About
A children’s nonsense song, “I Bought Me a Cat” repeats a refrain, adding one farm animal with each repeat. The harmony and accompaniment simulate barnyard sounds.
–Vivian Perlis, 1998, from Boosey & Hawkes Web site
Text
I Bought Me a Cat
Traditional
I bought me a cat, my cat pleased me,
I fed my cat under yonder tree.
My cat says fiddle eye fee.
I bought me a duck, my duck pleased me,
I fed my duck under yonder tree.
My duck says, “Quaa, quaa”,
My cat says fiddle eye fee.
I bought me a goose, my goose pleased me,
I fed my goose under yonder tree.
My goose says, “Quaw, quaw”,
My duck says. . .
I bought me a hen, my hen pleased me.
I fed my hen under yonder tree.
My hen says, Shimmy shack, shimmy shack”,
My goose says. . .
I bought me a pig, my pig pleased me.
I fed my pig under yonder tree.
My pig says, “Griffey, griffey”.
My hen says. . .
I bought me a cow, my cow pleased me.
I fed my cow under yonder tree.
My cow says “Moo, moo”,
my pig says . . .
I bought me a horse, my horse pleased me.
I fed my horse under yonder tree.
My horse says, “Neigh, neigh”,
My cow says. . .
I bought me a wife, my wife pleased me.
I fed my wife under yonder tree.
My wife says, “Honey, honey”,
My horse says “Neigh, neigh”. . .