the cat
America/Jimmy Webb Lyrics
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Had an old yeller cat that wouldn't leave home.
He tried everything he knew
To make the cat go away
[Chorus]
But the cat came back the very next day
Thought he was a goner,
He gave him to a boy goin' out in a boat,
And he gave the boy a dollar
Just to set the cat afloat
Well the boat tipped over and the boy drowned
Two miles away, they picked the boy up drowned,
[Chorus]
And he gave him to a man goin' up in a balloon
And asked him for to leave him with the man in the moon.
Well the balloon burst and back to earth it head,
Six miles away they picked the man up dead.
[Chorus]
And he took him to the butcher when the butcher wasn't around
And he dropped him in the hopper when the butcher wasn't around.
Well the cat let out with a horrible shriek,
And the town's meat tasted furry for a week
[Chorus]
Now old Mr Johnson lived all alone
Had an old yeller cat that wouldn't leave home.
He tried everything she knew
To make the cat go away.
[Chorus]
The Cat is a comedic folk song written by Harry S. Miller in 1893, which was later covered by Jimmy Webb and became popular in America. The song tells the story of old Mr. Johnson, who lives alone with an old yellow cat that he can't seem to get rid of. The song goes on to describe the various ways in which Mr. Johnson tries to dispose of the cat but fails every time, much to his frustration.
The first verse describes how Mr. Johnson tried everything he could think of to make the cat leave, but the cat always came back. In the second verse, he gives the cat to a boy to set adrift in a boat. However, the boat capsizes and the boy drowns, but the cat comes back. In the third verse, Mr. Johnson gives the cat to a man in a hot air balloon, asking him to leave the cat with the man in the moon. However, the balloon explodes, and the man and cat fall to their deaths, but the cat still returns. In the final verse, Mr. Johnson tries to get rid of the cat by dropping him in a meat grinder at the butcher shop, but the cat escapes and lets out a horrifying scream.
The cat could be interpreted as a metaphor for a problem or situation that people deal with that just won't go away no matter how hard they try. The song's message is that sometimes the best thing to do is to learn to live with it rather than trying to fight it endlessly.
Line by Line Meaning
Now old Mr Johnson lived all alone
The singer of the song, Mr. Johnson, lives in solitude.
Had an old yeller cat that wouldn't leave home.
Mr. Johnson has a yellow cat as his only companion.
He tried everything he knew
Mr. Johnson attempted several ways of getting rid of the cat.
To make the cat go away
He wanted the cat to leave his home.
But the cat came back the very next day
Despite his efforts, the cat returned the following day.
Thought he was a goner,
Mr. Johnson thought that the cat would never return.
But the cat came back 'cause he wouldn't stay away.
The cat kept coming back because it didn't want to leave Mr. Johnson's home.
He gave him to a boy goin' out in a boat,
Mr. Johnson gifted the cat to a boy who was heading out to sea.
And he gave the boy a dollar
To ensure that the cat wouldn't come back, Mr. Johnson paid the boy one dollar.
Just to set the cat afloat
The boy was instructed to set the cat adrift in the water.
Well the boat tipped over and the boy drowned
Unfortunately, the boy drowned when the boat capsized.
Two miles away, they picked the boy up drowned,
The boy's body was found two miles from where the boat tipped over.
[Chorus]
Repeating the earlier lines.
And he gave him to a man goin' up in a balloon
Mr. Johnson gave the cat to a man who was boarding a hot air balloon.
And asked him for to leave him with the man in the moon.
Mr. Johnson requested the man to leave the cat with the man in the moon.
Well the balloon burst and back to earth it head,
Unfortunately, the hot air balloon burst, and it floated back down to the ground.
Six miles away they picked the man up dead.
The man who was on the balloon was found six miles away, and he had died.
[Chorus]
Repeating the earlier lines.
And he took him to the butcher when the butcher wasn't around
When the butcher wasn't present, Mr. Johnson brought the cat to the meat processing plant.
And he dropped him in the hopper when the butcher wasn't around.
Mr. Johnson put the cat in the meat grinder while the butcher was away.
Well the cat let out with a horrible shriek,
The cat screamed loudly as it was being ground up.
And the town's meat tasted furry for a week
As a result, the meat in town had a furry taste for a week.
[Chorus]
Repeating the earlier lines.
Now old Mr Johnson lived all alone
Repeating the earlier line.
Had an old yeller cat that wouldn't leave home.
Repeating the earlier line.
He tried everything she knew
Repeating the earlier line.
To make the cat go away.
Repeating the earlier line.
[Chorus]
Repeating the earlier lines.
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HARRY MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind