Lyrics

Well Nelly was the prettiest girl that you have ever seen
She always was invited to a dance or to a spree
She always had a song for to sing and a ditty for to say
When she boldly asked her mother could she go to the wake

Oh yes my darling Nelly you can go to the wake
But my advice to you is you must give and you must take
For Johnny is the wildest youth that ever yet was born
And I’m sure that you’ll be sorry coming home in the morn

The wake it being over all the people gone to rest
Johnny took his darling to a dark and shady nest
He took her in his arms and he laid her on her back
Saying, I’ll show you the game that they called shoot the cat

The seventh month being over, the eight month coming on
Well Nelly’s little jaws they grew pale and they grew long
Her apron strings she could not tie and her bra she could not clasp
And she blamed it on the game that they called ‘shoot the cat

The eight month being over and the ninth month come and gone
Well Nelly lay in bed with a bouncing baby son
His mother said to her one day we’ll name him for his sake
And we’ll call him shoot the cat - coming home from the wake

Well the dirty little bugger he grew up to be a man
He’d go out around the corner with his ______ out in his hand
And every little girl he’d see he’d give his ______ a shake
Saying daddy shot the cat coming home from the wake