Tom Cat
Tom Cat Chronicles: A Swaggering Tale of Feline Dominance
Lyrics
Tom Cat
Tom Cat
Performer：The Rooftop Singers
Performance by The Rooftop Singers
Composer ：Erik Darling / Thomas Salvatore Geraci / Bill Svanoe / Lin Taylor
Composed by Erik Darling / Thomas Salvatore Geraci / Bill Svanoe / Lin Taylor
Lyricist ：Erik Darling / Thomas Salvatore Geraci / Bill Svanoe / Lin Taylor
Lyrics by Erik Darling / Thomas Salvatore Geraci / Bill Svanoe / Lin Taylor
I've got an old tom cat
Refers to the singer's pet cat
And when he steps out
When the cat moves or goes out
All the other cats in the neighborhood
All the other cats in the area
They begin to shout
They start making noise or calling out
There goes a ring tail tom
Describing the appearance of the tomcat
Struttin' round the town
The tomcat confidently moves around the town
And if you got your heat turned up
Metaphor for warning - "heat" could refer to intensity or aggression
You better turn your damper down
A caution to reduce or control aggression or tension
Ringtail tom is a star
Describing the tomcat as a prominent figure
He's a boss around this town
He's a dominant figure in the town
He don't allow no other tom cats
He doesn't allow other male cats to approach females
Come pussy footin' around
Prevents other males from sneaking around or trying to mate
Ringtail tom on the fence
Tomcat perched on a fence
Little pussy cat on the ground
A smaller cat on the ground
Ringtail tom com-a-off-a that fence
The tomcat jumps down from the fence
They start rousin’ around
They start fighting or making a commotion
Ringtail tom is a star
Reiteration of tomcat's prominent status
He's a natural born crack shot
He's skilled at catching prey
He finds a new target every night
He finds new targets or victims every night
And he sure does practice alot
He practices hunting frequently
I've got an old tom cat
Repetition of owning a tomcat
And when he steps out
When the cat moves or goes out
All the other cats in the neighborhood
All the other cats in the area
They begin to shout
They start making noise or calling out
There goes a ring tail tom
Describing the appearance of the tomcat again
Struttin' round the town
The tomcat confidently moves around the town again
And if you got your heat turned up
Metaphorically advising to reduce tension or aggression again
You better turn your damper down
A warning to calm down or avoid conflict
And if you got your heat turned up
Reiteration of the warning to reduce aggression
You better turn your damper down
Emphasizing the need to calm down or avoid conflict
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