Lyrics The Old Gumbie Cat - Andrew Lloyd Webber, "Cats" 1981 Original London Cast, Myra Sands

The Old Gumbie Cat

Munkustrap introduces Jennyanydots who sleeps and lounges all
day long.
But at night, she becomes a super-active nanny.
She
instructs the mice in music and crochet work, and keeps the
cockroaches busy.
The cats take this opportunity to dress up with
Jenny and perform an exuberant tap dance.
I have a gumbie cat in mind, her name is Jennyanydots
Her coat is of the tabby kind with tiger stripes and leopard spots
All day she sits beneath the stairs or on the steps or on the mat
She sits and sits and sits and that’s what makes a gumbie cat
That’s what makes a gumbie cat
FEMALE CATS:
But…
When the day’s hustle and bustle is done
Then the gumbie cat’s work is but hardly begun
And when all the family’s in bed and asleep
She tucks up her skirts to the basement to creep
She is deeply concerned with the ways of the mice
JENNYANYDOTS:
Their behavior’s not good and their manners not nice
So when she has got them lined up on the matting
She teaches them music, crocheting and tatting
I have a gumbie cat in mind, her name is Jennyanydots
The curtain cord she likes to wind and tie it into sailor knots
She sits upon the windowsill or anything that’s smooth and flat
She sits and sits and sits and that’s what makes a gumbie cat
That’s what makes a gumbie cat
FEMALE CATS:
But…
When the day’s hustle and bustle is done
Then the gumbie cat’s work is but hardly begun
She thinks that the cockroaches need employment
To prevent them from idle and wanton destroyment
So she’s formed from that lot of disorderly louts
A troop of well disciplined helpful boy scouts
With a purpose in life and a good deed to do And she’s even created a beetles tattoo!
For she’s a jolly good fellow!
JENNYANYDOTS:
Thank you my dears…