The Cat Came Back

First recorded: 1893

Origin: USA

Lyrics

He had a yellow cat who wouldn't leave his homeHe tried and he tried to give the cat awayHe gave it to a man goin' far, far away

But the cat came back the very next dayThe cat came back, they thought he was a gonerBut the cat came back; he just couldn't stay awayGive me a "Meow", go

Now, the man around the corner swore he'd kill the cat on sightSo he loaded up his shotgun with nails and dynamiteHe waited and he waited for the cat to come aroundNinety seven pieces of the man is all that they foundBut you know...?

But the cat came back the very next dayThe cat came back, they thought he was a gonerBut the cat came back; he just couldn't stay awayGive me a "Meow", go

So he gave it to a man going up in a balloonHe told him for to take it to the man in the moonThe balloon came down about ninety miles awayWhere the man is now, well I dare not sayBut you know...?

But the cat came back the very next dayThe cat came back, they thought he was a gonerBut the cat came back; he just couldn't stay awayGive me a "Meow", go

So he gave it to a man going way out WestHe told him for to take it to the one he loved the bestFirst the train hit the track, then it jumped the railNot a soul was left behind to tell the gruesome taleBut you know what?

But the cat came back the very next dayThe cat came back, they thought he was a gonerBut the cat came back; he just couldn't stay awayGive me a "Meow", go

Now, the cat was a possessor of a family of his ownWith seven little kittens till there came a cycloneIt tore the houses all apart and tossed the cat aroundThe air was filled with kittens, but not one was ever found

But the cat came back the very next dayThe cat came back, they thought he was a gonerBut the cat came back; he just couldn't stay awayGive me a "Meow", go

History and Meaning

A man tries everything to get rid of a stubborn yellow cat, gives it away, ships it off, sends it up in a balloon, and every scheme ends in disaster for everyone except the cat, who turns up again "the very next day." "The Cat Came Back" is dark comedy from 1893, later softened for children.

Origins

The song was written by the American songwriter Harry S. Miller in 1893. Initially performed in minstrel shows, the song was first recorded commercially in 1894 by Charles Marsh. Over the early twentieth century, it was recorded by several folk musicians, including Fiddlin' John Carson in 1924 and Fiddlin' Doc Roberts in 1925, which helped establish it as an American folk classic.

Meaning & Interpretation

The song is a dark comedy. In the lyrics, every attempt to get rid of the cat results in a disaster for the person trying to dispose of it, while the cat escapes unharmed. Verses describe a neighbor accidentally blowing himself up with a shotgun, a man in a balloon disappearing, a train derailing, and even a ship sinking, with the cat always surviving and returning. Even when the cat eventually dies in the original sheet music, its ghost returns to haunt its owner.

In the late 1970s, the Canadian children's entertainer Fred Penner adapted and recorded the song, removing some of the older dialect and violent details to make it suitable for young children. This child-friendly version became a massive success and inspired a famous 1988 animated short film by Cordell Barker.

Who wrote the song The Cat Came Back?

The song was written and composed by the American songwriter Harry S. Miller in 1893.

What is the story behind the song The Cat Came Back?

The lyrics tell the story of a man who tries to give away a yellow cat that will not leave his home. Each attempt to leave the cat in a far-off place (like a balloon, a train, or another town) leads to a disaster where the courier is lost, but the cat returns unharmed the next morning.