Lyr Req: Sooty the Cat (Hildebrand)

Subject: Lyr Req: Sooty The Cat by Hildebrand
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 01:05 AM

Joybell was ever so kind to post me a CD of Hildebrand's tunes stolen from all over including the marvelous song 'Sooty the cat' to the tune of Ali Pasha. It has become a favorite of ours and some local kids who want o know if they can have and i quote "ALL the lyrics" becuase they believe there must be more verses about Sooty and her kittens.

In addition, I have been asked to add some verses about our cat, INKY, who lives under my cottage. Since INKY hasn't had any little cats (1,2,3,4 5) we'll have to talk about him killing little mice (1,2,3,4,5)

So, Joybell, how about it? Are the lost verses to Sooty the Cat?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sooty The Cat by Hildebrand
From: Joybell
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 05:13 PM

I really like that one too, Dave's Wife. Hildebrand wrote it for his son to introduce him to different rhythms. I went to Hildebrand for my usual music lesson, one day, and he showed me the cupboard in Paddy's room. The drawers were labled: "Socks", "Jumpers", "Underwear" and "Kittens" (the old label crossed out). Sure enough, inside the drawer was Sooty with her 5 babies. I don't know what would have happened if she'd had a different number. He'd have had to abandon the idea of a 5/4 song.
Gris, the "dog who lives over the way" was called Grisley because he looked like a bear - Gris for short.

That's all there was to "Sooty the Cat" but Hildebrand would be delighted if you wrote more about Inky. Please post them here. We'd love to have them. Paddy would have been thrilled too. Thank you so much, Dave's Wife, for sharing my delight in this song. Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sooty The Cat by Hildebrand
From: Joybell
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 05:14 PM

I'll have Hildebrand post the words as soon as he wakes up. Other people might like it too. Cheers, Joy

Subject: Lyr Add: SOOTY THE CAT (Hildebrand)
From: Joybell
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 07:50 PM

Sorry Grizz. That's Grizz.
Hildebrand's up. Here's the background on the tune -
When he was in Indonesia, in 1976, he was listening to short-wave radio one day. This song came on - sung in three-part close harmony. He took it for Greek but later here in Australia someone identified the song as being Turkish and called Ali Pasha. It's apparently well known in Turkey.

For the record here are the words to Hildebrand's song.

Sooty the Cat. Lyrics: by Hildebrand. Tune: "Ali Pasha" Time 5/4

      C                               G7
1. Sooty's a cat who / lives in our house and
G7                                  C
goes to the cupboard / to catch a mouse.
C                              G7
I pick her up and / take her about. She
G7                               C
goes to the door and / I let her out.

Chorus:                                                                C                                        F
Then she had little cats / one two three four five.
G7                                        C   
Then she had little cats / one two three four five.
F                            C            A7      
We'll sing a song, Paddy./ We'll sing a song, Paddy
Dm7         G7C             G7                  C
We'll sing a little song./ We'll sing a little song, hey!

    C                                 G7
2. Grizz is a dog who / comes to the door and
G7                                  C
goes in the hall and / lies on the floor. His
C                              G7
owner is Jeff from / over the way and
G7                                     C
sometimes he comes to / tell us, "Good day."

Chorus II:
C                                       F
Sooty had little cats / one two three four five.
G7                                          C
__she had little cats / one two three four five.

etc

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sooty The Cat by Hildebrand
From: Joybell
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 07:56 PM

Two chord symbols went astray. The "C" on the first line of the first chorus should be over the first word - "Then".
"F" should be over the word "four" in the same line. Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sooty The Cat by Hildebrand
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 10:21 PM

Thank you so much. I'll the verse about Inky and the one about my dog Puppers when I decide what they are. the girls who live down the street love Sooty The Cat and make me play it over and over until i want to scream but still, I like the song!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sooty The Cat by Hildebrand
From: Joybell
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 10:30 PM

Be fun to hear about Inky and Puppers.

Hildebrand used to sing Mull of Kintyre in 5/4 time. That's a fun thing to do. Also Tenessee Waltz in 7/4. Bit strange that one though. Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sooty The Cat by Hildebrand
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 22 Jan 06 - 11:09 PM

So.. Sooty was a black cat, right? Just guessing giving the name.

Inky is black too (quelle surprise). He's nearly all black except for very tiny tuft of white on his abdomen. His whiskers are even black. So are his toes! I adore him. He has a very soft purr that you can only hear if you are holding him or leaning very close to him. When he plays attack cat with you, he keeps his claws in. When the dog tries to chase him, he stands up on his hind legs and waves his paws in the air as if he's holding up his dukes and getting ready to box. He looks a bit like a kodiak bear!

Inky belonged to a nice lady from Sri Lanka who lives a few blocks from us. It seems her boyfriend locked him out of the house by accident (or maybe on purpose?) one day and Inky became a Hobo Cat wnadering the streets looking for refuge and some vittles. His original name was Joseph or "Baby Joey".

Somehow, Inky arrived at our yard and took shelter under our cottage. it was the only place he could go where the other neighborhood cats would not follow to beat him up. I took pity on him and began coaxing him into our house.

One day a few months after he arrived, the nice lady from Sri Lanka came round asking if anyone has seen her Baby Joey. I immediately relaized it was Inky and told her. I promised to catch him and call her. When I did, her boyfriend came round. He barely looked at inky and said "Nope, not him." Dave and I were sad about that because we knew it was Inky and that he'd simply grown up. Cats do that.

After failing to repatriate Inky, we adopted him and he adopted us. He's now very much part of the family. We figured the chances of him ever going back to his real Mamma were slim to none until....

One day a week or so ago, the Sri lanken lady was walking by our house and saw Inky basking in the sun. She shouted "Joseph! Joseph! it IS you" and scooped him up. While she was smoething him with kisses, the boyfriend kept saying "It's not him!"

Long story short, we established Inky is Joseph and decided to share custody. Inky reamins with us and she unlimited visiting privliges. Eventually, he may return to her full time, but not for a while. She has to go back to Sri Lanka for a few months. When she comes back, we'll iron it all out. I suspect he'll stay with us forever. If she takes him home and lets him out again, he'll come running back to our yard. When both his real Mamma and I call to him, he comes to me.

So, you see, Inky does have quite a story and should be immortalized in song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Sooty the Cat (Hildebrand)
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 10:27 AM

Not that anyone besides me cares, but I came across another cat named SOOTY on the net and thought it was worth posting a link to:


Sooty The Cat with a homing instinct

BTW, one of the kids down the street still makes me play Hildebrand's Sooty the cat song whenever she comes over. She likes to sing the "One Two Three Four Five" part really loud and stamp her feet.

We do sing verses about Inky the cat killing mice (one two three four five of them of course) and how we'd wish he'd be 'nice' but I haven't actually written those verses down. I should. we keep changing it up. There's also verses about Greenie the bird and her babies who just happen to be five in number. Greenie is a Lesser Goldfinch (who is mostly green) who hangs around our yard eating maxamillian sunflower seeds. She just came into the song last month.

Oh how we love this song in West Hollywood! I think some of the neighbors dfind it a tad annoying since it gets sung often and repetatively but, we don't care!

I hope Greg is amused by this.