Tom Cat Blues

DESCRIPTION: Singer praises old "Ring Tail Tom" for his sexual prowess: "I got an old tom cat; When he steps out All the pussy cats in the neighborhood, They begin to shout, 'Here comes Ring Tail Tom, He's boss around the town...." Etc.
AUTHOR: Probably Cliff Carlisle
EARLIEST DATE: 1932 (recording, Cliff Carlisle)
KEYWORDS: sex bawdy humorous nonballad animal
FOUND IN: US(SE)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Cohen/Seeger/Wood-NewLostCityRamblersSongbook, p. 213, "Tom Cat Blues" (1 text, 1 tune)
Silber/Silber-FolksingersWordbook, p. 160, "Tom Cat Blues" (1 text)
DT, TOMCATBL*
RECORDINGS:
Cliff Carlisle,"Tom Cat Blues" (Vocalion 5492, c. 1932; on TimesAint04) "Ringtail Tom" (Vocalion 02656, 1934)
Jimmie Davis, "Tom Cat and Pussy Blues" (Bluebird B-6272, 1936)
New Lost City Ramblers, "Tom Cat Blues" (on NLCR01)
NOTES [23 words]: I can't tell without hearing them whether the two Cliff Carlisle recordings are the same performance, but they're clearly the same song. - PJS
Last updated in version 4.2
File: CSW213

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