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Cat Tales - Cindy's "All Cat Songs" CD

Imagine! Ten wonderful songs about cats! Besides Cindy's own most requested, "Rudy's Big Adventure," based on the true story of the cat who got his head stuck in the garbage disposal and lived to bask in fame and glory, there are songs from Cheryl Wheeler, Buddy Mondlock, Les Barker, Nancy White, Grant Livingston, The Berrymans and others. No cats were injured in the production of this fine recording.

Songs include: Meow, Open That Can, The Cats of the Coliseum, Rudy's Big Adventure, The Familiar, Our Cats, Guide Cats for the Blind, My Pretty Kitty, Le Chat Gris, and The Dog of Time.

This CD of cat songs would make a wonderful cat lovers gift; click on the links in this sentence for clips of the songs, and a video of Cindy singing Rudy's Big Adventure.

CD only (Compass Rose Music CRM-10CD)

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Compass Rose Music * Post Office Box 147 * North Bennington,VT 05257

Lyrics to the Songs on the CD

MEOW (Cheryl Wheeler)
© 1999 Penrod & Higgins Music/Amachrist Music/ ASCAP

Straightening out your back legs, stretching in my arms
Yawning, blinking, curling back around
Your dismissive glances slap me back somehow
Meow, meow, meow

Sleeping on the big bed the sultan slips the scene
Chasing something running in your dreams
I am so enchanted with your twitch and growl
Meow, meow, meow

I see you in Memphis on the Nile in the Spring
Swinging through some palace doing your Egyptian king thing

You perceive my function twenty-four a day
Is to do for you anything you say
Where'd you get that notion and how come I kowtow
Meow, meow, meow

OPEN THAT CAN (Nancy White)
© 1990 Multinan Inc./ SOCAN

I had a cat named Princess Anne and I fed my cat in the frying pan
Cat goes "Open that can!"
Chorus: Meow meow, open that can,
The cat goes "Open that can!"

I had a fish, my heart's delight, and I dropped the food in every night
Fish goes "Bubble-up, Bubble-up"
Cat goes "Open that can!"

I had a dog with a coat sublime and my dog was hungry all the time
Dog goes "Now! Now!"
Fish goes "Bubble-up, Bubble-up"
Cat goes "Open that can!"

I had a man I knew like a book and I fed my man in the breakfast nook
Man goes "Beans again?"...

I had an adolescent son and I tried to feed him on the run
Son goes "I'll get a Big Mac"...

I had a little girl, the apple of my eye and all she'd eat was chocolate pie
Girl goes "Oooh, that's gross!"...

I had my mother-in-law to tea, she wishes her son hadn't married me
Mom goes "Hmmm, tough pastry"...

Cat goes "Read my lips!"

Meow meow, open that can
The cat goes "Open that can!"

Meow meow, open that can
The cat goes "Quit playing the banjo
Get out here and rattle those pots and pans and
Open that can!

THE CATS OF THE COLISEUM (Buddy Mondlock)
© EMI April Music, Inc./Sparking Gap Music, ASCAP

The publishers have not given permission to reprint these lyrics.
Please contact me at cindymangsen@comcast.net for information.

RUDY'S BIG ADVENTURE (Cindy Mangsen)
© 2004 Compass Rose Music/BMI

Rudy is a cat of silken fur and suave demeanor
But his intellect is not the very best
On the night of which I speak we had finished up our dinner
And my husband Rich was clearing our repast

He threw the salmon in the sink, then turned his gaze for just a blink
And then he hollered and I turned to him aghast

The cat has caught his head in the disposal
The salmon skin was just the bait to lure him to insinuate
His head in the Insinkerator, Rudy's in the clink

I gathered up my wits and I slathered on some Crisco
and a little dab of Johnson's baby suds
I was thinking I could grease him up and slide him from the trap
But the portly little body wouldn't budge.

Then Rudy's brother Lowell began to nip and lick and howl
At his sibling who was swimming in the sludge
The cat has caught his head in the disposal
Who can you call up late at night to ask for help with such a plight?
Your plumber, sure, he'll set it right. Dave will save the day!

Dave was glad to talk Rich calmly through the fine points of
Disposal deconstruction, but we failed to free the cat
And 1-800-Insinkerator won't respond on Sunday night,
No matter what they tell you in the ads

We resorted to the digits of the desperate, 911,
And I settled in to have a little chat
My cat has caught his head in the disposal.
Don't worry ma'am, we'll take this is on, we'll send Officer Mike & Officer Tom,
If they can't handle it, no one can. Help is on the way!

The cops arrived at midnight, cat lovers every one,
And they surveyed the situation in a second
Soon Rich and Mike and Tom were huddled underneath the sink
With a tiny saw to cut the flange on Rudy's neck and

I sat with Rudy on the brink, breathing deep so's not to think
Of the grinding of the saw blade in the depths
The guys exposed the guts of the disposal
And Rudy's face appeared to us, the visage that's so dear to us,
But he wasn't out of danger 'cause his neck was in the ring.

They couldn't cut the flange without endangering the cat,
So the next step was to lift the kitchen sink.
Officer Mike has got a little plumbing business on the side,
And he set to work as quick as you could think
The guys were having quite a time, capping off the plumbing lines,
By one A.M. the pipes were all unlinked

The cat was still encased in the disposal.
They turned the sink up on its side so head and body could align,
But still to budge he was not inclined. Rudy's in a bind.

The cops had done all they could do, but Rudy's paws were turning blue,
He had to see a doctor right away
Mike knew about a clinic with an all-night vet to visit
And he said that he could lead us to the place
So Rich got in the driver's seat, I crawled in back with the kitchen sink
And Rudy and the disposal on my lap

As we took off, I thought I'd comfort Rudy with my touch,
And I reached around so he could smell my hand
And that loving little tabby chomped down on my finger badly
And he clamped it in his jaws and held it fast.
I yowled aloud in pain & Rich pulled over in a panic,
"What's the matter? Are you okay?" I answered "No,

The cat has got his jaws around my pinkie"
I knew I would survive the bruise, we pulled again behind the cruiser
Racing down the avenues searching for the vet

The cop pulled over in a parking lot behind a church
We pulled beside him, and Rich said "Mike, where's the vet?"
And the officer responded "Who is Mike, and who are you
And what's the reason you've been tailing me tonight?"

Rich pointed to the back seat where I grimly smiled & gnashed my teeth
And once again my saga did relate
My cat has caught his head in the disposal.
Our third policeman wasn't busy, "I'll lead you the vet," says he,
And there was Mike, all in a tizzy, "Where the heck were you?"

We carried Rudy and the sink and the disposal in,
And we were glad to be received without a smirk
Rudy's temperature and oxygen were low, he was in shock,
And the doctor and the staff went right to work

I couldn't help but cringe when they stuck in the syringe
And the pudgy little body slumped inert
The cat was slithered out of the disposal
They lobed his neck with KY jelly, pulled his greasy body til he
Popped out of his collar and was free from sink at last!

The crew sprang into action, IV fluids were attached
And little socks and blankets warmed him in his bed,
Hot water bottles were applied, a blow-dryer to warm
The punky spike of fur upon his tawny head

Rich and I got home at 4 AM, sipped martinis, went to bed,
Awakened by a newsman with a query: "Do you have
A cat who caught his head in a disposal?
The blotter the policemen keep says something about a kitchen sink
And a cat who clearly didn't think. How's Rudy, by the way?"

The story spread through throughout the town & traveled all the world around
But fame has not affected Rudy's thinking
Our new disposal has a cover, and I know I find it odd
That Rudy still is seen to prowl around the brink

You would imagine he'd recall with every shiver of his soul
That magic evening he adorned the kitchen sink
The cat who caught his head in the disposal
The night that Rudy was detained a thousand bucks went down the drain
And the stalwart vet can now exclaim he's seen the kitchen sink

THE FAMILIAR (Cindy Mangsen)
© 2005 Compass Rose Music/BMI

They called me her familiar as though we two were bound
There was no love lost between us and the people in the town
Wary of our freedom for we lived outside the law
Unfettered by their scriptures or their fear of God

They called me her familiar as if they knew my place
And by the light of day they would not meet us face to face
But when prayer and fasting failed them, they would come to her by dark
For potions to release or bind and charms to soothe the heart

The man who fears his nature
Sees the Devil everywhere
And if she danced beneath the moon
I never led them there

They called me her familiar, they'd have thrown me in the flame
But I veiled myself in shadow, silent witness to their shame
She had no skill to quench the fire or melt the heart of stone
I kept vigil in the long night 'til all was ash and bone

I have been revered as Goddess, now as Devil I am seen
In the corner, in the shadow you will see me in your dreams
I will not grieve her passing, she is free now as the air
And I must fade into this night with memories to bear

OUR CATS (Robin Flower & Libby McLaren)
© 2000 / LibbyMacMusic, ASCAP
based on the gospel tune "My Rock, My Shield"

Our cats, there are 3, they live here with my baby and me
They bounce sideways across the floor
They're black brown and gray
How can they sleep 20 hours a day?
Our cats, there are 3 great joys in our home

There's Little, fuzzy brown, I can hold her upside down
She chirps, she howls and growls at me
Little heart keeps beating
Smacks her little lips all the time she's eating
There's Little, fuzzy brown, great joy in our home

Then Fluffy, gray locks, how many times can she miss the box?
Wet pools she drools over me
She coughs hairballs where I step at night going down the hall
Oh Fluffy, gray locks, great joy in our home

Then Bailey, coat of silk, when I open the fridge he yells milk milk milk milk
He jumps into my cereal bowl
With Bailey, he's the third, they all run through the house like a buffalo herd
Oh Bailey, Bailey Boy, great joy in our home

But Wait! There's more! The neighborhood cat coming through the cat door
He's a great big cat with a tiny meow
He flops, he rolls , then he runs back home with the food he stole
Oh Eldon, BAD CAT, great joy in our home

Our cats, 4 of 'em, warm and sweet little muffins from the oven
They lick the drippings from the pan
They jump on the bed, little kitty paws running over our heads
Our cats, there are 4 great joys in our home
Our cats, there'll be more great joys in our home

GUIDE CATS FOR THE BLIND
(words by Les Barker/music by Cindy Mangsen)
© 2005 Mrs. Ackroyd Music, MCPS / Compass Rose Music, BMI

The word 'futile' springs to mind;
Mission Impossible; yes, that's
The attempt to harness for mankind
The intelligence of cats.

You've made a basic error;
Now let me expound;
This master/servant thing's OK
But no, not that way round;

We don't do the faithful subject;
We don't do the daily grind;
You should never have attempted it;
Guide cats for the blind.

Give kitty so much trust
And we'll abuse the privilege;
You think you're going out?
You're opening the fridge.

You think I'm trying to help you?
I'm not serving man but mammon;
You think you've gained a faithful friend;
You've lost a plate of salmon.

I might lead you down the High Street;
I'll be back when I have dined;
We get very, very hungry being
Guide cats for the blind

It can't be very pleasant -
Of this I've little doubt -
To have your head stuck in a catdoor,
Whether facing in or out.

You could be here a day or two
One half out in the rain;
I've got to go; I've things to do;
Maybe I'll pass this way again.

A dog would go for help;
Cats are not that way inclined.
Cats have better things to do than being
Guide cats for the blind.

Of some matters I am ignorant,
But this I know for certain;
The best place for a blind man
Is not halfway up a curtain.

And why should he they have to be
Up on a roof at 4am?
It's the perfect place for me
But what's in it for him?

It was where I had to go
And he just tags along behind
I don't know why; only a fool would follow
Guide cats for the blind.

I once met a man called Pavlov;
From time to time, he rang a bell;
Simple toys make humans happy
But I have to say that, well,

I found it a disturbance, and
Poor chap, I think he knew it,
And soon he only rang his bell
When I wanted him to do it.

Did you ask for our assistance?
If you did, well we've declined;
Here we are, an oxymoron;
Guide cats for the blind.

MY PRETTY KITTY (Erica Wheeler)
© 2004 Blue Pie Music/ BMI

My pretty kitty, she don't come home no more
I said my pretty kitty, she don't come home no more
Ever since I started working, she moved in with the man next door

'Cause he feeds her tuna steak and caviar
Yeah he feeds her tuna steak and caviar
Me I sing the lonesome kitty blues in some lowdown doggy bar

Well I love that cat more than any cat I've ever known
Yes I love that cat more than any cat I've ever known
I still can't believe the day she just high tailed it out of our happy home

She don't remember how we used to lie there on the couch
No she don't remember how we used to lie there on the couch
All curled up, we'd purr for hours, I still can't believe she moved out

I'm gonna find me another kitty, one that don't hiss and moan
I'm gonna find me another kitty, one that don't hiss and moan
One who likes her independence and can catch a few mice on her own

My pretty kitty, she don't come home no more
I said my pretty kitty, she don't come home no more
Ever since I started working, she moved in with the man next door

LE CHAT GRIS (Grant Livingston)
© 1998 Swamp Penguin Music/ASCAP

I'm the gray cat in the graveyard - je suis le chat gris
The cemetery tour is about to start - je suis le chat gris
Two thousand souls lie sleeping here
Bring your candles, never fear
Scratch me right behind the ear! - je suis le chat gris

Allez Je suis le chat gris!
Encore! Je suis le chat gris!

Here's Alain, I know him well - je suis le chat gris
He's got lots of scary stories to tell - je suis le chat gris
Here lies monsieur and his wife
Death by drowning, gun or knife
Everyone ends up here, that's life! - je suis le chat gris

Hey, this gravestone's got a skull with wings - je suis le chat gris
And the candlelight brings out the flying things - je suis le chat gris

Here's a big moth, he's juicy and fat
One swipe of my paw and that is that
He saw the flame but not the cat - je suis le chat gris

Dites-moi! Je suis le chat gris!
Encore! Je suis le chat gris!

I'm the gray cat in the graveyard - je suis le chat gris
Blow the candles out before you depart - je suis le chat gris
Go, be happy, drink your wine
Sing and dance while you have time!

You only get one life, but I get nine - je suis le chat gris
You only get one life, but I get nine - je suis le chat gris
Je suis le chat gris,
Je suis le chat gris, finis!

THE DOG OF TIME (Lou & Peter Berryman)
© 1994 L & P Berryman/BMI

The dog of time is growling now and leans upon my chest
He whines and howls and paws my face and chews my paisley vest
He barks to wake the dog of death asleep upon the sill
Who hasn't barked an answer yet but soon someday he will

And then the dog of night arrives with all his friends it seems
The dog of peace in limbo and the dog of broken dreams
And from behind the La-Z-Boy the dog of all regret
Appears beside the drowsy dog of overwhelming debt

The Doberman of entropy is drooling in the gloom
And slinking through the vestibule the Wiener Dog of doom
The Labrador of loneliness is looking doubly bleak
The Poodle of depression licks the Pekingese of pique

The Newfoundland of nihilism paces in the hall
The Setter of procrastination leans against a wall
The Terrier of terror and the Rottweiler of rot
Grow skittish while the mutt of life is shedding on the cot

The St. Bernard belligerence is trembling in a chair
The Corgi of confusion smells the tension in the air
The mangy Chow of gluttony is hungry for a fight
The Pit Bull of apocalypse is howling in the night

By hook or crook I get em all to settle down a spell
They aren't all asleep but they're unwinding I can tell
I need to settle down myself and think I have a chance
When through the open window jumps the kitty of romance