Mad Daddy's - Cat Scratch Fever! 7" - 1990

Today's little ditty comes from the Mad Daddy's circa 1990. As I was listening to this on my i-pod on my way to work this morning I paid a little more attention to the lyrics than probably I ever had before. It's funny how when a song gets covered a few things run through your head. Sometimes when someone covers a song by a band that you may not have recognized before you think how did I miss this song or maybe I should re-listen to the original. Sometimes I think to myself why did they choose this obscure cut to cover. What did this song mean to the band. This is not one of those cases. Cat Scratch Fever was a huge hit for the motor city madman and the reasons for covering it are obvious. The song rocks and the band obviously thought so too and so they covered it. But that brings me to this mornings experience. Because the song is familiar, yet new I listened a little more closely than usual and found myself asking "what the hell are they singing about?" I've always had it in the back of my mind that Cat Scratch Fever was sex, but maybe I haven't been listening closely enough all these years. It sounds to me like the song is about VD and old Ted loves spreading it around. That's not so nice, Ted. Maybe I'm just reading into it too much. Have a read and a listen and judge for yourself.

"Cat Scratch Fever"
Lyrics
Well I don't know where they come from
But they sure do come
I hope they comin' for me
And I don't know how they do it
But they sure do it good
I hope they doin' it for free

They give me cat scratch fever
Cat scratch fever

The first time that I got it
I was just ten years old
I got it from some kitty next foor
I went and see the Dr. and
He gave me the cure
I think I got it some more

They give me cat scratch fever
Cat scratch fever

It's nothin dangerous
I feel no pain
I've got to ch-ch-change
You know you got it when you're going insane
It makes a grown man cryin' cryin'
Won't you make my bed

I make the pussy purr with
The stroke of my hand
They know they gettin' it from me
They know just where to go
When they need their lovin man
They know I do it for free

They give me cat scratch fever
Cat scratch fever

The B-Side "Yeah" in many respects is better than the Ted Nugent cover. The song reminds me of a cross between "Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)" by Concrete Blonde and "She's My Witch" by The Monsters. It has a driving rhythm that just sounds like a wolf on the prowl. Anyways, it is a nice companion to Cat Scratch Fever.

01 Cat Scratch Fever.m4a
02 Yeah.m4a

Enjoy!