The Cat Came Back

(New Christy Minstrels version)

Words & Music:

Harry S. Miller

 

I'm not even going to try to give the chords for this one.  It is as far afield of the others as the Sharon, Lois & Bram Big Band version.

 

Well, just like everybody you have troubles of your own.

But let me tell you, Mister, of the sorrow I have known.

I had an old gray cat, that I couldn't bear to keep.

He spent the nights a-howl'n and he wouldn't let me sleep.

So, I put him in a box and I tied it up quite well.

I had some fellows help me and I paid them not to tell.

We put it in a boxcar, the Westbound Seven-Ten.

The train pulled away and was never seen again.

 

CHORUS:

But the cat came back, the very next day.

Yes the cat came back and he wouldn't stay away.

Meow, kitty! Meow, so pretty!

Meow, such a pity, but the cat came back.

 

So, I took him to the harbor and I put in on a ship.

I bid him "Bon Voyage!" for that oceanic trip.

The captain was obligin' and glad to help us out.

We tied him to the anchor so that there could be no doubt.

Well, we heard that sad report of that might storm at sea.

And though it may sound heartless, I was happy as could be.

The paper said the ship went down beneath a heavy gale.

And not a single soul was left to tell the awful tale.

 

CHORUS:

 

So, I gave him to a scientist, destined for the moon.

The cat was used for ballast in an outer space balloon.

I guess you know what happened, that balloon's up there still.

And early that next morning, guess what came across the hill.

[SPOKEN:  "Meow! That's right!"]

Now, everyone in town was sworn to shoot that cat on sight.

With that crazy cat around you couldn't sleep at night.

We even formed a posse just to hunt that critter down.

You could hear the guns a-blazin' as they ran him out of town.

 

CHORUS: