Back when I reviewed Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), I mentioned that I regularly sing a cat-themed version of “The Trolley Song” while feeding my two cats their breakfast. Well, I sing a lot of cat-themed songs from old musicals to my cats! Now, I’m not claiming to be a great lyricist because, let’s face it, my cats don’t give a shit about my singing, they just want food. They’d probably prefer I didn’t sing at all, per this:
But it’s early in the morning, the coffee is still brewing, and my brain is just spitting out random things as I putter around the kitchen, so this is what they get.
I thought I share a little of my mental playlist and inspiration this Friday!
“The Trolley Song” from Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Sample lyrics: “Meow meow meow went the kitty / Chomp chomp chomp on the food / Clang clang clang went the cat bowl / From the moment they ate it alls well”
“Good Morning” from Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Sample lyrics: “Good meowing, good meowing / We’ve yowled the whole night through / Good meowing, good meowing to you / It’s great to yowl up late”
“I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady (1964)
Sample lyrics: “I could have meowed all night / I could have meowed all night / And still I meowed for more / I could have yowled all night / Like a wicked thing / And still been at the door”
“Do-Re-Mi” from The Sound of Music (1965)
Sample lyrics: “Kit a cat, a kitty cat / Meow, a sound it makes all night / Here, a place it wants the food / Can I open it right now?”
“Hello Dolly” from Hello Dolly (1969)
Sample lyrics: “Well hello, kitty / Well hello, kitty / It’s so nice to have you back where you belong / You’re looking fat, kitty / How ’bout that, kitty / You’re still growling, you’re still meowing all along”
Do you sing to your pets? Or make up new lyrics to old musicals? Tell us about it!
You are too funny Trytsan! I confess I have done something similar with my cat Winky – whose name is easily replaced in your intrepretations above!
But my concert takes place while in the shower, and my usual songs are from Showboat or South Pacific. How about “Can’t Help Loving that Cat of Mine” (when he is being good) and “I’m Gonna Wash that Cat Right Outta My Hair…” (when he has been a bad boy).
Hee, I love your versions!
I call my dog horrible things while singing to her sweetly. She just wags her tail. I don’t have regular standbys. This post makes me think I should start.
I sing mean songs in a sweet voice to our cats, as in “Dumb cat, dumb as a door nail, thick as a lunch pail–a cat without any brain.” (To the tune of “Born Free.”) There are others, which I won’t inflict on you all.
I tries singing to the cats once; they all left.
Yes!
I forgot to mention my cats responses when I sing to him in the shower. He howels like a banchee in protest!!
Nothing from “Cats”?
It’s not historical!
This put a smile on my face! Thank you!
I have several editions of “What’s New Pussycat,” one for each of my kitties. One of which is in my crude Korean. “(Cat name) anyeong hae/Woah~woah~woah…”
I sang the “Pina Colada Song” to my dog last night while I was feeding her; she was not impressed. Everyone’s a critic. :)
Pooka’s song
You’re so cute with your little black snoot and your fuzzy boots. (extemporaneous tune).
Filked song – Lovin’ Spoonful’s Summer in the City
Hot time summer for the kitty –
Bottom of the paws gettin’ dirty and gritty
Bend down isn’t it a pity, doesn’t seem to be a shadow for the kitty
All around mice are looking half-dead walking on the sidewalk hotter than a match-head.
But at night it’s a different world.
Go out and hunt a squirrel
C’mon, c’mon you can play all night.
Forget about the heat it’ll be all-right
In the summer for the kitty
In the summer for the kitty
I have dozens of others.
Niiiiiiiice!
I love these! I have sung lots of things to my cats over the years, but I admit the one in current rotation is a filk of Nine Inch Nails – “You are the perfect loaf, the perfect loaf, the perfect loaf…”
HAHAAHHAHHAHA, love it!
We just Meow to the tune of Iron Man (Black Sabbath). Especially when the cat is angry.
It’s not historica, but we sing The Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” like this:
Psycho kitty,
Qu’est-ce que c’est
Meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow!
Better zoom zoom zoom zoom, zoom zoom zoom away!
Ooo, I’ve sung that one too!
I love this. My family is full of people who would do this. Our crowning glory, however, was not cat themed, but this one Christmas when my brother started replacing every word in Christmas carols with “snore” or some other sleep related word… we’re a bit von Trapp-ish so that meant 4 part harmony on the Angels We Have Heard on High chorus but singing “Snore-i-a”. :-)
Musician Tom Smith has a (non-historical) song called Cat Macros.
Which if you want can haz cheeseburger, then Last Verse Kitty will be amused…
Hahahaha this is something I do to my cats as well.
I love these! It’s nice to know I’m not alone. I have a few songs, but my main one is also not historical: I sing the Monkees’ “Mary Mary” with my kitties’ names: “Dexter Dexter (or Chloe Chloe) why you meowin’…” And when they inevitably walk away, of course I sing “where ya gojn?”
One of my favorite songs I used to sing to my cat Smokey was “The Stroke” by Billy Squier. I would sing “Smokey, Smokey. Smoke Smoke!” during the chorus part :))))) I don’t like the song, but his name went so well in the lyrics.
Not historical, but I sing “You are my sunshine” to my grey cat. You are my sunshine, my kitty sunshine. You make me happy, ‘cause you are grey…