BALLAD OF CAT BALLOU, THE
Theme song from the film "Cat Ballou" (1965)
(Music: Jerry Livingston / Lyrics: Mack David)

Nat 'King' Cole & Stubby Kaye (Film Soundtrack) - 1965
The Greenwood County Singers - 1965
Bobby Darin - 1966
Danny Davis (Instr.) - 1966
Claude Ciari - 1966 (France)
Geoff Love & His Orch. (Instr.) - 1971




As performed in the film "Cat Ballou" by NAT 'KING' COLE
& STUBBY KAYE, incorporating "They Can't Make Her Cry":


Well now friends, just lend an ear
For you're now about to hear
The ballad of Cat Ballou
It's a song that's newly made
And Professor Sam the Shade
And the Sunrise Kid are singin' it for you
Cat Ballou, Cat Ballou
Cat Ball-ou-ou-ou

It's a hangin' day in Wolf City, Wyomin'
Wolf City, Wyomin', eighteen-ninety-four
They're gonna drop Cat Ballou
Through the gallows floor

She killed a man in Wolf City, Wyomin'
Wolf City, Wyomin', killed a man it's true
And that is why they're a-hangin'
Hangin' Cat Ballou

She has the smile of an angel
Fights like the devil
The eyes of an angel
Bites like the devil
The face of an angel
I say she's the devil
She's mean and evil through and through
Cat Ballou, Cat Ball-ou-ou-ou
She's mean and evil through and through

(Pray, Jezebel, pray)
(Pray, Jezebel, pray)
(If ye would seek salvation)
(Pray, Jezebel, pray)
Cat Ballou
(Pray, Jezebel, pray)
Cat Ballou
(If ye would seek salvation)
Cat Ballou
(Pray, Jezebel, pray)
Cat Ballou
Cat Ballou
Cat Ball-ou-ou-ou

Cat, your time has come, as you stand on the brink
It's sure makin' you think 'bout your life of sin
How come they're now gonna hang you
And how did you begin

Cat Ballou, she lived in Wolf City, Wyomin'
And folks here in Wyomin' live high off the hog
That brand new firm Sears and Roebuck
Send them their catalogue

It's an upright town with kind (Yeah!), wonderful people (Oh?)
Reliable people (Sure!), friendly as can be (So they say!)
When they say "Howdy", they mean it (Hah!)
Yes, they're neighbourly (Yup-yup-yup-yup-yup-yup-yup!)

If only Cat had behaved
These folks would befriend her
If Cat had behaved
Their hearts they would lend her
But Cat was depraved
To Hell now they'll send her
She could have lived like others do
Cat Ballou, wicked through and through
They'll now be hangin' Cat Ballou

Then there came to town a gun deadly and frightnin'
A gun quicker than lightnin', fastest gun you've seen
It was the gun in the hand of
Steel-eyed Kid Shelleen

Just one look at him had folks startin' to booger
Wild, wild as a cougar, proud and fierce and mean
There was no man who was tougher
Tough as Kid Shelleen

He had the eyes of a killer
Cold as a devil
The look of a killer
The look of a devil
The face of a killer
That man was the Devil
Just wild and ornery and mean
Kid Shelleen, Kid Shell-ee-ee-een
The fastest gun you've ever seen

There are teardrops in her heart
But they can't make her cry
There are teardrops in her heart
But they can't make her cry
She's lost all the kin that she's known
And the tears will turn into stone
All the teardrops in her heart
'Cause they can't make her cry

It's not very hard to weep
When you're a little girl
It's not very hard to weep
When you're a little girl
But they made a little girl feel
Like a woman made of steel
Makes no difference how they try
They'll never make her cry

So that mournful day
Became part of a legend
The real start of a legend
Known as Cat Ballou
They'll never make her cry
The day the law filled her heart
With a hate that grew
Makes no difference how they try
They'll never make her cry

When you have no tears
Then you've gotta have somethin'
Hate really is somethin'
Blood is what you need
They'll never make her cry
And Cat Ballou made her mind up
To make this country bleed
Makes no difference how they try
They'll never make her cry

It took a crafty female brain
To stage the hold-up of a train
She planned it to the last detail
Until it couldn't fail
This dashing, daring desperado
Led her gang with cool bravado
They would follow where she'd lead
They made the country bleed

Round and round and round they went
Till man and gal and beast were spent
Round and round and round they rode
Oh, what an episode

So she rode away, just where now is a mystery
But Cat rode into history and her legend grew
She was the queen of the outlaws
Her Highness Cat Ballou
Cat Ballou, Cat Ball-ou-ou-ou
Well, our story now is through
Cat Ballou, Cat Ball-ou-ou-ou
We'll say farewell to Cat Ballou


(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - May 2018)


********************


As recorded by BOBBY DARIN:


It's a hangin' day in Wolf City, Wyomin'
Wolf City, Wyomin', eighteen-ninety-four
They're gonna drop Cat Ballou
Through the gallows floor

She has the smile of an angel
The eyes of an angel
The face of an angel
But she's mean and evil through and through
Cat Ballou, Cat Ballou
Yes, she's mean and evil through and through

Now, she killed a man in Wolf City, Wyomin'
Wolf City, Wyomin', killed a man it's true
And that is why they're hangin'
Hangin' Cat Ballou

She has the smile of an angel
Yes, the eyes of an angel
And the face of an angel
But she's mean and evil through and through
Cat Ballou, Cat Ballou
Yes, she's mean and evil through and through

With her outlaw band, they're now tellin' the story
Now tellin' the story, how she rode the plain
The wildest gal in the West
Since Calamity Jane

She's got the smile of an angel
Mmmm, the eyes of an angel
And the face of an angel
But she's mean and evil through and through
Cat Ballou, Cat Ballou
Yes, she's mean and evil through and through

Now, today's the day that she's goin' to glory
Yes, she's goin' to glory for the way she sinned
They'll be a-speedin' her soul
To the wayward wind, Hallelujah!

She's got the smile of an angel
Yeah, the eyes of an angel
And the face of an angel
But she's mean and evil through and through
Cat Ballou, Cat Ballou
Yes, she's mean and evil through and through
Look out!


(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - August 2018)