The Cat Empire

When a room becomes an altar
And what beast that must exist
It flies with music from our lips
And steals a kiss and blows it
Out into the mist
Where castles stand on cliffs
And cobbled streets they wind and drift
And moods are made and set but shift
This place where skies are low
And birds are big

We went to sleep in day
And woke again the same day
We have learned to cheat the time
And find the hours
That the clocks cannot define
As I looked up from that stage
I felt the thing that had been made
And how it raged
And how it raged

How to explain?
Something makes me howl
And shiver to the core
Oh outside if it was raining
Then inside there'd be a storm
We've got a pair of hands for climbing
And a pair of knees to spring
And a pair of balls for strength
And a pair of lungs to sing
And these nimble chords
That say: music is the language of us all

To write these songs is to be written
Ah the chorus always knows
What is in store
And what is more the thing that sings us
Is the thing that makes us roar
I felt that beast 'kisso my neck
We clapped our hands
And heard them spread
There was a trumpet and a call
A pack of Spaniards screamed for more
Music is the language of us all
Music is the language of us all
Music is the language of us all
Music is the language of us all

I find it hard to speak emotional
Cos these things are the things that
Can't be said
And when it's struck it strikes
The memory from our heads
Once I wrote two plays
To be immortal for a night
And despite the unknown hours
Something happens
When the night turns out the lights
Then we fade and yawn
To music that's the language of us all

To the gods in the sky
There's one thing you can do
You can send us some sun
And we'll play you this tune
Because sitting in our room
Lying down with a scoob
And the sunshine
Through our window

It's days like these
That make us happy
Like a puppy getting lucky
With Lassie hassle-free
Hours passing by
With the beat one two
Said it's days like these kicking back
Just doing what we do

Number one I'd find some
Loving in the sun
With someone that can make me
Growl and hum say hmmm...
A boom boom shak
And the beat that she throw at me
Knocking me flat

Number two
I'd cruise where the grass is smooth
And the sound of the sea
Is a dreamy melody
Snooze all afternoon
Till the night time wake me
Cos shakedown soon

Number three
I'd be dancing like a monkey up a tree
Find sweet simplicity
By kissing my honey
Get funky like Bond
When he's played by Connery
And get crafty
Like Don Corleone

Four
Watching Oliver jam a little more
Remember the night when I saw
What I never never never seen before
Lavender wrestling a rich wild boar

It's days like these
That make us happy
Like a puppy getting lucky
With Lassie hassle-free
Hours passing by
With the beat one two
Said it's days like these kicking back
Just doing what we do

Whack
Beats splat
Woke up on the attack
Work myself frantic to the moon and back
Now it's evening and the sausages are frying out back
I write my rhyme for this track
As the sky fade to black

Now I remember earlier in the day
As I was swimming through the bay
A bass player I know swum my way
He said g'day
Hey, you wanna go see some reggae
Starts at 8 and plays through to sunrise the next day

So 9 O'clock sees me heading out towards the tabernackle
Hardcore reggae beat bring my feet out of these shackles
Hardcore reggae DJ I Salute you
Crackle crackle crackle of the vinyl
Now I'm high
Now a spectacular night ahead

I met a mexican called Juan
(Theres a party on the hill would you like to come?)
Yeah
(And bring a bottle of rum)
Can't afford it, but I bought it

And then I sung:
It's nights like these when you know that your alive
Nights like these when you know that you got fire
Nights like these when don't have to try
Fall in love and kiss and smile from every girl walking by
I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive
And my eyes want to cry
Coz the night and the sky is so high
And my life is sublime and it's mine and it's time
(Is now one)

It's nights like these when you know that your alive
Nights like these when you know that you got fire
Nights like these when you laugh until you cry
Nights like these when I'm drowning in your eyes
It's nights like these when you know that your alive (I feel like I've been living)
Nights like these when you know that you got fire (My life from the beginning
Nights like these when you laugh until you cry (And all the songs I'm singing)
Is all the love I'm giving

It's days like these
That make us happy
Like a puppy getting lucky
With Lassie hassle-free
Hours passing by
With the beat one two
Said it's days like these kicking back
Just doing what we do

And dirty hands
I like them see
They make the music that we play
Sound oh so sweet
And my mother always made me eat broccoli
And now look at me
I'm as strong as can be
So put some spice in my sauce
Honey in my tea
An ace up my sleeve
And a slinky plan b
And most importantly
My mad family
They named me lucky
And for that I'll sing about
Days like these

I had nine lives but i lost all of them
And I've been searching in the night
And I've been searching in the rain
I tried to find them
But they disappeared
They walked away they dressed in black
They left my side and all i say
Is that I wasted time
When I looked for them
For now i know that things gone past
Are never to be found again
I had nine lives
But lost all of them

I had a plan
But never finished it
And I've been searching for the thought
And I've been searching in a haze
I try all days
To remember it
But now the blueprint in my mind has gone
My mind forgot the colour of direction
And my eyes they see the hands
That could have built
That could have constructed

The empire in my mind

The empire
I'll never find
I had a plan
But that was where it ended

This is a song that came upon me
One night
When the news it had been telling me
About one more war and one more fight
And 'aeh' I sighed but then
I thought about my friends
Then I wrote this declaration
Just in case the world end

Our guns
We shot them in the things we said
Ah we didn't need no bullets
Cos we rely on some words instead
Kill someone in argument
Outwit them with our brains
And we'd kill ourselves laughing
At the funny things we'd say

And bombs
We had them saved for special times
When the crew would call a shakedown
We break down a party landmine
Women that so sexy
They explode us with their looks
Ah we blowing up some speakers
Jumping round till the ground shook

And missiles
They were the roadtrips that we launched
T-t-tripping across this island
Starting missions at the break of dawn
Yawn and smile say
'what direction shall we take?'

'Somewhere where it warm and wet'
This be the route we'd always take and

Our weapons were our instruments
Made from timber and steel
We never yielded to conformity
But stood like kings
In a chariot that's riding on a
Record wheel

And our airforce flying
When the frisbee in the sky
Have a session while we're smoking
Now we're feeling extra high
And we'd sneak into a carpark
With the skaties on our back
And we're flying down the levels howling
'on the attack now on the attack'

And battles
They happened in these dancehalls
See we'd rather fight with music
Choosing one the rhythm war
Battle at these shakedowns
And we battle at these gigs
We do battle in our bedrooms
Made some sweet love to the beat

Then our allies grew
Wherever we would roam
See whenever we're together
Any stranger feel at home
In a way we are an army
But this army not destruct
No instead we're doing simple things
Good loving find it run amuck

This be a declaration
Written about my friends
It's engraved into this song
So they know I'm not forgetting them
See maybe if the world contained
More people like these
Then the news would not be telling me
About all that warfare endlessly and

Our weapons were our instruments
Made from timber and steel
We never yielded to conformity
But stood like kings
In a chariot that's riding on
A record wheel

Oh, listen doctor I have pain
That grows inside myself.
Shelf me please;
I just can't ease the pain
I need some drugs to help.
Ah, pollution fills my lungs
And convolution fills my mind.
Ah, my legs do ache,
I contemplate
That living's less than fine.
My spine does tingle
When I think of being
Freed from this curse,
But what is worse I feel
Life is a bubble
Blown until it's burst.
Oh doctor, I am desperate
To get rid of this feeling.
Oh doctor, I am desperate
For some good soul healing!

The doctor turned and gave a grin
And reached into his bag;
But instead of an injecton
Got a record with a tag
That said "listen to this daily
With hip shaking and such things".
Then he puts the record on,
Grabs a mic and starts to sing:
You need some

One four five
(To make you high, to make you high!)
One four five
(To make you high, to make you high!)
One four five
(When heaven falling from the sky.)
One four five
(To make you high, to make you high!)
One four five
(Times like this you need some one four five.)

Doctor I am feeling better.
What was that you sang?
Did you write it or recite it,
Or just steal it from a band?
Ah, my bones are feeling stronger
And my spirit's feeling fresh;
Well, that dose of 145 has put the life
Back in my breath!
"Yes, yes, yes", the doctor said,
Then he sat me down and say
"Young man, don't think I wrote
These chords; they're written in
Your brain."
And when you hear them
There's a shakedown that begins within
The mind.
Cos these three chords make people
Feeling better all the time, ah!
They keep repeating
Like a scratch on a cd;
But it's quality cos these three harmonies
Breed positivity,
Protecting against insanity
Of modern insecurities.
Believe me when I tell you
All you need is to be hearing all that

One four five
(To make you high, to make you high!)
One four five
(To make you high, to make you high!)
One four five
(When they said "what?" and you said "why?")
One four five
(To make you high, to make you high!)
One four five
(Times like this you need some one four five.)

The doctor turned and gave a grin
And reached into his bag;
But instead of an injection
Got a record with a tag
That said "listen to this daily
With hip shaking and such things".
Then he puts the record on,
Grabs a mic and starts to sing:

Well, the doctor turned and danced a bit
And reached into his bag;
And instead of an injection
Got a record with a tag
That said "listen to this daily
With hip shaking and such things".
Then he puts the record on,
Grabs a mic and starts to sing:
You need some

One four five
(To make you high, to make you high!)
One four five
(When you could not count to pi;)
One four five
(When you're told you can't fly;)
One four five
(To make you high, to make you high!)
One four five

(Times like these you need some)
One! Four! Five!

And for all of the sweet loving that
I have received
In the sun in the rain
By the moon by the sea
There is one time that I'm thinking of
One time where one woman
Did knock me off my feet
And my knees were shaking
And my jaw was dropping
And my eyes were squinting
And my smile was growing
And my pants were bulging
And my hands were sweating
And my chest was beating
So I cry 'excuse me,
What is the secret to your song?'

Cause when you're walking along
When you're walking along:

Your legs are a melody my hands
Would like to play
And your hips are a note
That does take me away
And your face and your eyes and your hair
And your waist and your smile
Drive me to distraction
She turned and she gave the evil eye
'why thankyou' she said
Then she sigh 'ah there's one thing
I think you failed to mention:'
'What?' I said then she said
'It's the rhythm you forgot'
And right then I knew what was what
And she snuck to my lips
And she kissed them
Said 'young man
I'll show you some rhythm'

And she'll show you some rhythm

And since then ha
The rhythm's been running through my veins
In my thoughts in my eyes
In my head it's insane
It's the thing that does drive me
To scream
On the street when I think of some
Places it's taken me
I feel horny when I thinking of some of that rhythm in my mind
What she gave what she gives to me
All of the time
Say a little bit of sweet loving in your day
All my friends know it keeps the
Bad thoughts away
So sing with your hips my baby
When you're dancing to this tune
And when this tune is through
We'll sneak to some place
And continue to:
Say sing with your hips my baby
When you're dancing to this tune
And when this tune is through
We'll sneak to some place and
Continue to -
She said I'll show you some rhythm

And she'll show you some rhythm

Song and melodies change and change
And sway
But they still stay the same
The songs that we sung when the dark days come
Are the songs that we sung when we chased them away
If I ever found a pot of gold
I'd buy bottles untold of the nectar of the vines
I'm going to die with a twinkle in my eye
'cause I sung songs spun stories loved laughed and drank wine

Tomorrow is another day
The cats are out to play, to play
That old rusty spaceship wants to sail
Into the milky way again
On a river of red red wine

Run...
(let's have some)
Fun...
(we'll)
Drink...
(a toast to the)
Sun...
Run...
(let's have some)
Fun...
(we'll)
Drink...
(a toast to the)
Sun...

In summer the bushfires rage and rage
And rage
On such beautiful days
And we fight them with water that runs through the cracks
Water we're desperately trying to save
So I'll just live on wine and water my vines
And sleep on the wind with the fires right behind
And sing on the beaches and swing through the night
Oh we'll cry 'pass the wine, pass the wine, pass the wine'

Tomorrow is another day
The cats are out to play, to play
That old rusty spaceship wants to sail
Into the milky way again
On a river of red red wine

Run...
(let's have some)
Fun...
(we'll)
Drink...
(a toast to the)
Sun...
Run...
(let's have some)
Fun...
(we'll)
Drink...
(a toast to the)
Sun...

Oh what a beautiful day today!
Today's a day to celebrate
Grab your bucket, grab your spade
We're heading down to Half Moon Bay
I saw a plane go into a cloud
I'm drunk, I'm singing, I'm happy and loud
Two o'clock in the arvo, but hey that's allowed
I'm having a good time and of that I am proud

Yesterday
The sky looked sweet
When we dropped
A big bomb at our feet
And sometime soon
We all might zoom
To space and continue
With another zoo

Work and pace
For paper face
Spend it wisely
And keep it safe
Because the human race
Is a non-stop race
With too many trials
But no real case

Something about this second
Something about this hour
Take away the money
Then the time becomes the power
A moment just to swim
And to shower and to sing
And to brighten and to dim
And to sleep and to wander in

Nothing
Oh sweet nothing
Today we're doing nothing at all

Yesterday
I climbed a hill
Then cycle down speedy
On a great big wheel
Feeling ill
Laboured still
Grinding and stressing
In that giant mill

Drove a car
Stop and start
Round and round in circles
Never got too far
Running barefoot
On the hot hot tar
'cause if you stop
Then you burn
Then your feet get scars

Something about this instance
Something about this minute
Striving for the future
But don't realise that we're in it
A moment just to float
To ponder and to dote
To dry and to soak
And to take a little toke of that

Nothing
Oh sweet nothing
Today we're doing nothing at all

Lord unchain my hands
Let me sing inside the crowded trams
Let me dance among the traffic jams
We're going to sleep
On the St Kilda sands

Lord unbind my feet
Let me mingle with the good people
We meet
Water rising up into the street
Unbind my feet

'The apparition of these faces in
The crowd;
Petals on a wet black bough"
Ezra Pound found the formula
Our houses are rectangular
But life is curved not angular
So when things start to strangular
Remember
Rain still falls on the halls of power
New babies being born every hour
And the eagle keeps watch on the old clock tower
Over me...

(CHORUS)

On the train I refrain from sitting with head and shoulders bowed
They told me time is of the essence
No wandering allowed
But then I saw a pretty girl
Whose features stood out in the crowd
Went ten minutes past my stop waiting for her to look around
I'm just another clown kicking around in Melbourne town
Cooling out, relaxing watching the
World go round
So if you ever have the time
And you want to go drink some wine
I'd rather greet you with a smile
Than greet you with a frown...

Lord unchain my hands
Let me sing inside the crowded trams
Let me dance among the traffic jams
We're going to sleep
On the St Kilda sands

Lord unbind my feet
Let me mingle with the good people
We meet
Water rising up into the street
Unbind my feet

WE BELIEVE
In the grass in the trees
WE SUPPORT
Living life cause life is short
WE UPHOLD
Sky of blue sun of gold
WE MAINTAIN
On sunny days all sadness and pain be relieved

WE BELIEVE
The breeze blows the leaves in the gypsy king's court
WE SUPPORT
Food and wine song and thought and when the night gets cold
WE UPHOLD
The following rules that I'll sing
To you all

We believe in melody
And harmony
And all things sweet
We sing a yum-a-yum chum
To the moon and the sun
And the rumble of the drums
And the big fat beat
We believe in the ace up the sleeve
And we shine our gold teeth
At the cats in the alleys
A flame on a match
That the wind can't catch
And when the bad guys attack
The empire strikes back

And when it happens it's like
Honey and pain
Horns in the rain
Misty seas and mysteries
A dog with no name
It's that time again
Not sure if I'm sleeping
But the vision's as clear
As fog on the pier
Someone fishing aimlessly
A thought's an idea
A sound is an ear
And gods with none believing
Being chased by the lamb
A knife in its hand
Looked down from that mountain
Saw the moon get a tan
On the beach with no sand
Something came and something ran
To make up my mind
Is it bleak or it fine?
She looked a little doubtful
Smirked and said it's divine
To light with no lime
Sometimes

Oh it's too late I can't stop
Moving my mouth
I'll shush but I'll shout
Something's got a hold of me
Those words coming out
Like froth on a stout
Dreamboat's sailing into
Stormy weather I see
Salty debris
Cows and tigers jumping at some
Mad dignity
But passionately we'll be
Oh finding
Ways without words
To sing and to purr
Loving without declarations
Stuttered and slurred
Elephants blurred
Nerves resisting urges serve
To speak with no sight
A bat taking flight
Only to find tooth marks
In that sex dynamite
My girl's got a bite
That's right