And the Cat Came Back
Encyclopedia
"The Cat Came Back" is a comic song written by Harry S. Miller
in 1893. "The Cat Came Back" has since entered the folk tradition and been recorded under variations of the title—"But the Cat Came Back", "And the Cat Came Back", etc. It is also a popular children's song.
The song is humorous in nature, telling a silly tale about "ole Mister Johnson" who had an "ole yaller
cat" that he did not want, and when he tried to get rid of the cat, the cat kept coming back:
In Miller's original, the cat finally died when an organ grinder came around one day and:
Even then the cat's ghost came back.
The first commercial recording of "The Cat Came Back" was by Fiddlin' John Carson
(OKeh 40119) in April 1924. Other early recordings include one by Philippine Fiddlin' Doc Roberts
("And The Cat Came Back The Very Next Day", Gennett 3235), on November 13, 1925.
The song was used as the basis for the 1988 short animated film The Cat Came Back by Cordell Barker
.
and tempo
. It is an excellent example in this regard, because of the strong and consistent beat
pattern, combined with amusing and humorous lyrics. Additionally, especially the minor key versions of the song, have a compelling effect with regards to perception of tempo.
Like many children's songs, the song has a very strong well-defined beat pattern. It consists of one weak beat, one strong beat, so it is often sung in 2/4 time.
Thus it can be (and often is) sung while walking, with, for example, strong beats when the left foot hits the ground and weak beats when the right foot hits the ground.
first verse:
chorus:
alternate chorus:
Every second beat is emphasized (emphasized beats are shown underlined in bold).
Each line of text in the above has eight beats, and usually the chords fall (piano) or begin (organ) on the capitalized words.
The chord progression repeats every 8 beats, so one might think of the song as being in either 2/ time or 8/ time (whichever denominator you use for reference time, i.e. 2/4 or 8/4 time if the beat is a quarter note, etc.). The pattern of 2/ and 8/ is very similar to the beat pattern in Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
, but phase-shifted by 180 degrees (since the song starts on a weak beat rather than the strong beat beginning of Twinkle Twinkle).
. He has used the song as part of a medley that includes the tune heard in Hit the Road Jack
with lyrics changed to "Hit the Road Cat".
, so the first verse plus the chorus takes up, for example, 64 beats, so it is often nice to put some kind of instrumental or improvised section at the end of the chorus to make it fit nicely into 64 rather than 56 beats for one verse plus one run of the chorus. Alternatively an 8-beat rest (zero padding) may be inserted and the end of the chorus.
Many versions are in a major key, but there are some versions that are also in a minor key. The chord progression for many of the minor-key versions is Am, G, F, E
.
For example the second verse often shoots up an octave to emphasize the words "dynamite" and "found" (each sung an octave above the first note of the song, which is "E" if the song is sung in the key of A-minor), even though the first verse does not shoot up that way.
The third verse often contains a descending scale that does not appear in the first or second verses.
(deliberately), or just spoken (not sung), or includes chirps or quarter tones (notes that fall between semitones). In some versions the chirps can be approximated by a chromatic glissando.
Now, old Mr. Johnson had troubles of his own.
He had a yellow cat that wouldn't leave his home!
A special plan with deception as the key.
One little cat—how hard could it be?
and
Well, old Mr. Johnson had troubles of his own.
Still the yellow cat wouldn't leave his home!
Steps were needed to remove the little curse.
The old man knew it couldn't get any worse.
Harry S. Miller
Harry S. Miller was a prolific American lyricist, composer, and sometimes playwright who lived in New York and Chicago in the 19th and early 20th centuries and is best known for his song "The Cat Came Back: A Comic Negro Absurdity", published in 1893.-Life:Born in Philadelphia in 1867 to Isaac D....
in 1893. "The Cat Came Back" has since entered the folk tradition and been recorded under variations of the title—"But the Cat Came Back", "And the Cat Came Back", etc. It is also a popular children's song.
The song is humorous in nature, telling a silly tale about "ole Mister Johnson" who had an "ole yaller
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
cat" that he did not want, and when he tried to get rid of the cat, the cat kept coming back:
But the cat came back, he couldn't stay no long-er,
Yes the cat came back de very next day,
the cat came back—thought she were a goner,
But the cat came back for it wouldn't stay away.
In Miller's original, the cat finally died when an organ grinder came around one day and:
De cat look'd around awhile an' kinder raised her head
When he played Ta-rah-dah-boom-da-rah, an' de cat dropped dead.
Even then the cat's ghost came back.
The first commercial recording of "The Cat Came Back" was by Fiddlin' John Carson
Fiddlin' John Carson
Fiddlin' John Carson was an American old time fiddler and an early-recorded country musician.-Early life:...
(OKeh 40119) in April 1924. Other early recordings include one by Philippine Fiddlin' Doc Roberts
Fiddlin' Doc Roberts
Fiddlin' Doc Roberts was an American Kentucky-style old-time fiddler.-Biography:Dock Philipine Roberts was born and raised on a farm in Madison County, Kentucky and learned to play the fiddle at an early age with some help from his older brother Liebert. Doc's and Liebert's musical mentor was the...
("And The Cat Came Back The Very Next Day", Gennett 3235), on November 13, 1925.
The song was used as the basis for the 1988 short animated film The Cat Came Back by Cordell Barker
Cordell Barker
Cordell Barker is a Canadian animator based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He began animating in his late teens after taking on an apprenticeship at Kenn Perkins Animation. He has worked on commercial campaigns for entities such as Coca-Cola, Bell Canada, Lors, Nike, and the Government of Canada...
.
Timing of the song
The song is often used to teach children the concepts of rhythmRhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
and tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
. It is an excellent example in this regard, because of the strong and consistent beat
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
pattern, combined with amusing and humorous lyrics. Additionally, especially the minor key versions of the song, have a compelling effect with regards to perception of tempo.
Like many children's songs, the song has a very strong well-defined beat pattern. It consists of one weak beat, one strong beat, so it is often sung in 2/4 time.
Thus it can be (and often is) sung while walking, with, for example, strong beats when the left foot hits the ground and weak beats when the right foot hits the ground.
Versions of the song
There are many versions of the song. In one, the cat is yellow. One version goes something like:first verse:
Now old Mr. Johnson had some troubles of his own,
He had a scarlet cat that just wouldn't leave his home,
He tried and he tried to give the cat away,
He gave it to a man going far far away.
chorus:
But the cat came back the very next day,
The cat came back, we thought he was a goner,
The cat came back, he just wouldn't stay away.
alternate chorus:
But the cat came back he wouldn't stay away,
He was sitting on the porch the very next day.
Every second beat is emphasized (emphasized beats are shown underlined in bold).
Each line of text in the above has eight beats, and usually the chords fall (piano) or begin (organ) on the capitalized words.
The chord progression repeats every 8 beats, so one might think of the song as being in either 2/ time or 8/ time (whichever denominator you use for reference time, i.e. 2/4 or 8/4 time if the beat is a quarter note, etc.). The pattern of 2/ and 8/ is very similar to the beat pattern in Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is a popular English nursery rhyme. The lyrics are from an early nineteenth-century English poem, "The Star" by Jane Taylor. The poem, which is in couplet form, was first published in 1806 in Rhymes for the Nursery, a collection of poems by Taylor and her sister Ann...
, but phase-shifted by 180 degrees (since the song starts on a weak beat rather than the strong beat beginning of Twinkle Twinkle).
Medleys
The song helped launch the career of children's entertainer Fred PennerFred Penner
Frederick Ralph Cornelius Penner, is a Canadian children's entertainer who gives appearances throughout North America. His television show, Fred Penner's Place, aired on CBC in Canada from 1985 to 1997. It was co-produced by Nickelodeon in 1989 and 1990.Penner was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
. He has used the song as part of a medley that includes the tune heard in Hit the Road Jack
Hit the Road Jack
"Hit the Road Jack" is a song written by rhythm and bluesman Percy Mayfield and first recorded in 1960 as an a capella demo sent to Art Rupe, available on the Memory Pain CD vol. 2, Specialty Records SPCD-7027-2. It became famous after it was recorded by singer-pianist Ray Charles. It hit number...
with lyrics changed to "Hit the Road Cat".
Zero padding or improv/instrumental of the chorus
As with many simple children's songs, it is often desired to have the number of beats be a power of twoPower of two
In mathematics, a power of two means a number of the form 2n where n is an integer, i.e. the result of exponentiation with as base the number two and as exponent the integer n....
, so the first verse plus the chorus takes up, for example, 64 beats, so it is often nice to put some kind of instrumental or improvised section at the end of the chorus to make it fit nicely into 64 rather than 56 beats for one verse plus one run of the chorus. Alternatively an 8-beat rest (zero padding) may be inserted and the end of the chorus.
Many versions are in a major key, but there are some versions that are also in a minor key. The chord progression for many of the minor-key versions is Am, G, F, E
Andalusian cadence
The Andalusian cadence is a term adopted from flamenco music for a chord progression comprising four chords descending stepwise. It is otherwise known as the minor descending tetrachord...
.
Variations in the melody of the additional verses
The additional verses often have a notable variation in melody but with the same chords.For example the second verse often shoots up an octave to emphasize the words "dynamite" and "found" (each sung an octave above the first note of the song, which is "E" if the song is sung in the key of A-minor), even though the first verse does not shoot up that way.
The third verse often contains a descending scale that does not appear in the first or second verses.
Microtonal and chirp-based versions of the chorus
Also, the second line of the chorus "thought he was a goner" is often sung either off-keyOff-key
Off-key is a term often used to denote musical content that is not at the expected frequency or pitch period, either with respect to some absolute reference frequency, or in a ratiometric sense Off-key is a term often used to denote musical content that is not at the expected frequency or pitch...
(deliberately), or just spoken (not sung), or includes chirps or quarter tones (notes that fall between semitones). In some versions the chirps can be approximated by a chromatic glissando.
Harmonic minor variations
The chord progression lends itself exceptionally well to a bass line that's natural minor descending, and harmonic minor ascending, i.e. in the key of A-minor, the 8 beats (in 8/ time) would play out as A, A, G, G, F, F, E, G#Melodic minor variations
Additionally, the bass line may be played as melodic minor (i.e. including both an F# and a G# on the way up). This second variation is very effective in teaching children the concept of a melodic minor scale, since melodic minor otherwise occurs so seldom in simple children's songs.Cordell Barker's animation film
Although the Barker animation does not involve many spoken lyrics, relying more on its animation to show the action, both spoken verses, as shown here, are different than other versions:Now, old Mr. Johnson had troubles of his own.
He had a yellow cat that wouldn't leave his home!
A special plan with deception as the key.
One little cat—how hard could it be?
and
Well, old Mr. Johnson had troubles of his own.
Still the yellow cat wouldn't leave his home!
Steps were needed to remove the little curse.
The old man knew it couldn't get any worse.
Popular culture
- Randy SparksRandy SparksRandy Sparks is a musician, singer-songwriter and founder of The New Christy Minstrels and The Back Porch Majority. Prior to that, in the late 1950s he had a solo career and released two albums under the Verve label, a self-titled album in 1958 and Walking the Low Road in 1959...
reworked the song as "The Cat", for The New Christy Minstrels' 1963 album Tell Tall Tales!. - Alex Hood (folklorist)Alex Hood (folklorist)Alexander Hood is an Australian writer, actor and folklorist. He is regarded as one of Australia's most prolific writers and entertainers.-Early life:...
, the Australian folk singer, recorded a version on his album The Wallaby Track (1974), with Australian references. - The song features in the film AdaptationAdaptationAn adaptation in biology is a trait with a current functional role in the life history of an organism that is maintained and evolved by means of natural selection. An adaptation refers to both the current state of being adapted and to the dynamic evolutionary process that leads to the adaptation....
. (2002). - The song is mentioned in Pet SemataryPet SemataryPet Sematary is a 1983 horror novel by Stephen King. It was nominated for a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1984, and was later made into a film of the same name.-Plot:...
by Stephen KingStephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
. - Children's entertainers, Sharon, Lois & BramSharon, Lois & BramSharon, Lois & Bram is the name of a Canadian children's musical trio composed of Sharon Hampson , Lois Ada Lilienstein , and Bramwell "Bram" Morrison .-Group formation:Sharon Hampson, Lois Lillenstein, and Bram Morrison began their singing...
recorded "The Cat Came Back" on their 1980 Juno AwardJuno AwardThe Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
-winning album Singing 'n' SwingingSinging 'n' SwingingSinging n Swinging is the third album by popular children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram, originally released in 1980.-Releases:The album has been re-designed and re-released once throughout the trio's career...
. They also featured the song on their hit Nickelodeon TV Series The Elephant ShowThe Elephant ShowThe Elephant Show is a Canadian children's television show from 1984 until 1988.-Summary and Highlights:...
in Season 2, Episode 26 "Treasure Hunt". - A shorter adaptation of the song was performed by Rowlf with a banjo in The Muppet ShowThe Muppet ShowThe Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
, episode 523. - An instrumental version of the song was released by the Canadian band Shadowy Men on a Shadowy PlanetShadowy Men on a Shadowy PlanetShadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet were a Juno Award-winning Canadian instrumental rock band, formed in 1984. They remain best-known for the track "Having an Average Weekend," which was used as the theme to the Canadian sketch comedy TV show The Kids in the Hall...
on their 1991 album Music For Pets. - In the 70s, Steve Waring, an American songwriter and folk singer, adapted the song into FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and simply called it "Le matou" ("the tomcat"). The story is based on the same line as the original: every day, Tompson, an old farmer, tries to kill his cat, unsuccessfully, of course, while "le matou revient le jour suivant" ("the cat comes back the next day"). - In a 1972 episode of the PBS program ZOOM, the children's cast (called "ZOOMers") sang and danced to the song, although they didn't sing all the verses because of its considerable length.
- A variation of the song, "Bitch Came Back", was written and performed by Canadian rock band Theory of a DeadmanTheory of a DeadmanTheory of a Deadman is a Canadian rock band from Delta, British Columbia, formed in 2001. The band is currently signed to Roadrunner Records as well as Island Records. The band also includes traits of other music styles, such as country and acoustic, as well as their post-grunge and alternative...
on their album The Truth Is...The Truth Is... (Theory of a Deadman album)-Charts:-Personnel:* Tyler Connolly – lead vocals, lead guitar* Dave Brenner – rhythm guitar, vocals* Dean Back – bass guitar, vocals* Joey Dandeneau – drums, percussion, vocals... - A 1988 Oscar-nominated animation by Cordell Barker was based on the song.