Dropshipped Cat Shirt by Wilbur Soot
Wilbur Soot isn’t the most poetic musician, but at times his lyrics can be quite complex. And so it is in the case of Dropshipped Cat Shirt. For example, it’s ultimately up to the reader to ascertain what the song’s unconventional title is supposed to mean in context, considering that a “dropshipped cat shirt” is never mentioned nor apparently alluded to in the lyrics. Also, as far as the wording overall, they read like a mixture of real-life experiences, such as the singer enjoying loyal club sandwiches made of lamb meat and rye bread, intermixed with psychological musings of how Wilbur has come to perceive himself.
So in trying to make sense of it all, we may have to take a few interpretative liberties. But the bridge, even though being multi-subjected itself, also appears to be the clearest passage in terms of comprehensively putting forth the thesis sentiment of this track. And it begins with the vocalist noting that earlier in life, he was a creature who consumed according to his appetites. And that may be what Soot is also trying to get at in the third verse, when he presents the addressee as being someone who has “triggered (his) mammalian sighing reflex”.
It has been argued that said term, which serves as the title of the album which features this song, was actually a derivation of a physiological phenomenon known as the mammalian diving reflex. It is a commonality that all mammals are said to share which, within the context of this song, is used to counteract the threat of anxiety or internal hyperactivity (as illustrated when we are submerged in cold water). So the “mammalian sighing reflex” is obviously a metaphor. And what it seemingly points to, all wording considered, is Wilbur having reached a point where he became “bored” with indulging himself, including on the thoughts of others, who would presumably be netizens. In other words he submerged himself in the game, if you will.
So one way of interpreting the second half of the bridge is as alluding to Soot currently living the big life. After all, he’s not only experienced success on social media but also as an industry-accepted musician. Yet and still, he is suffering from boredom. And conclusively, it seems that the point the vocalist is trying to get at is that he expended so much energy reveling in the earlier days of his success that now self-indulgence or materialism has become woefully redundant.
Songwriting and Production Credits
This song was both written and produced by the multi-talented Wilbur Soot. And it is one of the 12 tracks featured on the playlist of his sophomore full-length, Mammalian Sighing Reflex, which Soot apparently self-released on 30 November 2022.
Other Facts
To note, “dropshipped” products are those sold by a middleman who, upon receiving an order, makes the purchase on behalf of the buyer from the actual supplier. So according to Google, a “dropshipped cat shirt” would be one of such items, i.e. a dropshipped T-shirt with the image of a cat on it.
