Mean-Eyed Cat
| "Mean-Eyed Cat" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two | |
| A-side | "Mean Eyed Cat" "Port of Lonely Hearts" |
| Released | 1960 |
| Genre | country |
| Label | Sun 347 |
| Songwriter(s) | Johnny Cash[1] |
| Music video | |
| "Mean-Eyed Cat" (audio only) on YouTube | |
"Mean-Eyed Cat" is a song written and originally recorded by Johnny Cash.[2][3]
The song was recorded by Cash at Sun Records on July 30, 1955.[2] Sun released as a single (Sun 347, with "Port of Lonely Hearts" on the opposite side)[4][5][6][7][8] in October[9] or December 1959,[10] when Cash had already left the label for Columbia
Composition
"Mean Eyed Cat" is an all-out rockabilly rave-up about a fellow who gives his woman money to shop at the general store, just so she can go and spend it on "store-bought cat food for her mean eyed cat." The cat conceit is stretched a bit, since that's the only time it's used in the song. She ultimately leaves him with a "Dear John" note on her pillow as he heads to town to bring her back. Again, the train becomes a symbol of escape and freedom, as the hard-pressed woman catches an eastbound train.
— John M. Alexander. The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash[11]
Charts
| Chart (1960) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[12] | 30 |
References
- ^ "Mean Eyed Cat / Port Of Lonely Hearts". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
- ^ a b John L. Smith (1 January 1999). Another Song to Sing: The Recorded Repertoire of Johnny Cash. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-3629-7.
- ^ "Cover versions of Mean Eyed Cat by Johnny Cash". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- ^ John Edwards Memorial Foundation (1974). JEMF Quarterly. John Edwards Memorial Foundation.
- ^ Joel Whitburn (2002). Top Country Singles, 1944 to 2001: Chart Data Compiled from Billboard's Country Singles Charts, 1944-2001. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-151-2.
Joel Whitburn (2005). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Songs: 1944-2005, Billboard. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-165-9. - ^ Tim Neely (2004-05-01). Goldmine Records & Prices. Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-87349-781-7.
- ^ Colin Escott; Martin Hawkins (1980). Sun Records: The Brief History of the Legendary Recording Label. Quick Fox. ISBN 978-0-8256-3161-0.
- ^ George Albert (1984-01-01). The Cash Box Country Singles Charts, 1958-1982. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-1685-5.
- ^ Peter Lewry (2001). I've Been Everywhere: A Johnny Cash Chronicle. Helter Skelter. ISBN 978-1-900924-22-1.
- ^ The Johnny Cash Record Catalog. Greenwood Publishing Group. 1994. pp. 21–. ISBN 978-0-313-29506-5.
- ^ John M. Alexander (16 April 2018). The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash. University of Arkansas Press. pp. 41–. ISBN 978-1-61075-628-0.
- ^ "Johnny Cash Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
