Senor Don Gato

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Senor Don Gato

Senor Don Gato
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Oh Senor Don Gato was a cat
On a high red roof Don Gato sat
He went there to read a letter,
Meow, meow, meow
Where the reading light was better,
Meow, meow, meow
‘Twas a love note for Don Gato

I adore you wrote the lady cat
Who was fluffy, white and nice and fat
There was not a sweeter kitty,
Meow, meow, meow
In the country or the city,
Meow, meow, meow
And she said she’d wed Don Gato

Oh, Don Gato jumped so happily
He fell off the roof and broke his knee
Broke his ribs and all his whiskers,
Meow, meow, meow
And his little solar plexus,
Meow, meow, meow
Ay Caramba cried Don Gato

Then the doctors all came on the run
Just to see if something could be done
And they held a consultation,
Meow, meow, meow
About how to save their patient,
Meow, meow, meow
How to save Senor Don Gato

But in spite of everything they tried
Poor Senor Don Gato up and died
And it wasn’t very merry,
Meow, meow, meow
Going to the cemetery,
Meow, meow, meow
For the ending of Don Gato

When the funeral passed the market square
Such a smell of fish was in the air
Though his burial was slated,
Meow, meow, meow
He became reanimated,
Meow, meow, meow
He came back to life, Don Gato

This Post Has 35 Comments

  1. Lateef L.

    I am thirty years old and have been looking for this song since second grade!!! i simply cannot believe that u found it!!! i’m sing it right now!

  2. Steph Mineart

    I found it on iTunes, if you’re looking for a recording of it. I sang it in second grade, too.

  3. Nicole

    My sister who’s now almost 35 sang this in elementary school and taught it to me, her little sister. We haven’t been able to remember the lyrics for years. Now we’ll be able to sing the whole song! LOL

  4. Bri Anime

    I LOVE SENOR DON GATO you are a life saver because i had only a portion of the song stuck in my head so when i came across all of the lyrics i was just overjoyed

  5. Teneshia

    i luv this song! i sang it in elementary school & it was the class’s favorite song.

  6. brianne

    omg! me and my boyfrien have been looking for this song forever! thanks!

  7. Kevin

    I am trying to find out the name of the book that all of us sang this song out of in second grade. Anyone remember?
    Any help (description, etc.) is helpful.

  8. Abigail Goldstein

    I am 8 years old and I am doing Don Gato in music and I wanted the Spanish version so I could sing it for my spanish teacher

  9. Brian Luu

    Thank you so very much, I too was taught this song in elementary school and now that I am 36, the only lines I remembered is “Oh Senor Don Gato was a cat, on a high red roof Don Gato sat…And it wasn’t very merry, Meow, meow, meow. Going to the cemetary, meow, meow, meow. For the ending of Don Gato.” Now, thanks to you, I know the whole song.

  10. alin

    a very small amount of this song has stuck in my head since elementary school (i’m 40 now!) – when my hippy-like music teacher sang and played along on her guitar.
    i have been singing what little i remember to my 4 year old son – who requests it every night. can’t wait to sing him the song (minus the lyrics i have made up!)

  11. Amber

    I have loved this song since grade school also. I am 41 now and remember it as one of our class favorites. I’m happy to get the rest of the lyrics I couldn’t remember. Thanks!

  12. Olga Page-Murray

    Hi! I live in Australia. I also sang Don Gato in what we call Primary School (Elementary). I could only remember two or three of the verses until I found it on the Net. My 7 year old daughter loves the song too! Would anyone have a copy of the music? I’m not very good on these matters – would you be able to scan it and send it to me or is there a site I could go to to download it myself. Bye.

  13. Pam

    I’m also thrilled to have found the lyrics to this song from my elementary school memories. We may have stumbled on a global cultural phenomenon here… and a generation of children who all wondered “just what is a solar plexus???” Ha ha. Thanks for helping me to pass this on to my daughter.

  14. Janine

    I am so glad I have found the lyrics to this song. I was just telling my husband about my favorite song from music class in elementary school and, despite his protests, I began to sing it for him. I could only remember the 1st and 3rd verses so I did a internet search. Now I am going back in there to perform the whole song!

  15. Jody

    I just sang this to the year 6’s on my practicum for teaching (music). They loved it! Such a timeless classic, and the illustrations by John Manders are terrific.

  16. Stephanie

    I sang this song in elementary school (I’m 40 now), and I remember my sister made a poster of it for an assignment. For some reason, the words popped in my head last night, so I decided to google it. I am AMAZED at what one can find on the internet. Thanks for the memories, I just emailed her the song.

  17. Alisa

    Oh how I loved that cat and still do! I taught this song to my girls and imagine they will pass it on to their children as well. I was surprised however that they were not exposed to it in school like I was. I have the book and it is beautifully illustrated with the sheet music printed inside the cover. I suggest you all get a copy.

  18. Ms. P

    I am a middle school teacher and over 25 years ago when I was in elementary I was also allured by “Don Gato”. What a great song. Why has it stuck in our heads for all of these years? Why were elementary music teachers teaching us this song? They must have known something. I am so happy that I am not the only nut job in town who thinks this song ROCKS!

  19. guitar chick

    this song is really cute, i can play it on the guitar and i like it so much i cant stop playing it!

  20. paul papak

    i remember this song from geelong rd pimary and i’m 40. my kids love it

  21. sandy beach

    Me too! I always sang the part I remembered to my daughters and now- tonight- the whole song is ours! I learned it at Faulk elementary school in Wilmington, Deleware -1972!

  22. Nathan Gove

    Amazing! Look at all of us people who had fond memories of this song like I did. I’m 35 years old and I learned Senor Don Gato in elementary school back in Nashville, Tennessee. Meow Meow Meow!!!

  23. Stacie

    This is awesome – I’m 38, learned Don Gato in elementary school in Palmer, Alaska and thought it must be a random thing we were taught because no one else seemed to know the song! Love that people everywhere know it!

  24. samantha

    I have loved this song since i was a kid, i’ve sang it to my kids althought I counln’d remember the last two verses exactly, now i can ! thank you

  25. Daniele

    My story is similar to those above. I’m also 35 yrs old and learnt this song in early primary school in Melbourne, Australia. It’s my favourite musical memory of this time and finally found it online including the sheet music so we can play it on guitar AND sing along! Cooooool! Love it.

  26. DeeDee

    I taught my cousin Cindy this song whenwe were kids, 20+ yrs ago, and we both still sing it today!!

  27. DeeDee

    I taught my cousin Cindy this song when we were kids, 20+ yrs ago, and we still sing it today!

  28. Robbin

    I’m 47 and have loved the song almost that long! I want the sheet music with guitar chords…

  29. Robbin

    I beat most of you, as I’m 47 and have been singing that song for almost that long. Now I need the sheet music, and guitar chords..

  30. Fran

    I don’t believe this! I’ve just found myself humming Don Gata whilst doing the dishes and googled it… sad, I know! I am 50 and it is still my favourite from primary school!

  31. Patty

    This is too funny! I am 50 years old, and have remembered the 1st two verses all these years, since 4th grade, but couldn’t remember the rest. My friend Marty plays the guitar, is a cat lover, and I would like to introduce this song to him Friday night at his housewarming party. He’s a really sweet nerd, so I know he’ll love it! Anybody ever find the sheet music & guitar chords?

  32. Shana

    I sang this song in the 5th and 6th grade in NM. The book we used was a lime green hard cover. I believe it also came with a record album with music only to sing along with. I think it was made for elementary schools. It had songs from all over the world…Over the Sea to Sky and Clip go the Shears are two that I remember. If anyone has an idea about how to get one of these books please let me know.

  33. Desi

    This song was in the famous Silver Burdett music texts used all over the U.S. and obviously the English-speaking world. “Don Gato” and “Tzena, Tzena” were the big hits at Captain John Smith Elementary in 1967.

  34. Desi

    Hi Shana,
    The music books were published by Silver Burdett. I think the title of the series was “Making Music Your Own” but that was 40 years ago so I could be confusing it with another series.
    There is still a Silver Burdett music series for elementary schools but I haven’t a clue if the old classics have remained. “Over the Sea to Skye” and “Charlie is my Darlin'” were also a couple of my favorites.

  35. Laura

    Good lord and butter! I had begun to think “Don Gato” was a fever dream from first or second grade! In what — 1964? 1965? — I *was* Senor Don Gato in the Strawberry Festival school concert at Vernon Elementary School because the music teacher knew I took dance lessons. I vividly remember the two tallest boys in the class had to carry me off stage left on a stretcher, and running off stage right, with a plastic fish in my paws, chased by a kid dressed as a fishmonger…

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