‘Cat Scratch Fever’ is a song by American rock musician Ted Nugent from his album of the same name. The song is well known for its signature riff. In 2009, it was named the 32nd-best hard rock song of all time by VH1. The single reached #30 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #37 in the Canadian RPM Top Singles.
Cat Scratch Fever is a real condition: it's an infectious disease caused by a cat scratch that usually affects young children. Nugent, however, changes the meaning to make it much more lustful, with the "cats" being women. The song is about sex and his rampant desire for it, or put more succinctly by Nugent, it's "about pussy." Nugent explained the origin of this song in an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock: "I had seen a medical journal back in 1975, I opened it up and at the top, it said, 'cat scratch fever.' I'd never heard of that before. What's that? So later on, that lick was cataloged in my memory bank. I went, 'Cat Scratch Fever!' and I had fun with the lyrics."
Nugent sang lead on this one - something he didn't do early in his career. Cat Scratch Fever was Nugent's third album, and featured vocal contributions from Derek St. Holmes, who also sang on Nugent's first album before being replaced by Meat Loaf for the second: Free For All. St. Holmes left for good after this album, as Nugent realized singing the songs himself was the best way to command the most attention.
Regarding his songwriting technique, Nugent keeps a notebook with song titles and lyric ideas, but the focus is on guitar. He often writes music in his dressing room before shows, but often does his best work in his home studio after a morning outdoors. When he plays his guitar and some music comes out that fits one of his titles, he puts them together and works on the song, but he never works out the lyric until after he has the guitar licks sorted out.
Label – Epic
Songwriter – Ted Nugent
Producers – Lew Futterman, Tom Werman, Cliff Davies
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Well, I don't know where they come from but they sure do come
I hope they comin' for me
And I don't know how they do it but they sure do it good
I hope they're doin' it for free
[Chorus]
They give me cat scratch fever
Cat scratch fever
[Verse 2]
Well, the first time that I got it I was just ten years old
I got it from some kitty next door
An' I went to see the doctor and he gave me the cure
I think I got it some more
[Chorus]
They give me cat scratch fever
Cat scratch fever
I got a bad scratch fever
The cat scratch fever
[Bridge]
It's nothin' dangerous
I feel no pain
I've got the choo-choo train
You know you got it when you, you're going insane
It makes a grown man cry, cry, oh won't you make my bed
[Solo 1]
[Verse 3]
Well, I make the pussy purr with the stroke of my hand
They know they gettin' it from me
They know just where to go when they need their lovin' man
They know I'm doin' it for free
[Chorus]
I give them cat scratch fever
Cat scratch fever
They got a bad scratch fever
The cat scratch fever
[Solo 2]
[Chorus]
Cat scratch fever
Cat scratch fever
Cat scratch fever
Cat scratch fever
[Outro]
Cat scratch fever
Cat scratch fever