Honky Cat Lyrics
Bopping in the country, fishing in a stream
Looking for an answer trying to find a sign
Until I saw your city lights honey I was blind
Better get back to the woods
Well I quit those days and my redneck ways
And oh the change is gonna do me good
Living in the city ain't where it's at
It's like trying to find gold in a silver mine
It's like trying to drink whisky from a bottle of wine
About those high class ladies down in New Orleans
And all the folks back home well, said I was a fool
They said oh, believe in the Lord is the golden rule
Living in the city boy, is going to break your heart
But how can you stay, when your heart says no
How can you stop when your feet say go
Honky Cat is about a modern day prodigal son who leaves his rural family to live in the city, with all of its the urban temptations: prostitution, drugs, alcohol, crime etc. What is great about the lyrics is that it presents the viewpoints of both the prodigal son and the family he has left. The singer of this song must switch back between expressing the carefree excitement of the prodigal son and the stern warnings of his family.
I discovered I had this album (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) the other night.. and I just cant get through the whole thing.. I keep putting this one on repeat.
Wrong album, this is from the album "Honky Chateau".
::runs to grab album and check::
ah, you're right. I was looking at the Greatest Hits album. Sorry... eh. still a good song all the same
It's pretty cool how this song contradicts Goodbye Yellow Brick Road in a way, because he's taking about quittinng his redneck ways, while in GYBR, he wants to go back to the country. It is probably done on purpose to show his confusion with what he does and how he longs for both lifes.
I always thought this song was a little tongue in cheek, especially when compared to Yellow Brick road. It's about a boy who thinks he knows better than his family (or whoever) and has found bliss in the city life. In reality, he is deceiving himself and will end up going home (hence Yellow Brick Road)
It's about a young country boy who learns about, then yearns for an exciting life in the city. He feels naive and wants to experience all that city life can offer. Off he goes and looks back on his innocent country life with disdain. The folks back home say he belongs on the farm, that city life and what it offers is an illusion that will end in unfulfilled disappointment.
I get it. Been there done that. It's about being an ambivert...
it is indeed very catchy....lyrics are weird, many of bernie taupin's (elton john's lyric writer for those of you unaware) lyrics are....this one sounds kinda racist, but also i think it could be about wanting to get out of the country and live the city life, and finding out its not as easy as it seems