A#5     G#5         F#5             F5
Now old Mr. Johnson had troubles of his own,
   A#5          G#5               F#5       F5
He had a yellow cat that wouldn't leave his home,
   A#5          G#5              F#5       F5
He tried and he tried to get that    cat away,
A#5          G#5       F#5   F5
Gave it to a man going far away.


[Chorus]
        A#5      G#5       F#5       F5
But the cat came back, the very next day,
    A#5      G#5        F#5               F5
The cat came back, they thought she was a goner,
        A#5      G#5  F#5              F5     A#5  G#5  F#5  F5
But the cat came back,   just wouldn't stay away.


[Verse 2]
        A#5            G#5               F#5             F5
Now the man around the corner swore he'd kill the cat on sight,
    A#5          G#5          F#5            F5
He loaded up his shotgun with nails and dynamite,
   A#5           G#5            F#5           F5
He waited and he waited for the cat to come around,
A#5          G#5           F#5             F5
Ninety-seven pieces of the man is all they found.


[Chorus]
        A#5      G#5       F#5       F5
But the cat came back, the very next day,
    A#5      G#5        F#5               F5
The cat came back, they thought she was a goner,
        A#5      G#5  F#5              F5     A#5  G#5  F#5  F5
But the cat came back,   just wouldn't stay away.


[Verse 3]
A#5          G#5               F#5    F5
Gave it to a little boy with a dollar note,
A#5             G#5            F#5        F5
Told him for to take it up the river in a boat,
     A#5          G#5               F#5               F5
They tied a rope around its neck it must've weighed a pound,
A#5               G#5           F#5               F5
Now they drag the river for the little boy that's drowned.


[Chorus]
        A#5      G#5       F#5       F5
But the cat came back, the very next day,
    A#5      G#5        F#5               F5
The cat came back, they thought she was a goner,
        A#5      G#5  F#5              F5     A#5  G#5  F#5  F5
But the cat came back,   just wouldn't stay away.


[Verse 4]
A#5        G#5       F#5        F5
Gave it to man going up in a balloon,
A#5             G#5            F#5        F5
Told him for to take it to the man on the Moon,
       A#5       G#5        F#5        F5
The balloon came down about 90 miles away,
A#5         G#5    F#5      F5
Where he is now, I dare not say.


[Chorus]
        A#5      G#5       F#5       F5
But the cat came back, the very next day,
    A#5      G#5        F#5               F5
The cat came back, they thought she was a goner,
        A#5      G#5  F#5              F5     A#5  G#5  F#5  F5
But the cat came back,   just wouldn't stay away.


[Verse 5]
     A#5          G#5       F#5     F5
They gave it to a man going way out west,
A#5             G#5            F#5              F5
Told him for to take it to the one he loved the best,
A#5              G#5            F#5                F5
First, the train hit the curve, then it jumped the rail,
A#5            G#5            F#5               F5
Not a soul was left behind to tell the gruesome tale.


[Chorus]
        A#5      G#5       F#5       F5
But the cat came back, the very next day,
    A#5      G#5        F#5               F5
The cat came back, they thought she was a goner,
        A#5      G#5  F#5              F5     A#5  G#5  F#5  F5
But the cat came back,   just wouldn't stay away,  way, way, way


[Verse 6]
 A#5            G#5          F#5             F5
Away across the ocean he did send the cat at last,
A#5          G#5       F#5          F5
Vessel out alone today taking water fast,
A#5          G#5             F#5           F5
People all began to pray the boat began to toss,
  A#5               G#5              F#5            F5
A great big gust of wind came by and every soul was lost.


[Chorus]
        A#5      G#5       F#5       F5
But the cat came back, the very next day,
    A#5      G#5        F#5               F5
The cat came back, they thought she was a goner,
        A#5      G#5  F#5              F5     A#5  G#5  F#5  F5
But the cat came back,   just wouldn't stay away.


[Verse 7]
     A#5       G#5            F#5          F5
On a telegraph wire, sparrows sitting in a bunch,
    A#5             G#5                   F#5             F5
The cat was feeling hungry, thought she'd like them for a lunch,
A#5          G#5          F#5                  F5
Climb softly up the pole, when she reached the top,
        A#5           G#5                F#5           F5
Put her foot in the electric wire, which tied her in a knot.


[Chorus]
        A#5      G#5       F#5       F5
But the cat came back, the very next day,
    A#5      G#5        F#5               F5
The cat came back, they thought she was a goner,
        A#5      G#5  F#5              F5     A#5  G#5  F#5  F5
But the cat came back,   just wouldn't stay away.


[Verse 8]
        A#5       G#5            F#5           F5
Now the cat was a possessor of a family of its own,
A#5          G#5                F#5        F5
Seven little kittens till there came a cyclone,
A#5            G#5           F#5               F5
Blew the house all apart and tossed the cats around,
    A#5             G#5         F#5           F5
The air was full of kittens and not a one was found.


[Chorus]
        A#5      G#5       F#5       F5
But the cat came back, the very next day,
    A#5      G#5        F#5               F5
The cat came back, they thought she was a goner,
        A#5      G#5  F#5              F5     A#5  G#5  F#5  F5
But the cat came back,   just wouldn't stay away,  way, way, way


[Outro]
A#5
Just wouldn't stay away.