Original London Cast of Cats - Growltiger’s Last Stand lyrics

Growltiger was a Bravo cat who
Travelled on a barge

In fact he was the roughest cat
That ever roamed at large

From Gravesend up to Oxford he
Pursued his evil aims
Rejoicing in his title of:

"The Terror of the Thames"

His manners and appearance did
Not calculate to please
His coat was torn and seedy
He was baggy at the knees
Once ear was somewhat missing
No need to tell you why
And he scowled upon a hostile
World from one forbidding eye

The cottagers of Rotherhithe knew
Something of his fame
At Hammersmith and Putney people
Shuddered at his name

They would fortify the henhouse
Lock up the silly goose

When the rumour ran along the shore:

"Growltiger's on the loose!"

Woe to the weak canary that
Flutters from it's cage

Woe to the pampered Pekinese
That faced Growltiger's rage

Woe to the bristly bandicoot that
Lurks on foreign ships

And woe to any cat with
Whom Growltiger came to grips

But most to cats of foreign race
His hatred had been vowed

To cats of foreign name and
Race no quarter was allowed

The Persian and the Siamese
Regarded him with fear
Because it was a Siamese that
Mauled his missing ear

Now on a peaceful summer's night
All nature seemed at play
The tender moon was shining bright
The barge at Molesey lay

All in the balmy moonlight it
Lay rocking on the tide
And Growltiger was disposed to
Show his sentimental side

Growltiger's bucko mate Grumbuskin long
Since had disappeared
For to the Bell at Hampton he
Had gone to wet his beard

And his bosun, Tumblebrutus
He too had stole away
In the yard behind the Lion he
Was prowling for his prey

In the forepeak of the
Vessel Growltiger sat alone

Concentrating his attention on
The Lady Griddlebone

And his raffish crew lay sleeping in
Their barrels and their bunks

As the Siamese came creeping in
Their sampans and their junks

Growltiger had no eye or ear
For aught but Griddlebone

And the lady seemed enraptured
By his manly baritone

Disposed to relaxation and
Awaiting no surprise

But the moonlight shone reflected from
A thousand bright blue eyes
And closer still and closer
The sampans circled 'round
And yet from all the enemy there
Was not heard a sound
The foe was armed with toasting
Forks and cruel carving knives

And the lovers sang their last duet
In danger of their lives

Oh, how well I remember The Old Bull and Bush
Where we used to go down of a Saturday night
Where, when anything happened
It come with a rush
For the boss, Mr clark, he was very polite

A very nice house, from basement to garret
A very nice house, ah, but it was the parrot
The parrot, the parrot, named Billy M'Caw
What brought all those folks to the bar
Ah, he was the life of the bar

Of a Saturday night
We was all feeling bright
And Lily LaRose, the barmaid that was
She'd say "Billy! Billy M'Caw! Come
Give us, come give us, a dance on the bar!"
And Billy would dance on the bar
And Billy would dance on the bar
And then we'd feel balmy in each eye a tear
And emotion would make us all order more beer

Lily, she was a girl what
Had brains in her head
She wouldn't have nothing
No, not that much said
If it come to an argument or a dispute
She would settle it offhand with
The toe of her boot or as likely as not put
Her fist through your eye
And when we was happy and just a bit dry
Or when we was thirsty just a bit sad
She would rap on the bar
With that corkscrew she had
And say "Billy! Billy M'Caw! Come give us
A tune on your pastoral flute!"
And Billy'd strike up on his pastoral flute
And Billy'd strike up on his pastoral flute
And then we'd feel balmy in each eye a tear
And emotion would make us all order more beer

"Billy! Billy M'Caw! Come give us a
Tune on your moley guitar!"
And Billy'd strike up on his moley guitar
And Billy'd strike up on his moley guitar
And then we'd feel balmy in each eye a tear
And emotion would make us all order more beer

"Billy! Billy M'Caw! Come give us a
Tune on your moley guitar!"

Ah, he was the life of the bar

Then Gilbert gave the signal to
His fierce Mongolian hordes
With a frightful burst of fireworks
The chinks they swarmed aboard!

Then Griddlebone, she gave a screech
For she was badly skeered
I'm sorry to admit it
But she quickly disappeared

She probably escaped with ease
I'm sure she was not drowned

But a serried ring of flashing
Steel Growltiger did surround
The ruthless foe pressed forward in
Stubborn rank on rank

Growltiger to his vast surprise was
Forced to walk the plank

He who a hundred victims had
Driven to that drop
At the end of all his crimes
Was forced to go kerflip kerflop

Oh there was joy in Wapping when
The news flew through the land
At Maidenhead and Henley there was
Dancing on the Strand
Rats were roasted whole in
Brentford and Victoria Dock
And a day of celebration
Was commanded in Bangkok!

These modern productions they're
All very well
But there's nothing to equal from
What I hear tell
That moment of mystery when I made history