them in the comments by Wednesday. I’ll announce the “winner” on Thursday, and do the analysis on Friday. Deal?

PPPS. Every other Saturday, I’d like to analyze songs you’ve requested. Post your requests in the comments.

Thanks for your continued support. Here’s the lyrics…

Sly

(verse 1)

If frizzy hair was a metaphor for festival time

Then this woman is a goddess of that festival shrine

Met her at a jam, in a garden of sorts

I must confess, god bless, some impure thoughts

 “Show us the money” was the call of the night

But no money could have bought even a piece of her pride

There might have been a sea of people, I don’t know

Because all I could see was how this woman glowed…

(chorus)

So, aye, it’s a pleasure to meet ya, you look line one incredible creature

Want to treat ya fine, let’s dance and grind, get so funk-inflicted it’s a crime

You’re divine, you’re sublime, and well, ya blow my mind

It’s so sly

(verse 2)

She caterpillar so good that all the Greeks go, “killa”

Break and enter, take you like a glass of milk, then spill ya
Saw her coming, what a scene, what I mean is she got the sex coffee bean
But she tastes like vanilla

Well alright, she ignite when we hit the floor

Like the vroom on a V8 super commodore

Well if it makes a good story, well it’s just worthwhile

With her, it’s like dealing stories in a sprinkler style

(chorus)

So, aye, it’s a pleasure to meet ya, you look line one incredible creature

Want to treat ya fine, let’s dance and grind, get so funk-inflicted it’s a crime

You’re divine, you’re sublime, and well, ya blow my mind

You’re so sly

(verse 3)

Do the Louie, the J-J-J-Jinii

Do the boom-shak, hit the sack, back seat’s feeling alright

Do the Monkey shuffle, Rocket with a funk stride

Do the late checkout with a do not disturb sign outside…now do the Sly

(chorus)

So, aye, it’s a pleasure to meet ya, you look line one incredible creature

Want to treat ya fine, let’s dance and grind, get so funk-inflicted it’s a crime

You’re divine, you’re sublime, and well, ya blow my mind

You’re so sly