#post goth

“The Black Cat” was released under London After Midnight’s first album Selected Scenes from the End of the World in 1991. The band consists of one permanent member, Sean Brennan, who writes and records all the music, and is accompanied by a rotating list of live performers. The album was preceded by a demo version which attracted much attention in the Hollywood indie scene. After the official version was released, the band performed live at various well-known underground clubs, such as Helter Skelter and Zombie Zoo, tending to sell out their performances.

The meaning behind the song “The Black Cat” is much debated, with some considering it a song about rape and others believing it to be a romantic metaphor utilizing shapeshifting imagery. A lot of the discourse revolves around the first verse:

Oh little girl Don't go away Just come to bed And there we'll stay

The use of the phrase “little girl” can be considered to be either a term of endearment or a predatory label. The phrase, as well as the scene of being in bed with the girl, is repeated at the very end of the song, though it is intertwined with shapeshifting imagery, with Brennan describing the two of them becoming a singular entity in body and mind. The meaning behind the black cat, who’s mentioned in the chorus of the song, is vague. It could be used as a way to show a ritual happening at the end of the song which allows the two characters to combine, as the animal is commonly used as a metaphor for the occult. It could also serve as a metaphor for the unknown, adding more mystery to the events describing in the song. Either way, the full meaning behind the lyrics remains an enigma.