Year of the Cat

Al Stewart

About Year of the Cat

"Year of the Cat" is a song by British singer-songwriter Al Stewart, released as a single in July 1976. The song is the title track of his 1976 album Year of the Cat, and was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London in January 1976 by engineer Alan Parsons. The song reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1977. Although Stewart's highest charting single on that chart was 1978's "Time Passages", "Year of the Cat" has remained Stewart's signature recording, receiving regular airplay on both classic rock and folk rock stations.  


Year:
2006
6:41
107 

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On a morning from a Bogart movie
In a country where they turn back time
You go strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre
Contemplating a crime
She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running
Like a watercolor in the rain
Don't bother asking for explanations
She'll just tell you that she came
In the year of the cat

She doesn't give you time for questions
As she locks up your arm in hers
And you follow 'till your sense of which direction
Completely disappears
By the blue tiled walls near the market stalls
There's a hidden door she leads you to
These days, she says, I feel my life
Just like a river running through
The year of the cat

While she looks at you so cooly
And her eyes shine like the moon in the sea
She comes in incense and patchouli
So you take her, to find what's waiting inside
The year of the cat

Well morning comes and you're still with her
And the bus and the tourists are gone
And you've thrown away your choice you've lost your ticket
So you have to stay on
But the drum-beat strains of the night remain
In the rhythm of the new-born day
You know sometime you're bound to leave her
But for now you're going to stay
In the year of the cat

Year of the cat

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Al Stewart

Al Stewart (born Alastair Ian Stewart, 5 September 1945) is a Scottishsinger-songwriter and folk-rock musician. more »

5 fans

Written by: Alistair Ian Stewart, Peter John Wood

Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


13 facts about this song

Song Release
"Year of the Cat" is a song by British singer-songwriter Al Stewart, released as a single in July 1976.
Album Inclusion
The song is the title track of his 1976 album "Year of the Cat."
Chart Performance
It reached number 8 in the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1977.
Song Duration
The album version of the song lasts for more than six minutes, with two long instrumental sections.
Popular Covers
There have been numerous cover versions of "Year of the Cat," including renditions by Show of Hands, James Last, and Panflute.
Song Production
The song was produced by the renowned English rock musician, Alan Parsons.
Collaboration
The song was co-written by Stewart and his long-term collaborator Peter Wood.
Instrumentation
The song features an acoustic guitar, piano, and saxophone solo reminiscent of the jazz infused progressive rock of the time.
Inspiration
"Year of the Cat" is a term in the Vietnamese zodiac, similar to the Chinese Zodiac. Instead of the Rabbit, the Vietnamese have a Cat.
Legacy
In 2009, "Year of the Cat" was used in a commercial for the Nissan Cube in Japan, and in 2010 in a French commercial for a dating service.
References
Throughout the song, there are multiple literary and film references, including Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre.
Musicians
Prominent session musicians like Tim Renwick, Stuart Elliot, and Peter Wood played on this track.
Longevity
Despite being over four decades old, "Year of the Cat" regularly features on classic rock and soft rock radio stations, reflecting its enduring popularity.

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    Year of the Cat

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1977

    Billboard #8


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