50 replies to this topic

[bluelight2020]

I would like to know what this term (caught the katy) refers to specifically. I think it the name for a train or train line but don't have any particulars. Info would be greatly appreciated.

[Lucky Bill Lucas]

The M K T.
Missouri - Kansas - Texas railroad lines. http://www.katyrailroad.org/

Welcome to the forums!

[deed22]

Hello from Paris.
I'm an old fan of BB and i found this forum...
I'm sorry for my poor english
But...can somebody explain me what "she caught the Katy and left me a mule to ride" means !
I tried some translators from english to french, but don't understand the results.
Thanx for your help.
Deedy

[Lessien]

Thank you for asking, me too I want to know ^^" But I totally forgot to ask.
Please someone?

[deed22]

Hi you!
I think we're a lot in french-langage countries who don't understand this song.

[440RULEZ]

"Katy" was the nick-name for the trains of the MKT Railroad company.

So it means: "She caught the train..."

Here´s some info:
http://www.c-magic.com/boonvill/KatyDepo.htm

You can also take bike-tours along old Katy trails:
http://www.bikekatytrail.com/

[deed22]

Thanx for this explaination, one cannot guess it.
And for the mule to ride?

[Lessien]

Just for the information: In french, a "mule" is or a donkey, or a special shoe ^^" is it the same?

[440RULEZ]

mule is the word for the old "bastard" donkey mixed from a real donkey-stud and a horse-mare... These are very "mulish" and wilful, and not the fastest ride on earth I guess http://www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/forum2/public/style_emoticons/default/icon_wink.gif

But not shure if this doesn´t mean something else here either...

But I found the website of the official MKT "Katy" railroad historical society:
http://www.katyrailroad.org/

[deed22]

Someone on MSN Gaming Zone says that it could be...hummm, i don't know how to write this, like a lonely sexual pleasure..if you understand what i mean...she left me a mule to ride....or another women, cause the first is gone by train....????

[deed22]

I remember that in france, in the past, ran an old train called Micheline because it was the first train with tires, from Michelin, of course.
Michelin is probably dead now, sold to Bridgestone or another one.
No more Micheline too.

[The_Sarge]

deed22 said:

Michelin is probably dead now,.

No, its still around here very strong in the states. And all these years, I thought the Kady, was them singing it short for Cadillac (but still thought I knew they were sayin' Katy but I thought they were shortening that from Caddy).

The Sarge

[Elwoodforlife]

Ahh I to was wondering what it meant.

~Nick

[Dwight_Blues]

440RULEZ said:

"Katy" was the nick-name for the trains of the MKT Railroad company.

So it means: "She caught the train..."

Here´s some info:
http://www.c-magic.com/boonvill/KatyDepo.htm

You can also take bike-tours along old Katy trails:
http://www.bikekatytrail.com/

Nice detective work on this one!

I always assumed Katy was a substitute for train, but never knew the real line.
On one board I visited there was a discussion that 'My baby caught the Katy' was a nice way of saying his woman left him for another woman, and as someone else stated in this thread 'left me a mule to ride' may have been a referance to ahhhh.....shall we say self enjoyment.

Who knows for real.
But it's fun to speculate!

[SolomanDHBlues]

I don't know how true sexual references are to the song, but considering some of Taj Mahal's songs it could be references like that.

So, let's look at the lines and try to think like a blues-man and see what they mean to us:

================
She caught the Katy
And left me a mule to ride...
The train pulled out
I swung on behind
Crazy 'bout her
That hard headed woman of mine
================
Basically, she's leaving him. She caught the KT train and is splitting. Mule could be the animal*, but it could also mean the type of heel-less shoe or slipper by the same name. Would make sense if his woman is catching a train and he's left to roam around without real shoes on. Maybe she's his source of money? "Swinging on behind" as the song says seems to me like, apparently, whether his 'mule' is the animal or the shoe, he got there late and the train's pulling out. He wanted her back bad! Obviously: he admits he's crazy about her. But, for whatever reason, he was unable to ask her to stay behind because she's hard headed.

================
Man, my baby's long
Great gosh almighty my baby's tall...
She's sleepin' with her head in the kitchen
And her feet's out in the hall
Crazy 'bout her
That hard headed woman of mine
================
He likes his tall women. 'nuff said. It's a description about her. Apparently, she doesn't do much work and thinks about eating if "her head is in the kitchen" denotes what she's dreaming about and her "feets out in the hall" seems to me she's just wandering around the house. But, that would all negate my theory that taking the train means she has money and leaving him with a mule (animal or shoes) means leaving him broke. Maybe she does house work for someone and makes all the bucks, and she cooks and cleans (kitchen/hall) since that's how she dreams.

================
Well I love my baby
She's so fine
But I wish she'd come and see me some time
She don't believe in our love, ah
Look whatta hole I'm in
She don't believe what I'm sayin'
Kid look whatta shape I'm in
Huh-huh
================
He loves her, he thinks she looks good, and he misses her. He's talked to her at some point and she has told him that she didn't want to come back--no more faith in the relationship. Did he cheat? Did she just fall out of love with him?? We'll never know that part, but whatever the problem was she left him because of it. He's depressed, too, because he's in a "hole," and that's got him all messed up. She doesn't believe him when he says he loves her and misses her and wants her back--remember? She's hard-headed.

The story as I see it: She works hard for the money, cooking & cleaning for someone. He's done something obviously wrong that caused her to leave because he's begging her back...or, she fell out of love with him and moved on; but, whichever the case, she's taken the money with her and left him broke. Maybe it's the money she has that he loves because HE doesn't work. But, by being depressed, he knows he screwed up somewhere, and she's happy in her new life with whoever she's with now.

What do you think? I think I looked at this song from all different directions. Discuss.

---------------
*reportedly, and I would know this since my cartoon/puppet/mascot character is Muley the Mule (www.picturetrail.com/muleythemule): In China, mules are bred for their hide and as a food item--it has also been recorded that there are first generation male/female mules that CAN breed a pure-bred mule, but that second generation mule is indeed infertile.

[Lessien]

wow I think that's a very very good analyse.... Definitevly I think that's the shoe more than the animal...

[deed22]

Many thanks to everybody here. I cannot reply exactly what i think, because i don't speak english enough, but i understood your answers and one more time i write a big thanx.

[SolomanDHBlues]

De rien, et j'espère que vous visiterez les forums souvent !

[grumpydawg]

there are a couple of town musiems near me that have turned the depot(pronouced dee-pot) that have "mules" which were basicly a small maintance vechical that rode the rails

[deed22]

Pour une surprise....Cela me permet (bien que cela ne soit pas très correct sur un forum de langue anglaise) de te remercier in french.
Ton analyse est parfaite et me convient parfaitement.
Merci encore SolomanDHBlues.

Sorry for this reply in french, it was a great pleasure answer to Soloman...