Señor Don Gato (song)

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"Señor Don Gato" is a children's song about a domestic Mexican cat who finally discovers that his true love has agreed to marry him. In his excitement, he falls off of the roof where he was sitting and injures himself. The doctors are unable to save him and he passes away. During his funeral, the scent of fish from the market is so strong, he is reanimated.

Little is known of the origins of this song. However, this English version is familiar to generations of school-age children in North America due to its inclusion in several common elementary school songbooks in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

[edit] Lyrics

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
T'was a love note for Don Gato.

How he adored the lady cat, (alternate line: "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 merrily,
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
Aye caray!!! cried poor Don Gato. (alternate line: "Ay carramba!" cried Don Gato.)

Well 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.
Oh it wasn't very merry,
Meow, meow, meow
Going to the cemetery,
Meow, meow, meow
For the end of poor Don Gato. (alternate line: For the ending of Don Gato.)

As the funeral passed the market square,
Such a smell of fish was in the air.
Though the funeral was slated,
Meow, meow, meow
He became re-animated,
Meow, meow, meow
He came back to life Don Gato.

(optional refrain: For he had nine lives, Don Gato.)