Old Mister Johnson had troubles of his own He had a yellow cat that wouldn't leave it's home He tried and he tried to give the cat away He gave it to a man goin' far far away But the cat came back the very next day The cat came back we thought he was a goner But the cat came back it just couldn't stay away Away away yea yea yea So he gave it to a woman going up in a balloon He told him for to take it to the man in the moon The balloon came down about ninety miles away Where the balloon is where I can't say But the cat came back the very next day The cat came back we thought he was a goner But the cat came back it just couldn't stay away Away away yea yea yea So he gave it to a man going way out West Told him for to take it to the one he loved the best First the train hit the curve then it jumped the rail Not a soul was left behind to tell the gruesome tale But the cat came back the very next day The cat came back we thought he was a goner But the cat came back it just couldn't stay away Away away yea yea yea