The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Lucifer Sam, Siam cat
Always sitting by your side
Always by your side
That cat's something I can't explain
Ginger, Ginger you're a witch
You're the left side
He's the right side
Oh, no
That cat's something I can't explain
Lucifer go to sea
Be a hip cat, be a ship's cat
Somewhere, anywhere
That cat's something I can't explain
At night prowling sifting sand
Hiding around on the ground
He'll be found when you're around
That cat's something I can't explain
Always sitting by your side
Always by your side
That cat's something I can't explain
Ginger, Ginger you're a witch
You're the left side
He's the right side
Oh, no
That cat's something I can't explain
Lucifer go to sea
Be a hip cat, be a ship's cat
Somewhere, anywhere
That cat's something I can't explain
At night prowling sifting sand
Hiding around on the ground
He'll be found when you're around
That cat's something I can't explain
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by edw
Lucifer Sam Lyrics as written by Syd Barrett
Lyrics © T.R.O. INC.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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That song's something I can't explain!
Oh my God! people. Has any of you owned a siamese cat. This song is about... a siamese cat! Not much more. Those cats will never let go of their master. They are always by your side. It's unexplainable! And quite astonishing actually. They may hide from others and will only come out of hiding when their master shows up. They're almost an extension of the master. And, as a witness and even as the master, you often have the urge to just banish them: "be a hip cat, be a ship's cat, somewhere, anywhere!"
Plain f***ing simple.
Roger had two Siamese cats, this song is about those cats.
Ok everyone seems to be wrong this song is about Jeniffer Syd's ex girlfriend I found this out by reading his biog "Crazy Diamond" which is aproved by his own family. I am a huge Syd fan and the other thing I noticed was the lyrics are wrong and the last verse is missing. The real lyrics are
Lucifer Sam, Siam cat. Always sitting by your side Always by your side. That cat's something I can't explain.
Jennifer Gentle you're a witch. You're the left side He's the right side. Oh, no! That cat's something I can't explain.
Lucifer simba go to sea. Be a hip cat, be a ship's cat. Somewhere, anywhere. That cat's something I can't explain.
At night prowling sifting sand. Hiding around on the ground. He'll be found when you're around. That cat's something I can't explain.
The metaphore is using a cursed cat in place of Jeniffer so as not to directly insult her. All of syd's songs are quite more complex then at first they appear.
I like how the audio goes "woosh!" left to right and back and forth in the beginning. Anyway I think this song is describing how the cats are very aloof and independent, which make them seem very intelligent and mysterious. "That cat's something I can't explain". Yeah, cats are quite mysterious.
PATGOD Trivia (pinkfloyd-co.net/disco/piper/piper_album.html): "Lucifer Sam was originally titled 'Percy The Rat Catcher'. Jenny Spires (Jenny Gentle) a girlfriend of Syd's at the time, bits from the I Ching [the 5,000 year-old Chinese Book of Changes, and his [Syd's] own ideas were mixed together as the inspiration for this ode to Syd's cat."
There is no "simba" or "surfer", it's Lu-ci-fer. The word is just lengthened. The way he sings it makes it sound like something more is there.
"Lucifer Sam saw your cat always sitting by your side always by you side that cat's something I can't explain".
this part reminds me of a Edgar Allan Poe's tale called "The Black Cat".
The studio title to this song was "Percy the Rat Catcher" during the recording sessions
That intro guitar riff reminds me of a James Bond style spy movie.
@TWiStEDxMEtAL I have always thought that as well, but I always though like a scene in Austin Powers
wow pink floyd strikes again! haha the predominant message in this song seems to lie in the lyric [that cats something i cant explain]..hence the fact that its repeated. i think the cat refers to a man. maybe jennifer gentle is a woman that the writer was with...and she dumped him for this other cat? who knows..ITS PINK FLOYD!!