The Cat Came Back
Vicki Holzhauer
while back. It has at least one gruesome verse (for which I take no
responsibility), but at least it has a happy ending ... :-)
--Vicki
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BEGIN ORIGINAL POST:
I read your post and started playing some of my old Garrison
Keillor tapes and I think I've found it. Some of the grammar mistakes
are intentional as they are part of the song. Anything in <> is
dialog by Keillor during the song.
Intro before the song:
"This song comes from The Songs of the Cat Songbook, written in
1892, at least parts of it were. It's called "The Cat Came Back"
Song:
Now old Mr. Johnson had a problem by and by
He had on old disgusting cat that didn't want to die
He tried everything he knew to get the cat to take a walk
He even took him to Canada and tied him to a rock
But the cat came back
The very next day
They thought he was a gonner but the kitty came back
Cause he couldn't stay away
<That is only the first verse, there is more>
So he paid a boy a dollar for to set the cat afloat
And he sent them up a river with a sack and a boat
Now the fishin was fine til the news got around
That the boat was missing and the boy was never found
But the cat came back
The very next day
They thought he was a gonner but the kitty came back
Cause he wouldn't stay away.
<It's all in the timing>
Well the doctor round the corner said he'd shoot him on site
So he loaded up his gun with rocks and dynamite
Well the gun went off and it shattered all the glass
And down from the sky fell the hips...
But the cat came back
The very next day
They thought he was a gonner but the kitty came back
Cause he wouldn't stay away
So he gave him to a man goin up in a balloon
And told him for to leave him with the man in the moon
The balloon got busted and it fell I suppose
The man was buried headfirst up to his toes
But the cat came back
The very next day
They thought he was a gonner but the kitty came back
Cause he wouldn't stay away
<This is a disgusting verse but I'm gonna sing it anyway>
So he took him to the shop where the meat was ground
And tossed him in the hopper when the butcher wasn't round
That cat disappeared with a blood-curling shriek
The town's meat tasted furry for a week
But the cat came back
The very next day
They thought he was a gonner but the kitty came back
Cause he wouldn't stay away
<Well, they thought they'd fix him for good and put him into agrobusiness>
So they made that cat a farmer with cats of his own
They mortgaged his land; foreclosed on his loan
He had lillies on his chest and coins on his eyes
But the next election he gave them a surprise
Cause the farmers came back
The very next day
They thought they were gonners but the farmers came back
Cause they wouldn't stay a.....
But the cat came back
The very next day
They thought he was a gonner but the kitty came back
Cause he wouldn't stay away.
There you go...Hope it's the one you were looking for.
If anyone would like a copy of Garrison singing this song, e-mail
me at my PSUVM address.
(*********************************************************************)
(* MS...@PSUVM.PSU.EDU * "I never think about the *)
(* H A N K mda...@haydn.psu.edu * future - it comes soon enough" *)
(* Matt Davis * Albert Einstein *)
(*********************************************************************)
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END OF ORIGINAL POST
--
Vicki Holzhauer, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Boulder, Colorado / / / / vi...@ncar.ucar.edu
Buddy Brannan
curious: How many different verses (and then, how many versions of the same
verse) can we come up with?
--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV, Riff-Raff #4
The World's Youngest Old Fart :-)
Internet: dav...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
"One foot in a brave new world, one foot still in bed ..."
--from Those Who Dig: "Mr. Banana Head"
Doug Gillespie
In a previous article, vi...@steam.atd.ucar.edu (Vicki Holzhauer) says:
>I have the following song that I picked up off rec.arts.wobegon a
>while back. It has at least one gruesome verse (for which I take no
>responsibility), but at least it has a happy ending ... :-)
>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>BEGIN ORIGINAL POST:
>
>Intro before the song:
>
> "This song comes from The Songs of the Cat Songbook, written in
>1892, at least parts of it were. It's called "The Cat Came Back"
I guess it wasn't as cute as I thought. I only remembered part of the
chorus. Where I heard this in the first place was on Hard Copy or Current
Affair. They were doing a story on a cat and I only saw the last few
seconds. Did anybody see this story? It was on in the last 2 months. I'm
sure this is the song I was thinking of. Thanks for digging this up
though.
--
Single sig xx...@cleveland.freenet.edu Denver ab...@freenet.hsc.colorado.edu
Timex/Sinclair sig xx...@cleveland.freenet.edu Youngstown, Oh ad...@yfn.ysu.edu
Medina, Oh ac...@medina.freenet.edu Peoria, Ill dgil...@heartland.bradley.edu
Lorain aa1...@freenet.lorain.oberlin.edu Victoria ua...@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
Ann M. Davis
|>
|> I guess it wasn't as cute as I thought. I only remembered part of the
|> chorus.
Here's another version you might enjoy more:
Old Mr. Johnson had troubles of his own
He had a yellow cat which wouldn't leave its home
He tried & he tried to give the cat away
He gave it to a man going far, far away
But the Cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, it just couldn't stay, Awa-ay
The man around the corner swore he'd kill the cat on sight
He loaded up his shotgun with nails & dynamite
He waited & he waited for the cat to come around
97 pieces of the man is all they found
He gave it to a fisherman with a dollar note
Told him for to take up the river in a boat
They tied a rope around its neck, it must have weighed a pound
But they had to drag the river for the fisherman was drowned
He gave it to a man going up in a balloon
He told him for to take it to the man in the moon
The balloon came down 90 miles away
And where he is now I dare not say
He gave it to a man goin' way out west
Told him for to take it to the one he loved the best
First the train hit the curve, then it jumped the rail
Not a soul was left behind to tell the gruesome tale
The atom bomb fell one bright summer day
Then they dropped the H-Bomb the very same way
Russia went, England went, & then the U.S.A.
The human race was finished without a chance to pray
I found the version in _Rise Up Singing_ one of the best collections
of folk song (and others) lyrics I've ever found.
Ann
--
Ann M. Davis
a...@space.mit.edu "Choose your battles wisely"
MIT Center for Space Research
Andy J. Williams
writes:
>ALSO..... has anyone gotten the chance to see the animation short using
>some variation of that song? Quite hilarious!!!! 8)
I have seen it and it was great! But I've always wanted to find a
recording of that particular variation of the song... does anyone
have any leads?
-A
Andy J. Williams | And...@dartmouth.edu | echo "Hello."
Manager, Computer | AOL:AndyJW, ALink:A0192 | setenv NAME 'Inigo Montoya'
Resource Center | CIS: 70254,3235 | user>kill -9 my ppid
Dartmouth College | 603-646-3989 (w) | Prepare to vi.
Alan Petersen
>I have seen it and it was great! But I've always wanted to find a
>recording of that particular variation of the song... does anyone
>have any leads?
I posted this before, but following up a different article,
so maybe nobody read it:
The cartoon is great. It is available on a video called
INCREDIBLE MANITOBA ANIMATION and can be obtained at:
Mellow Manor Productions, Inc.
7524 La Jolla Blvd
La Jolla, CA
92037
ph: (619) 459-8707
The price is (according to the flyer) 29.95 US plus $4 S&H.
Cheques, MC, VISA accepted.
I have no affiliation with these guys, and was just surprised
that quality NFB Short Films can be found in the US!
asp
--
| Alan Petersen | |
| Department of Psychology | ph: 213-740-9194 |
| University of Southern California | email: al...@gizmo.usc.edu |
ca...@binah.cc.brandeis.edu
9 verses. Most of the verses from this post are also in the version I have
except for the nuclear one. I have included the rest below.
The cat it had some company one night out in the yard
Someone threw a boot-jack and they threw it mighty hard
It caught the cat behind the ear, she thought it rather slight
When along came a brick-bat and knocked the cat out of sight
Away across the ocean they did send the cat at last
Vessel only out a day and making water fast
People all began to pray, the boat began to toss
A great big gust of wind came by and every soual was lost
On a telegraph wire sparrows sitting in a bunch
The cat was feeling hungry thought she'd like 'em for a luch
Climbing softly up the pole, and when she reached the top
Put her foot upon the electric wire which tied her in a knot
The cat was posessor of a family of its own
With seven little kittens till there came a cyclone
Blew the houses all apart and tossed the cat around
The air was full of kittens not a one was ever found
But the cat came back.... :)
I've been singing this song for years. Pooky, DooDoo and Sophronia think I
sing it just for them....
Sarah.
p...@brutus.aa.ab.com
>Here's another version you might enjoy more:
>
>He had a yellow cat which wouldn't leave its home
>He tried & he tried to give the cat away
>He gave it to a man going far, far away
for the poster who wanted the version of "The
Cat Came Back" that is in the __hysterical__
cartoon of the same name, I am sure the above
verse is in it. Other verses from this post are
like parts of the cartoon, but may not be the same.
I looked for my copy of the cartoon last night
but it has disappeared :-( I may have to
order a new one from the address listed on a
previous post...
Michael Dow
BUT! Nickelodeon had a little 3-minute called 'The Little Yellow Cat'...
It used a different melody, slightly different wording... But the intent
was there...
If someone has a recording of this (audio or VCR) ***PLEASE*** mail me..
Michael R. Dow
R11...@Waccvm.corp.mot.com
Minida Rene Dowdy
on NICKLEODEN (sp?) "the kids channel" we get it on cable tv
it wasnt listed in the TV GUIDE as a "show" because (i guess) it was more
like a commercial in length (a filler of about 4-5 mins or less)
it was very amusing...but it would have been difficult to tape
because of the "unannounced" position
guess you will just have to be lucky to catch it sometime...
U52...@uicvm.uic.edu
On the "Muppet Show" years ago they did a "Cat Came Back" song that was
typically hilarious and mildly violent. The only part of the song I
remember is:
But, the cat came back
He wouldn't stay away
He showed right up
On the very next day
So we put him in a cannon
And we shot him very far
The neighbors surrendered
'Cause they thought it was a war
But, the cat came back...
Does anyone have this on tape? E-Mail me if so. Thanx.
Barry Aldridge
U of I/Chicago & 24-Hour Bar-B-Q
Standard old disclaimer
Mary Papp
saw it in a bookstore last night. He sings all these songs about cats. Has
anyone listened to this yet.
Mary and Slash
--
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Mary Papp: Z/Max Computer Solutions 8287 Loop Road Baldwinsville, NY 13027
ma...@zmax.com
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Eric Williams
was a second version as well, but I think all of its verses had already
been covered.
-----
The Cat Came Back
Am E7 Am E7
Old Mr. Johnson had trouble all his own
Am E7 Am E7
He had a yellow cat that wouldn't leave his home
Am Dm Am E7
He tried in every way to keep that cat away
Am E7 Am E7
Took him up to Canada and told him for to stay
Am Dm Am E7
But the cat came back the very next day
Am Dm Am E7
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
Am Dm Am E7 Am Dm Am E7
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
On a telegraph wire the birds were sitting in a bunch
He saw an even number,said he'd have 'em for his lunch
Climbed softly up the pole until he reached the top
Put his foot upon the 'lectric wire, tied him in a knot
This cat had company out in the backyard
Somebody threw a boot and threw it awful hard
Hit the cat behind the ear and he thought it was a slight
And down came a brick and knocked him out of sight
They threw him in the kennel where the dog was asleep
And the bones of cats lay piled in a heap
That kennel burst apart and the dog flew out the side
With his ears chewed off and holes in his hide
They sneaked him in a shop with the butcher not around
And they dropped him in the hopper where the meat was ground
The cat despaired with a blood-curdling shriek
And that shops hamburger tasted furry for a week
They put him in a cotton sack and gave him to a girl
Who'd started on a bicycle all around the world
Well, over there in China a terrible wreak was found
She's singing now in heaven with the angels all around
Now this cat was a terror and they thought it would be best
To give him to a feller who was going way out west
Train ran round a curve and hit a broken rail
Not a blessed soul aboard that train lived to tell the tale
The cat was a possessor of a family all its own
With seven little kitten.
s till there was a cyclone
Blew the houses all apart and tossed the cat around
The air was full of kittens and not a one was found
Away across the ocean they did send the cat at last
Vessel only out a day and taking water fast
People all began to pray, the boat began to toss
A great big gust of wind came by and every soul was lost
They gave the cat to a man in a balloon
And told him to give him to the man in the moon
But the balloon it busted and everybody said
Ten miles away they picked the man up dead
At last they found a way this cat to really fix
They put him in an orange crate on highway 66
Come a ten ton truck with a twenty ton load
Scattered pieces of that orange crate a mile down the road
They put him on a boat bound for Sidneytown
They thought with all that rain there he'd surely drowned
When the rain came down for the 92nd day
That whole darn city just a floated out the bay
The farmer on the corner said he'd shoot that cat on sight
Loaded up his shotgun full of nails and dynamite
And he hid in the garden till the cat came round
But 97 pieces of that man were all they found
They put him on the White House lawn, I'll tell the reason why
With all the golfballs flying, they thought he'd surely die
Well the very next morning, what do you think they found
64 squirrels lying dead upon the ground
Gave him to a little boy with a dollar note
Who was going out to sea in an open boat
They tied a rock around his neck, it must have weighed a pound
Now they're dragging up the river, cause the little boy was
drowned
They took him down to Cape Canaveral and they put him into place
And they shot him in a satellite way up into space
They thought that the cat was beyond human reach
And then they got a phone call from Miami Beach
H bomb fell just the other day,
A bomb fell in the very same way
Russia went, England went, then the USA
The whole human race gone without a chance to pray
Recorded Marais & Miranda, several others.
--
Eric Williams wd6...@netcom.com | Never attribute to malice that which
WD6CMU@WD6CMU.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NA | is adequately explained by stupidity.
Nancy P. Milligan
--
Nancy P. Milligan n...@netcom.com
or
n...@dale.cts.com