Old Black Cat
By Ian Anderson from his Rupi's Dance CD.
Transcribed by Peter Dawson
Capo 6th fret
Time Signature: 4/4


 Introduction
   |       |       |       |        |       |       |       |
a#|--------------0-----------------|--------------------------------|
F |--------3-----------------0-----|--------------------------------|
C#|--------------------2-----------|------------0-------------------|
G#|--------------------------------|2-----4-----------4-----2---0---|
D#|--------0-------0---0-------0---|0-------0---0-------0---0-------|
A#|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|


Play 8 bars of verse as instrumental before singing verse 1.

 Verse
 |       |       |       |        |       |       |       |
|0-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|0-------------------0-------0---|3---530-------------0-------0---|
|0-----0-----2-------------------|--------0---2-------------------|
|0h2h4h--------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------0-------0-------0-------|--------0-------0-------0-------|

     My old  black   cat     he   passed  a   way this morn   ing
     Woke up late    and          danced  on  tin     roofs.



 |       |       |       |        |       |       |       |
|0-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|0-------------------0-------0---|--------------------------------|
|0-----0-----2-------------------|2---420-------------------------|
|0h2h4---------------------------|--------0---4-------4---2-------|
|--------------------------------|----------------------------2---|
|--------0-------0-------0-------|0-------0---2---0-------0-------|

     never   knew    what    a    hard    day         was
  If questioned “Why?”answ ered, “Just    be cause.”
 

 Esus2       C                            Em      D       G?
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|----------------1-1-1-1-1---1---|1-------0-----------------------|
|--------0---0---0-0-0-0-0---0---|0-------0-------2-------0-------|
|4-----------2---2-2-2-2-2---2---|2-------2-------0-------0-------|
|2-----------3---3-3-3-3-3---3---|3-------2---------------2-------|
|0-------------------------------|--------------------------------|

        He never spoke much, pre  fer     ring    si      lence:

  Emadd9      C                            Em      D
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|------------1---1-1-1-1-1---1-1-|1-------0-------3---3-3-3---3---|
|--------0---0---0-0-0-0-0---0-0-|0-------0-------2---2-2-2---2---|
|--4---------2---2-2-2-2-2---2-2-|2-------2-------0---0-0-0---0---|
|-2----------3---3-3-3-3-3---3-3-|3-------2-----------------------|
|0-------------------------------|--------------------------------|

         eight lost lives    was all     he       had.

 Emadd9      C                            Em      D       G
|----------------------------0---|--------------------------------|
|----------------------------1---|1-------0-----------------------|
|--------0---0---0-0-0-0-0---0---|0-------0-------2-------0-------|
|--4---------2---2-2-2-2-2---2---|2-------2-------0-------0-------|
|-2----------3---3-3-3-3-3---3---|3-------2---------------2-------|
|0-------------------------------|--------------------------------|

        Occasionally sneaked some  Sun     day     din     ner.


 Emadd9      C                            Em      D
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|------------------------3-3-----|
|--------0---0---0-0-0-0-0---0---|0---0-0---------2-------2-2-0h2-|
|--4---------2---2-2-2-2-2---2---|2---2-2-2---2-2-0-------0-0-----|
|-2----------3---3-3-3-3-3---3---|3---3-3-2---2-2-----------------|
|0-------------------------------|--------------------------------|

         He wasn’t good and he   was     n’t      bad.


 D                                This bar 2/4
|--------------------------------|----------------|
|----3---------------3-----------|3---------------|
|2---2-------0h2-2---2-------0h2-|2---------------|
|0---------------0---------------|----------------|
|--------------------------------|----------------|
|--------------------------------|----------------|


Verse 2
My old black cat wasn’t much of a looker.
You could pass him by – just a quiet shadow.
Got pushed around by all the other little guys.
Didn’t seem to mind much – just the way life goes.
Padded about in furry slippers.
Didn’t make any special friends.
He played it cool with wide-eyed innocence,
Receiving gladly what the good Lord sends.

Verse 3
Forgot to give his Christmas present.
Black cat collar, nice and new.
Thought he’d make it through to New Year.
I guess this song will have to do.
My old black cat.
Old black cat.