Cat's in the Well

While you slept, the wolf

Trapped the cat inside the well.

Hope God has mercy.

"Under the Red Sky" features some sub-par songs, but "Cat's in the Well," which closes the album, is one of the ones that I like. It doesn't have any story to speak of, merely a series of analogies that fit a rhyme scheme. I say analogies because each verse's subject completes an action, all of which seem to boil down to the final line, "Good night, my love, may the Lord have mercy on us all." It's a standard rock n' roll song, and it hops along merrily, though I find that the last line has a note of ironic apocalyptic warning. Impressions may vary.

1. Cat's in the well, wolf looks down. He has a bushy tail dragging on the ground.

2. Cat's still in the well. Lady is asleep. She can't hear anything.

3. Cat's still in the well, upset. World is being slaughtered, it's a disgrace.

4. Cat remains in the well, horse goes bumpety-bump. Back alley Sally does the American Jump.

5. Cat persists in the well, balding papa is reading the news while his daughters need shoes.

6. Cat languishes in the well, barn is full of bull, table is full.

7. Cat's in the well, as ever, servant's at the door, drinks are ready, dogs are going to war.

8. The damned cat is still in the well, it's autumn, God have mercy.

I can't load up the studio version, but here's a raggedy live version from a while back.