Why is today International Cat Day? Well, why the hell can’t it be? If you were to enter “international cat day” in Google, chances are you’d get more than one: 20th or 22nd of February, 8th of August, 29th of October, and the list goes on.

The truth is there are over 25 holidays throughout the calendar year dedicated to our beloved kitties. And that’s because, like indie music, if you love it, you love it all year round.

Indie Alternative Songs For Cat Lovers

As an indie artist, indie lover, and cat lover, you can celebrate today International Cat Day 2023! As cat lovers and playlisters, we’re going to celebrate it the only way, and the best way, we know how: music.

Stray Cat Strut by Stray Cats

“Stray Cat Strut” makes you wanna move just by saying the name of the song. The rockabilly band, Stray Cats, released this song in 1981 but it perfectly describes how a stray cat feels like any indie artist has felt at one point or another in their career:

Get a shoe thrown at me from a mean old man

Get my dinner from a garbage can

Don’t go crossing my path

And once again, we can continue this comparison. If “stray” means “carefree”, we wanna be wild all the way:

“Wild stray cat, you’re a real gone guy”

I wish I could be as carefree and wild

But I got cat class and I got cat style

And now, onto a wildly erotic all-time favorite.

Cat People (Putting Out Fire) by David Bowie

“Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” was recorded and written by none other than David Bowie (R.I.P. Ziggy…) and was chosen as the title track for erotic horror film Cat People (1982). There’s definitely something about these lyrics that will turn you on and make you uneasy at the same time:

See these eyes, so red

Red like jungle burning bright

Those who feel me near

Pull the blinds and change their minds

If you’re thinking black cats and walking under ladders, that’s exactly the mood we’re getting too. But like Nastassia Kinski, this cat needs love and has a fire within that can only be put out one way:

You’ve been so long

Well, it’s been so long

And I’ve been putting out the fire with gasoline

And we all know that it’s not gasoline.

Cool Cat – Remastered 2011 by Queen

It must be said that Freddie Mercury had to face a lot of raising eyebrows when it came to his music. And, well, needless to say, who the hell doesn’t know who Freddie Mercury or Queen is? If there is anyone that has grabbed global attention with a simple toe tapping, it’s him:

You really know how to set the mood

And you really get inside the groove

Cool cat tapping on the toe with a new hat

Ooh just cruising

And that’s exactly the background story here. A “cool cat” is a person that is constantly seeking to be the center of attention and be recognized. The message of this song soon becomes clear:

You’re speeding too fast, slow down

Slow down, you’d better slow down, slow down

If you like observing cats, you’ll notice that they manifest a different -higher! – level of coolness: slowly but surely, they get what they want, without constantly getting attention.

Cool For Cats by Squeeze

If the song has started, and don’t know it, you’re probably wondering whether you may have smoked one too many joints. Well, you may have, but the fact is that it’s filled with irony, contrast, and a pinch of sarcasm. Our favorite meal:

The Indians send signals from the rocks above the pass

The cowboys take position in the bushes and the grass

What he’s watching on TV clearly contrasts his passive mood. Once again, we get the feels of what being a cat might feel like. But, by the end, there’s been a huge change of events:

And by the time I’m sober, I’ve forgotten what I’ve had

And everybody tells me that it’s cool to be a cat

Cool for cats

Maybe the implication is that he, like cats, doesn’t feel cool at all. Maybe not feeling cool – the “coolness” that is established – is precisely what makes you indie. Sorry, we mean cool.

The Lovecats by The Cure

As the title suggests, “The Cure” portrays the primitive and savage side of love in “The Lovecats”. What starts out as the romantic side, turns into pure savage sex:

We slip through the streets while everyone sleeps

Getting bigger and sleeker, and wider and brighter

We bite and scratch and scream all night

Let’s go and throw all the songs we know

That last sentence has led to a lot of controversy when it comes to interpretation. It could make reference to suicidal attempts from a couple no one really understands, or it could literally mean throwing away all the songs that no one really paid attention to:

Into the sea, you and me

All the years and no one heard

Don’t forget that this is our own take on these songs and that the beauty of art and music is that it’s highly subjective. Make it yours and enjoy it the way you want to.

We do hope, however, you enjoyed our selected feline songs and if you’re lucky enough to have a kitty beside you, hug ‘em – after having asked for permission, of course. Happy International Cat Day!