Extended instrumental intro.

On a morning from a Bogart movie,
In a country where they turn back time.
You go strolling through the crowd,
Like Peter Lorre contemplating a crime.
She comes out of the sun in a silk dress,
Running like a watercolor in the rain.
Don't bother asking for explanations,
She'll just tell you that she came,
In the year of the cat.

She doesn't give you time for questions,
As she locks up your arm in hers.
And you follow till your sense of which direction,
Completely disappears.
By the blue tiled walls near the market stalls,
There's a hidden door she leads you to.
These days, she says, "I feel my life,
Just like a river running through,
The year of the cat."

Well, she looks at you so cooly,
And her eyes shine like the moon in the sea.
She comes in incense and patchouli3,
So you take her to find what's waiting inside,
The year of the cat.

Extended instrumental break.

Well, morning comes and you're still with her,
Find more similar lyrics on http://mp3lyrics.com/au9And the bus and the tourists are gone.
And you've thrown away your choice,
And lost your ticket so you have to stay on.
But the drum-beat strains of the night remain,
In the rhythm of the new-born day.
You know sometime you're bound to leave her,
But for now you're gonna stay,
In the year of the cat.

Year of the cat

Extended instrumental coda.

YEAR OF THE CAT
Written by: Al Stewart & Peter Wood
Performed by: Al Stewart1-1976
Appears on: Year of the Cat-1976, The Live Radio Concert-1980, Live Indian
Summer-1981, The Best of Al Stewart-1986, Rhymes in Rooms-1992 & (Bonus
Tracks)-2007, Singers & Songwriters: 40 Hits-1990*, Chronicles: The Best of
Al Stewart-1996*, AM Gold: (1977)-1997*2, Live at the Roxy, Los Angeles
(1981)-1997, An Accoustic Evening with Al Stewart-1998, The Best of
MusikLaden Live-1999, The Very Best Al Stewart Album Ever-2002, Time Passages
Live-2002 & 2005, The Essential Al Stewart-2003, Greatest Hits-2004, et al.
(*Compilation of various artists.)

1Covered by: BB Band, Hanne Boel, The Countdown Singers, Kris Isak.

2Transcribed from the track on this album.

3Patchouli is a bushy herb of the mint family with a strong, heavy scent.
It has been used for centuries in perfumes.