It is common to hear silly little songs sung in this household. Most of these involve the cats, and last week was no exception. T began singing the first verse of this particular song, and I was immediately enchanted. A song about an anthropomorphic cat! With a Meow-Meow-Meow chorus! What’s not to like? Apparently this was a tune he learned in elementary school. He could only recall bits and pieces of the lyrics, so I searched the Internets for enlightenment.

Oh Señor Don Gato was a cat
On a high red roof Don Gato sat
He went there to read a letter,
Meow, meow, meow
Where the reading light was better,
Meow, meow, meow
‘Twas a love note for Don Gato!

“I adore you,” wrote the lady cat
Who was fluffy, white and nice and fat.
There was not a sweeter kitty,
Meow, meow, meow
In the country or the city,
Meow, meow, meow
And she said she’d wed Don Gato!

Oh, Don Gato jumped so happily!
He fell off the roof and broke his knee.
Broke his ribs and all his whiskers,
Meow, meow, meow
And his little solar plexus,
Meow, meow, meow
“Ay Caramba!” cried Don Gato.

Then the doctors all came on the run,
Just to see if something could be done.
And they held a consultation,
Meow, meow, meow
About how to save their patient,
Meow, meow, meow
How to save Señor Don Gato.

But in spite of everything they tried
Poor Señor Don Gato up and died.
And it wasn’t very merry,
Meow, meow, meow
Going to the cemetery,
Meow, meow, meow
For the ending of Don Gato.

When the funeral passed the market square,
Such a smell of fish was in the air!
Though his burial was slated,
Meow, meow, meow
He became reanimated,
Meow, meow, meow
He came back to life, Don Gato!

OK, this is a bizarre song. Sure, it starts out simply enough - a cat receives a love letter from lady cat, love blooms…

…followed by a tragic accident. Doctors are called, treatments unsuccessful, then Death. Sad! But then it gets weird: a trip to the cemetary, interrupted by re-animation of dead flesh!

T confirms this sounds right to him. General reaction to the lyrics (I found them here, a blog also includes a link to a midi file for a sample of the tune) is split between “Oh yeah, I remember learning that song in school, thanks for the trip down memory lane!” and “What kind of whack school did you go to, where this freaky song was taught to its students?”

Weird, yes, but I’m sure the kids love it.