The Cat Came Back
"A Comic Negro Absurdity Minstrel Song"
Words and Music by Harry S. Miller (1893)
Dar was ole Mister Johnson
He had troubles ob his own;
He had an ole yeller cat that wouldn't leave his home.
He tried eb'ry thing he knew to keep de cat away;
Eben sent it to de preacher, but he tole it fer to stay.
And de cat came back
De very next day
And de cat came back
We thought it was a goner
But de cat came back
Because it wouldn't stay away!
De cat did hab some comp'ny one night in de yard
Someone frowed a boot-jack, and dey frowed it mighty hard.
Caught de cat behind de car,
She thought it rather slight
When along dar comes a brick-bat
And it knocked it out ob sight.
But de cat came back
De very next day
And de cat came back
We thought it was a goner
But de cat came back
Because it wouldn't stay away!
Away across de ocean dey did send de cat at last,
Vessel only out a day, and taking water fast;
People all began to pray, de boat began to toss,
When a nodder vessel came along
And took de people off.
But de cat came back
De very next day
And de cat came back
We thought it was a goner
But de cat came back
Because it wouldn't stay away!
On a telegraph wire sparrows sittin' in a bunch,
Cat 'a feelin' hungry, thought she'd like 'em fer her lunch;
Climbing softly up de pole,
And when she reached de top,
Put her foot upon de 'lectric wire
Which tied her in a knot.
But de cat came back
De very next day
And de cat came back
We thought it was a goner
But de cat came back
Because it wouldn't stay away!
One time did give the cat away
To man in a balloon
An' tole him fer to gib it
To de man in de moon;
But de b'loon, it busted, sho, and eb'rybody sad
It was seben miles away or more
Dey picked the man up dead.
But de cat came back
De very next day
And de cat came back
We thought it was a goner
But de cat came back
Because it wouldn't stay away!
De cat was 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,
When de air was full ob kittens
Not a one was eber found.
But de cat came back
De very next day
And de cat came back
We thought it was a goner
But de cat came back
Because it wouldn't stay away!
De cat it were a terror
And dey said it war be best
To gib it to a gambler who was goin' out West
De train goin' round de curve
Struck a broken rail
Not a blessed soul aboard de train
Was left to tell de tale.
But de cat came back
De very next day
And de cat came back
We thought it was a goner
But de cat came back
Because it wouldn't stay away!
A man down on de corner swore to kill de cat at night
Loaded up a musket full ob nails and dynamite
Waited in de garden fer de cat to come around;
Half-a-dozen bits and pieces ob de man was all they found.
But de cat came back
De very next day
And de cat came back
We thought it was a goner
But de cat came back
Because it wouldn't stay away!
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 grapplin' in de ribber for a little boy that's drowned.
But de cat came back
De very next day
And de cat came back
We thought it was a goner
But de cat came back
Because it wouldn't stay away!
While de cat lay a-sleepin'
An' a restin' one day
'Round came an organ grinder an' he began to play;
De cat look'd around awhile, an' kinda raised her head
When he played "Ta-rah-rah-boom-dee-ay"
De cat just dropped down dead.
But its ghost came back
The very next day
Yes, its ghost came back,
Maybe you will doubt it
But its ghost came back
Because it wouldn't stay away!
Yes, its ghost came back
To tell you all about it
Yes, its ghost came back
Don't you ever doubt it
But its ghost came back
Just to bid 'em all goodbye!
