Alley Cat Strut Oscar Holden May 2026

Did "Alley Cat Strut" have lyrics? Oral history suggests yes. Seattle jazz historian Paul de Barros, in his book "Jackson Street After Dark," recalls that Holden would sometimes sing nonsense verses over the piano during late-night sets at the Washington Social Club.

The rumored chorus goes something like this:

"Walking down the alley, don't you lose your stride, If that tomcat hisses, you just step aside. Oscar's on the eighty-eights, playing something blue, That alley cat strut is the only thing to do."

Holden never officially published lyrics, likely because the "alley cat" in question was a coded reference to the late-night "sporting life"—gamblers, hustlers, and ladies of the night who utilized the back alleys of Seattle’s Pioneer Square. The "strut" was your attitude. If you walked with confidence, you survived. alley cat strut oscar holden

Here is where the search for “Alley Cat Strut Oscar Holden” gets interesting. Unlike instrumental piano rolls, Holden was known to scat and improvise lyrics that were rarely written down.

Old-timers who frequented the Washington Social Club in the 1940s recall Holden singing a version of "Alley Cat Strut" that went something like:

“Look at that cat on the fence, / He ain’t got no common sense, / He’s lookin’ for a midnight chase, / With a smile on his face. / That’s the alley cat strut.” Did "Alley Cat Strut" have lyrics

These lyrics never appeared on the official copyright. In fact, most musicologists classify the piece as an instrumental. However, oral histories from Seattle’s Black community insist that Holden sang the song as often as he played it.

The likely truth: Holden was a "subject changer." He would change the lyrics nightly based on who was in the audience. If a local politician walked in, the cat was running for mayor. If a boxer walked in, the cat was dodging a left hook. The "strutting cat" was a metaphor for surviving in the urban jungle.

For years, there has been a heated debate among jazz archivists. Some claim the original title was actually "The Alley Cat's Strut," while others argue Holden didn't name it until a 1949 session with the V Disc label. "Walking down the alley, don't you lose your

The most compelling theory comes from an interview with Holden’s granddaughter, pianist Joni Holden Allen, conducted in 1995. She recalled:

“My grandfather said he wrote the tune in 1927 after watching a stray tomcat walk down the alley behind the Pink Elephant Club. The cat was limping—he’d been in a fight—but he still held his head high. My grandpa said, ‘That cat has more dignity than the mayor.’ He hummed the bass line that night and never stopped playing it.”

Whether apocryphal or true, the story perfectly encapsulates the ethos of the piece. "Alley Cat Strut" is an anthem for the down-but-not-out.