Year of the Cat

Year of the Cat a song by Al Stewart on Foxsoundi — Free Music, Smart Streaming for Everyone

Year of the Cat by Al Stewart

About Year of the Cat

“Year of the Cat,” the titular track on Al Stewart’s 1976 album, is arguably his most well known song. It was written by Stewart, keyboardist Peter Wood, and string arranger Andrew Powell, and was produced by Alan Parsons. The song contains long instrumental breaks accompanied by saxophone (played by Phil Kenzie) and piano. According to Stewart, this song was a direct result of his interest in the Vietnamese zodiac, which includes the “year of the cat,” which sets it apart from the Chinese zodiac. .

Year of the Cat Lyrics

[01:07.20] On a morning from a Bogart movie
[01:11.61] In a country where they turn back time
[01:15.62] You go strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre
[01:19.73] Contemplating a crime
[01:24.09] She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running
[01:27.98] Like a watercolor in the rain
[01:32.87] Don't bother asking for explanations
[01:36.35] She'll just tell you that she came
[01:39.50] In the year of the cat
[01:43.06]
[01:56.83] She doesn't give you time for questions
[02:00.94] As she locks up your arm in hers
[02:05.06] And you follow 'til your sense of which direction
[02:08.89] Completely disappears
[02:13.28] By the blue tiled walls near the market stalls
[02:16.61] There's a hidden door she leads you to
[02:22.09] "These days," she says, "I feel my life
[02:25.16] Just like a river running through
[02:28.54] The year of the cat"
[02:31.92]
[02:45.89] While she looks at you so coolly
[02:49.49] And her eyes shine like the moon in the sea
[02:53.33] She comes in incense and patchouli
[02:57.70] So you take her, to find what's waiting inside
[03:05.26] The year of the cat
[03:08.67]
[04:29.39] Well morning comes and you're still with her
[04:33.28] And the bus and the tourists are gone
[04:37.49] And you've thrown away your choice and lost your ticket
[04:41.24] So you have to stay on
[04:45.40] But the drumbeat strains of the night remain
[04:49.11] In the rhythm of the newborn day
[04:54.09] You know sometime you're bound to leave her
[04:57.21] But for now, you're gonna stay
[05:00.42] In the year of the cat
[05:04.28]
[05:16.50] Mm, year of the cat
[05:17.67]

From the album: Absolute 70's