The Cat Came Back
Harry S. Miller| Original | Versione di Cisco Houston (1961) |
| THE CAT CAME BACK Dar was ole Mister Johnson, he had troubles ob his own; He had an ole yaller cat that wouldn't leave its home. He tried eb'ry thing he knew to keep de cat away; Eben sent it to de preacher, an' he tole it for to stay. But de cat came back, couldn't stay no longer, Yes de cat came back de very next day; De cat came back - thought she were a goner, But de cat came back for it wouldn't stay away. 2. De cat did hab some company one night out in de yard. Some one frowed a bootjack, an' dey frowed it mighty hard, Caught de cat behind de ear, she thought it rather slight, When along dar comes a brickbat an' it knocked it out ob sight. But de cat came back, couldn't stay no longer, Yes de cat came back de very next day; De cat came back - thought she were a goner, But de cat came back for it wouldn't stay away. 3. Away acrowss de ocean dey send de cat at last, Vessel only out a day and making water fast; People all begin to pray, de boat begin to toss, When a nodder vessel came along and took de people off. But de cat came back, couldn't stay no longer, Yes de cat came back de very next day; De cat came back - thought she were a goner, But de cat came back for it wouldn't stay away. 4. On a telegraph wire sparrows sitting in a bunch; Cat a feeling hungry, thought she'd like 'em for a lunch, Climbing softly up de pole, an' when she reached de top Put her foot upon de 'lectric wire, which tied her in a knot. But de cat came back, couldn't stay no longer, Yes de cat came back de very next day; De cat came back - thought she were a goner, But de cat came back for it wouldn't stay away. 5. One time did gib de cat away to a man in a balloon An' tole him her to gib it to de man in de moon; But de b'loon it busted, sho, an' eb'rybody sed It wer seben miles away or more dey picked de man up dead. But de cat came back, couldn't stay no longer, Yes de cat came back de very next day; De cat came back - thought she were a goner, But de cat came back for it wouldn't stay away. 6. De cat it were a possessor ob a fam'ly ob its own Wid seben little kittens till dar comes a cyclone, Blowed de houses all apart and tossed de cat around; While de air was full ob kittens not a one was eber found. But de cat came back, couldn't stay no longer, Yes de cat came back de very next day; De cat came back - thought she were a goner, But de cat came back for it wouldn't stay away. 7. De cat it were a terror and dey said it wer de best To gib it to a n*g*#@ who was going out West. De train going 'round de curve struck a broken rail, Not a blessed soul aboard de train wer left to tell de tale. But de cat came back, couldn't stay no longer, Yes de cat came back de very next day; De cat came back - thought she were a goner, But de cat came back for it wouldn't stay away. 8. A man down on de corner swore to kill de cat at sight, Loaded up a musket full ob nails and dynamite, Waited in de garden for de cat to come around; Half a dozen little pieces ob de man was all dey found. But de cat came back, couldn't stay no longer, Yes de cat came back de very next day; De cat came back - thought she were a goner, But de cat came back for it wouldn't stay away. 9. Little boy took de cat away, he got a dollar note, Took it down de ribber in a little open boat, Tied a brick around its neck an' stone about a pound; Now dey're grappling in de ribber for a little boy that's drowned. But de cat came back, couldn't stay no longer, Yes de cat came back de very next day; De cat came back - thought she were a goner, But de cat came back for it wouldn't stay away. 10. While de cat lay a-sleeping an' a-resting one day, 'Round came an organ grinder an' he began to play; De cat look'd around awhile an' kinder raised her head When he played Ta-rah-dahboom-da-rah, an' de cat dropped dead. But its ghost came back to tell you all about it; Yes its ghost came back, between you and I. Its ghost came back, may be you will doubt it, But its ghost came back just to bid 'em all goodbye. | THE CAT CAME BACK Well old Mr. Johnson Had troubles all his own He had an old yellow cat That wouldn't leave home Tried everything he knew to do To get the cat to stay away Even took him up to Canada And told him for to stay But the cat came back, the very next day, Thought he was a goner, but the cat came back 'Cause he wouldn't stay away Well they give a boy a dollar For to set the cat afloat And he took him up the river In a sack and a boat Well the fishin' it was fine Till the news got around That the boat was missing And the boy was drowned But the cat came back, the very next day, Thought he was a goner, but the cat came back 'Cause he wouldn't stay away Well the farmer on the corner Said he'd shoot him on sight And he loaded up his gun Full of rocks and dynamite The gun went off, Heard all over town Little pieces of the man Was all that they found But the cat came back, the very next day, Thought he was a goner, but the cat came back 'Cause he wouldn't stay away Well they finally found a way This cat for to fix They put him in an orange crate On Route 66 Come a ten ton truck With a twenty ton load Scattered pieces of the orange crate All down the road But the cat came back, the very next day, Thought he was a goner, but the cat came back 'Cause he wouldn't stay away Now they gave him to a man Going up in the balloon And they told him for to leave him With the man in the moon Well the balloon got busted, Back to earth it head, And seven miles away they picked the man up dead But the cat came back, the very next day, Thought he was a goner, but the cat came back 'Cause he wouldn't stay away Well they took him to the shop Where the meat was ground And they dropped him in the hopper When the butcher wasn't 'round Well the cat disappeared With a blood-curdling shriek And the town's meat Tasted furry for a week But the cat came back, the very next day, Thought he was a goner, but the cat came back 'Cause he wouldn't stay away Well, they took him to Cape Canaveral And they put him in a place Shot him in a U.S. rocket Going way out in space Well they finally thought the cat Was out a' human reach Next day they got a call From Miami Beach and But the cat came back, the very next day, Thought he was a goner, but the cat came back 'Cause he wouldn't stay away |
