The Cat Came Back

Written By: Harry S. Miller (with later folk additions)
recorded by Marais and Miranda
Midi from: http://www.musiclegacy.com/catcameb.htm

Old Farmer Johnson had troubles of his own
He had a yellow cat which wouldn't leave his home;
He tried and he tried to give the cat away,
He gave it to a man goin' far, far away.

Chorus: 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 away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea

He gave it to a man going up in a balloon,
Told him to give it to the man in the moon;
Balloon cam down about ninety miles away,
But where the man is today I cannot say.

Repeat Chorus

He gave it to a man going way out West,
Told him to give it to the one he loved best,
Fist the train hit a curve, then it jumped the rail,
Not a soul's alive to tell the gruesome tail.

Repeat Chorus

The man around the corner swore he'd shoot the cat on sight,
He loaded up his shotgun with nails and dynamite;
He waited and he waited for the cat to come around,
Ninety seven pieces of the man is all they found.

Repeat Chorus

He gave it to a little boy with a dollar note,
Told him for to take it up the river in a boat;
Tied a rope around its neck, must have weighed a pound
Now they drag the river for a little boy that's drowned.

Repeat Chorus

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

Repeat Chorus

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 soul was lost.

Repeat Chorus

On a telegraph wire, sparrows sitting in a bunch,
The cat was feeling hungry, thought she'd like 'em for a lunch;
Climbing softly up the pole, and when she reached the top,
Put her foot upon the electric wire, which tied her in a knot.

Repeat Chorus

The cat was a possessor 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, and not a one was ever found.

Repeat Chorus

The atom bomb fell just the other day,
The H-Bomb fell in the very same way;
Russia went, England went, and then the U.S.A.
The human race was finished without a chance to pray.

Repeat Chorus