Written By: Harry S. Miller
(with later folk additions)
Copyright Unknown
Old Mister Johnson had troubles of his
own
He had a yellow cat which wouldn't leave its home;
He tried and he tried to give the cat away,
He gave it to a man goin' far, far away.
But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea
The man around the corner swore he'd kill 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.
But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we 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 little boy with a dollar note,
Told him for to take it up the river in a boat;
They tied a rope around its neck, it must have weighed a pound
Now they drag the river for a little boy that's drowned.
But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we 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,
He told him for to take it to the man in the moon;
The balloon came down about ninety miles away,
Where he is now, well I dare not say.
But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we 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 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.
But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea
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
But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea
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.
But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea
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.
But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea
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.
But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea
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.
But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner
But the cat came back; it just couldn't stay away.
Away, away, yea, yea, yea
As sung by the New Christy
Minstrals
Written By: Harry S. Miller (with later folk additions)
Copyright Unknown
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 grey 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 west-bound
7:10
The train pulled away and was never seen again.
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!
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 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??
(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!
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!
(See also: Versions 1, 3, and 4)
As recorded by Marais and
Miranda
Written By: Harry S. Miller (with later folk additions)
Copyright Unknown
Old Mr. Johnson had trouble all his own
He had a yellow cat that wouldn't leave his home
He tried in every way to keep that cat away
Took him up to Canada and told him for to stay
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
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
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
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
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
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
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
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 shop's hamburger tasted furry for a week
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
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
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
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
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
The cat was a possessor of a family all its own
With seven little kittens 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
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
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
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
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
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
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
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
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
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
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
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
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
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
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
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
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
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
An 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
But the cat came back the very next day
The cat came back, they thought he was a goner
But the cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away
Written By: Harry S. Miller
(with later folk additions)
Copyright Unknown
Freddie Wilson had a cat that he didn't
want to keep,
He offered it for sale, but no-one would buy it cheap.
He called upon the preacher to ask for his advice,
The preacher said just leave him here, for it would be so nice
But the cat came back, he wouldn't stay away,
He was sitting on the porch on the very next day;
The cat came back, he didn't want to roam,
The very next day he was home sweet home.
Freddie put the cat on board a ship was headed for Ceylon,
The ship was overloaded, about forty thousand ton;
Not many miles from shore that gallant ship went down
There wasn't any doubt about it, everybody drowned
But the cat came back, he wouldn't stay away,
He was sitting on the porch on the very next day;
The cat came back, he didn't want to roam,
The very next day he was home sweet home.
Freddie put the cat on board with a man in a balloon,
Who would give the cat away to the man up in the moon,
The balloon it didn't rise, it burst in bits instead,
Ten miles away they found the man stone dead
But the cat came back, he wouldn't stay away,
He was sitting on the porch on the very next day;
The cat came back, he didn't want to roam,
The very next day he was home sweet home.
Freddie Wilson took his gun and he hid behind a bush,
In the barrel of his gun lead and powder he did push.
He aimed it at the spot where the cat would appear;
The next day all they found was Freddie Wilson's ear
But the cat came back, he wouldn't stay away,
He was sitting on the porch on the very next day;
The cat came back, he didn't want to roam,
The very next day he was home sweet home.
Now the cat sat on the porch and he ate a piece of cheese,
An Irishman came by, he was feeling well at ease.
The cat he was a-smiling, for he was fully fed;
The Irishman sang "Britannia!" and the cat fell dead.
But his ghost came back, he wouldn't stay away,
He was sitting on the porch on the very next day.
His ghost came back, he didn't want to roam,
He haunted Freddie's house and his home sweet home.