Cat Scratch Fever (song)

"Cat Scratch Fever" is a rock song by Ted Nugent that appears on the album of the same name. The song is well known for its signature riff, which is a 3-tone minor-key melody harmonized in parallel fourths. In 2009, it was named the 32nd best hard rock song of all time by VH1.^[1]

Chart positions

Lyrics

The song is about a man chronicling his long history of promiscuous sex, and lamenting (or perhaps, celebrating) his inability to control himself or the women he has sex with, and vice versa. The main reason for his lament is that his active sexual lifestyle results in him getting "Cat Scratch Fever"; however, the narrator does gleefully and explicitly (if somewhat resignedly) describe the pleasure he gets from the sex. The song makes heavy use of cats and their claws scratching things and people as sexual metaphors. The meaning of "Cat Scratch Fever" is more or less left open to the listener's interpretation, but general consensus is that the line refers to the sexually transmitted disease syphilis, as "cat scratch fever" was a common street slang term for the disease in the '70s and the song mentions "[going] to the doctor" and that "you know you got it when/you goin' insane/It makes a grown man cry". Nugent has vehemently protested this interpretation, explaining in 2012 "Are you fucking kidding me? I never had syphilis! It's about the disease of boys craving girls".^[2] Nugent had occasionally introduced the song onstage as "Can't Scratch Her Beaver". Some of the lyrics may refer to cat-scratch disease (often also called "cat scratch fever") and some of its symptoms.

Pantera cover

"Cat Scratch Fever"
Single by Pantera
from the album Detroit Rock City soundtrack
Released	1999
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	3:48
Label	Polygram
Writer(s)	Ted Nugent
Pantera singles chronology
"Where You Come From" (1997) "Cat Scratch Fever" (1999) "Revolution Is My Name" (2000)

The tune was covered by Pantera for the Detroit Rock City CD soundtrack.^[3] Their version peaked at 40 on the Mainstream Rock chart.^[4] Nugent criticized the version claiming, "It was exceedingly white. No soul, no balls, no feel. Caucasian all the way."^[5] Nugent later released more positive comments on the group and even mourned the death of Dimebag Darrell saying, "It's a heartbreaker."^[6]

Charts

Covers and in other media

• The Detroit Tigers have been known to use the song at the beginning of games (Nugent is a Detroit native).
• The song was covered by Nitro (on their album Nitro II: H.W.D.W.S.)
• Motörhead (on their album March ör Die, albeit with some revised, less sexual lyrics)
• Fudge Tunnel (on their album Hate Songs in E Minor).
• Hayseed Dixie (on their album A Hillbilly Tribute to Mountain Love.)
• The Replacements used the song's main riff on "Gary's Got a Boner", from their 1984 album Let It Be. The band even gave Nugent a co-writing credit.^[7]
• In The Simpsons episode "A Tale of Two Springfields", Homer takes a guitar and plays the opening riff to "Cat Scratch Fever", but sings it "Pac-Man Fever".
• The song is the theme song for the San Jose SaberCats.
• The song was featured in the video games Prey. The version from Beer for My Horses is featured in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.
• The song has been featured in many other movies and television series, including Lords of Dogtown, EDtv and The Stoned Age.
• Whenever Ted Nugent's character Skunk Tarver is going to do anything in the movie Beer for My Horses the intros to "Cat Scratch Fever" and "Stranglehold" are played.
• Anvil played the song together with Scott Ian of Anthrax and Slash at the premiere of Anvil! The Story of Anvil at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009.
• The song is played before Cincinnati Bearcats football games.
• The NFL's Carolina Panthers have played the intro to "Cat Scratch Fever" at each of their home games over the public address system, prior to the team's kickoffs, after the Panthers have scored either a touchdown or field goal. The song has also been mixed with the instrumental intro to rap duo Salt-N-Pepa's 1980s smash hit "Push It".

References