‘Rock This Town’ is the second single by American rockabilly band Stray Cats, released January 30, 1981 by Arista Records in the U.K., where it peaked at No. 9 on the Singles Chart. It was taken from the band's 1981 debut album, Stray Cats. Its first US release, was on the June 1982 album Built for Speed. Released as a single on August 31, 1982, it debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of September 18, 1982, and peaked at No. 9.
Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The Stray Cats quickly developed a large following in the New York music scene playing at CBGB and Max's Kansas City as well as venues on Long Island. In the middle of 1980, the band found themselves being courted by record labels including Virgin Records, Stiff Records, and Arista Records. Word quickly spread and soon members of The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Led Zeppelin were at their shows.
After a gig in London, Stray Cats met musician and producer Dave Edmunds, well known as a roots rock enthusiast for his work with Rockpile and as a solo artist. Edmunds offered to work with the group, and they entered the studio to record their self-titled debut album, Stray Cats, released in Britain in 1981. In addition to having three hits that year with ‘Runaway Boys’, ‘Rock This Town’, and ‘Stray Cat Strut’, they also performed on the eighth day of the Montreux Jazz Festival.
‘Rock This Town’ was listed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll". The song has been featured in a variety of media, including the video games Guitar Hero II, Elite Beat Agents, and the video game based on the 2006 Pixar film Cars (video game).
Labels – Arista (UK), EMI America (U.S.)
Songwriter – Brian Setzer
Producer – Dave Edmunds
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Well, my baby and me went out late Saturday night
I had my hair piled high and my baby just looked so right
Well, pick you up at ten, gotta have you home by two
Your mama don't know what I got in store for you
But that's all right 'cause we're looking as cool as can be
[Verse 2]
Well, we found a little place that really didn't look half bad
I'll have a whiskey on the rocks and change of the dial for the jukebox
Well, I put a quarter right into that can
But all it played was disco, man
Come on, baby, baby, let's get out of here right away
[Chorus]
We're gonna rock this town, rock it inside out
We're gonna rock this town, make 'em scream and shout
Let's rock, rock, rock, man, rock
We're gonna rock till we pop, we're gonna rock till we drop
We're gonna rock this town, rock it inside out
[Bridge]
Right on, rock it right
Whoa!
Whoo!
Oh my god
Whoo!
[Verse 3]
Well, we're having a ball just a-bopping on the big dance floor
Well, there's a real square cat, he looks a-1974
Well, he looked at me once, he looked at me twice
Look at me again and there's a-gonna be fight
We're gonna rock this town, we're gonna rip this place apart
[Chorus]
We're gonna rock this town, rock it inside out
We're gonna rock this town, make 'em scream and shout
Let's rock, rock, rock, man, rock
We're gonna rock till we pop, we're gonna rock till we drop
We're gonna rock this town, rock it inside out
[Outro]
We're gonna rock this town, rock it inside out
We're gonna rock this town, rock it inside out
Whoo!