"The Cat Came Back" is a blues-folk gallows comedy song written by Harry S. Miller[1] in 1893.

The first commercial recording of the song was c. 1894 for the Columbia Phonograph Company, Washington, D.C., performed by Charles Marsh.

[2] "The Cat Came Back" was later recorded by Fiddlin' John Carson (OKeh catalog #40119) in April 1924.

Other early recordings include one by Dock Philipine "Fiddlin' Doc" Roberts ("And the Cat Came Back the Very Next Day", Gennett 3235), on November 13, 1925.

The original sheet music described the song as "A Comic Negro Absurdity" on the back page and provided an additional eight verses as well as a final chorus.

It is an excellent example in this regard, especially the minor key versions of the song, because of the strong and consistent beat pattern, combined with amusing and humorous lyrics.

Each line of text in the above has eight beats, and usually the chords fall (piano) or begin (organ) on the capitalized words.

A later version of the song emerged during the Cold War, in which the final verse made references to the "atom bomb" and "H-bomb", and the subsequent destruction of the human race.

Its punch line is political: After the fall of atomic and hydrogen bombs, the whole world decays, including the Saar region, but the cat survives.

[6] Erich Steiner, university professor for Anglistics, is cited as translator by folk musician Jürgen Brill.