About The Song
“Year of the Cat” is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Al Stewart, released as a single in July 1976 in the UK and October 1976 in the US. The song is the title track of his 1976 album of the same name, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, in January 1976. The song is inspired by the film “Casablanca” and refers to the year found in the Vietnamese zodiac. The song reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“Year of the Cat” by Al Stewart is not just a song; it’s a musical journey that combines storytelling, historical references, and a unique blend of folk, rock, and jazz elements. The song tells the story of a small-time crime fighter living in a alley in Casablanca during World War II. Along with the crime, the song has references to film noir and espionage crime. The year of the cat is also called the year of the rabbit which is the year right before the year of the dragon. The year of the cat is a reference to “chasing the dragon” which is slang for being addicted to Heroin.
Lyrics
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
Well, she looks at you so coolly
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 and lost your ticket
So you have to stay on
But the drumbeat 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