The Cat Came Back is a popular children’s camp song. Itis from our award-winning CD, Kid’s Country Song & Dance.
It’s available in two formatsCD and Full CD Download. The video is available for FREE on our YouTube educational channel.
There will be an ad before the video starts. You can either “X” out the lower screen ad or “Skip” the full screen ad. When the ad is removed click the broken box icon located on the far right under the video. This will play the video in full screen mode.
Our version is child friendly, humorous and has a happy ending that children will enjoy. This is also a great song to share during story time for preschoolers and kindergarten age children.By combining music and a story you can excite even the most reluctant reader.
The lyrics for the song are below. You can copy and paste them to include them in this activity, or use them as a reference to the story.
Begin the Lesson: Play the music video, “The Cat Came Back”
SKILLS:
• Literacy Awareness• Oral Language• Critical-thinking• Comprehension• Self-expression
Ask Thought Provoking Questions to Prompt Ideas:
What color was the cat in this story? Why do you think Mr. Johnson wanted to give the cat away? Who was the first person that Mr. Johnson gave the cat to? Continue this question for each person and encourage the children to share the details of each sequence of events. How do you think the cat felt each time Mr. Johnson gave him away? How many times did the cat go back to Mr. Johnson? Can a cat really a drive a truck, fly a plane or eat up an entire field of corn? Is this story real or make-believe? How did the story end? How do you think the cat felt when the little girl took him home? Why do you think he felt that way? Tell me about your favorite part of the story? What do you think the little girl named the cat?
Expand Your Lesson With the Following Activities:
Art: Creative Free Expression
Using crayons or markers allow children to creatively share a scene from the story.
Introduce the lesson:
Which was your favorite part in the story? The yellow cat with the man going far away? The yellow cat with the farmer? The yellow cat with the trucker? The yellow cat with the pilot? The yellow cat with the train conductor? The yellow cat with the little girl?
For older children: You can print the words for each scene on a piece of construction paper and then have the children title their finished art project.
Word Wall: Promote Vocabulary and Literacy
Print vocabulary words on sentence strips. Each time vocabulary words are mentioned in the lesson direct children to the written words.
Suggestions: cat, yellow, farm, farmer, tractor, trucker, truck, pilot, plane, train, train conductor, little girl
The Cat Came Back
From the CD, Kid’s Country Song & Dance
By The Learning Station
℗©Monopoli/The Learning Station
LYRICS:
Old Mr. Johnson had some troubles of his own.He had a yellow cat which wouldn’t leave his home.He tried and 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.But the cat came back. It just couldn’t stay away.Away, Away, Away
He gave it to a farmer, said he’d take it to a farm.The farmer drove the tractor with the cat under his arm.He dropped it in a cornfield, thought he’d surely get lost.The cat ate up the cornfield at the farmer’s cost.
Chorus: But the cat came back, the very next day.The cat came back. We thought he was a goner.But the cat came back. It just couldn’t stay away.Away, Away, Away
He gave it to a trucker that was going to Mexico.The trucker stopped for coffee at a “Trucker Stop & Go”.But while he was a’ paying he knew that he was stuck.He saw the cat jump in the cab and take off with his truck.
Chorus: But the cat came back, the very next day.The cat came back. We thought he was a goner.But the cat came back. It just could stay away.Away, Away, Away
He gave it to a pilot with a real nice plane.The pilot could just fly it far away in one day.But the pilot had his troubles he couldn’t touch down.Because the cat had the controls and made the pilot turn around.
Chorus: But the cat came back, the very next day.The cat came back. We thought he was a goner.But the cat came back. It just couldn’t stay away.Away, Away, Away
He gave it to a train conductor, put it on a train.New England’s where the train was headed up to Bangor MaineHe pull down on the brakes those wheels screeched on the track.And as it ran away, conductor said, “Here, kitty cat”.
Chorus: But the cat came back, the very next day.The cat came back. We thought he was a goner.But the cat came back. It just couldn’t stay away.Away, Away, Away
The cat was taken in by a lovely little girl.She loved that yellow cat; she made that cat her world.Now there is no reason for the cat to come back.Cuz it never has to leave and it likes it like that.
Chorus: But the cat came back, the very next day.The cat came back. We thought he was a goner.But the cat came back. It just couldn’t stay away.Away, Away, Away
It likes it where it is. It loves that little girl.
Author:The Learning Station
Don Monopoli, Laurie Monopoli and Jan Hrkach are THE LEARNING STATION. With a collection of 31 award-winning audio and video releases they have published over 400 children’s songs that are part of educational curriculum world-wide.
