Lyr Req: Old Time Cat o' Nine (Lord Invader)

Subject: RE: Lyrics: And every night... (Cat o'Nine Tails)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 11 May 11 - 03:22 AM

Joe, "Cat O' Nine Tails" is an update of the earlier "Old Time Cat O'Nine". Youtube has both versions.

Subject: Lyr Add: OLD TIME CAT O' NINE (Lord Invader)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 11 May 11 - 03:16 AM

*Question marks are where there are unintelligible words.


OLD TIME CAT O' NINE
(Lord Invader, 1946)

1. The only thing to stop these hooligans from causing panic in the island,
The only thing to stop these hooligans from causing panic in the island,
Well I go by the government,
See they need another kind of punishment,
I say one thing to cool on this crime
Is to bring back the old time cat o' nine

CHORUS: So the old-time cat o' nine,
Bring it back!
And they come to change their mind,
Send them Carrera where it licks like fire
And they bound to surrender.

2. And in the days of Judge Gilchrist as you know,
Nothing ever happened so,
Any man pass under his hand
Can tell you of the rod of correction
He never treat them meek and mild,
He never spare the rod to spoil the child,
I say one thing to cool on this crime
Is to beat them with the old-time cat o' nine. (CHORUS)

3. The police is working harder and harder to see this thing go no further
Every night they on duty to safeguard us from violence and robbery
But they would not stop at all,
Peter is going to pay for Paul,
I say one thing to cool on this crime
Is to beat them with the old-time cat o' nine. (CHORUS)

4. And every night they walkin' (?) about in a van,
Singing a song called "Robust Man".
(And ? wrote it?) "Robust Man, ????
He got in (jewellery?)
(And say the next thing he believe?)
So the cat is the only time bomb to drop
And this robustness will stop. (CHORUS)

Subject: ADD: Cat o'Nine Tails (Lord Invader)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 May 11 - 03:12 AM

Well, Morwen, Mudcat is a cooperative effort where the idea here is to share folk music lyrics for the common good. I share your interest in the song, so I wanted to see your transcription.

But I found the lyrics on the booklet for a Smithsonian Folkways CD titled Lord Invader: Calypso in New York.

CAT O'NINE TAILS
(Lord Invader)


The only thing to stop those Teddy Boys,
From causing panic in Great Britain,
The only thing to stop those hooligans,
From causing panic in England,
Well I hope that the Government,
See they need another kind of punishment,
I say one thing to cool down this crime,
Is to bring back the old time cat-o-nine.

CHORUS:
So the old time cat-o-nine beat them bad,
And they bound to change their mind,
Is to send them to Dartmoor with licks like fire,
And they bound to surrender.

In the days of Judge Hitchins, as you know,
Nothing never happen so,
Any man pass under his hand,
Can tell you of the rod of correction,
He used to treat them meek and mild,
He never spare the rod to spoil the child,
I say one thing to cool down this crime,
Is to bring back the old time cat-o-nine.

CHORUS:
So the old time cat-o-nine, bring it back,
And they bound to change their mind,
is to send them Dartmoor with licks like fire,
And they bound to surrender.

The police is working harder and harder,
To see this thing go no further,
Every night they on duty,
To safeguard us from violence and robbery,
But they would not stop at all,
Peter is going to pay for Paul,
I say the cat is the only time bomb to drop,
And this "Robustness" must stop

CHORUS:
So the old time cat-o-nine, lash them hard,
And they bound change their mind,
send them Dartmoor with licks like fire,
And they bound to surrender.

You see that 'though these Teddy Boys haven't got no reason,
Attacking innocent people,
Every night they walking about in a band,
With a razor in their hand,
But the judge and the juries, can settle this thing easily,
I say one thing to cool down this crime,
Just beat them with the old time cat-o-nine.

CHORUS:
So the old time cat-o-nine, beat them bad,
And they bound change their mind,
is to send them to Dartmoor with licks like fire,
And they bound to surrender.

Subject: RE: Lyrics: And every night...
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 11 May 11 - 02:51 AM

Thank you, Joe_F, however I already found out what it is. "And every night" comes from this line: "And every night they walkin(?) about in a van singing a song called "Robust Man". I think "walkin" or the van has to be wrong. This song is about "whip the bad kids. In fact send them to prison. give   so they will be scared into good behaviour". It clearly shows the decade when its composer grew up in. Until very recently corporal punishment was common in schools. Invader is asking for the cat o' nine tails to come back into common use due to the rise of delinquency/hooliganism shortly after WWII.

Subject: RE: Lyrics: And every night...
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 May 11 - 02:43 AM

Hi, Morwen - how 'bout the entire lyrics, as much as you have?

One song about corporal punishment of children is Liverpool Lullaby, by Stan Kelly, which says, "you'll get a belt from your da."

Subject: RE: Lyrics: And every night...
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 11 May 11 - 02:38 AM

Never mind. It's "And this robustness will stop." This is probably one of the catchiest songs about corporal punishment for juvenile delinquents. "The old-time cat o'nine, lash them bad and they come to change their mind. Send them Carrera (a prison island) where it licks like fire and they bound to surrender". Are there any other songs about corporal punishment and children or teenagers?

Subject: RE: Lyrics: And every night...
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 May 11 - 02:33 AM

Hi, Morwen -
Where's the "and every night" fit in?

Can you post what you have so far?

YouTube Video here (click) - phrase in question is at 2:43 - I'd say "so the cat is the only kind bomb to drop....(unintelligible)."

-Joe-

Subject: Lyrics: And every night...
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 11 May 11 - 02:28 AM

In the song "Old Time Cat O'Nine" by Lord Invader, there's a word I can't quite make in one line: "I say the cat is the only time bomb to drop on this robust ?"