Bought Me A Cat

“Bought Me A Cat” is a popular children’s song that originated in the British Isles and performed by numerous folk artists, composers, and children’s performers. One of the most well-known adaptation was Arron Copland’s. He used the song as the fifth and last song of his album Old American Songs, Set 1. “Bought Me a Cat” is also known as “Farmyard Song,” “I Love My Rooster,” “I Bought Me a Horse,” My Cock Crew,” “The Garden Tree,” “The Barnyard Song,” and “There was an Old Man of Tobago.” This cumulative song repeats a refrain, adding one farm animal with each repeat. The sounds used for each animal are different than what children used to hear, and this is what most of them enjoy. The song triggers the question to children of what they think the sounds should be. The song was widespread worldwide and there are different sounds for these animals in several countries. A good example is the hen’s sound. In English, it goes “cluck, cluck” or “chipsy, chipsy” while in German, it goes “tock, tock.” It goes “cotcotcodet” in French.

The most notable adaptation of the song was Aaron Copland’s version. Aaron was an American composer, born on Novermber 14, 1990. He was also a writer, composition teacher, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. He was known to his peers and critics as “the Dean of American Composers.” His works in the 1930s and 1940 made him famous and his music has defined the sound of America. His work from his old folk tunes to his ballets to his instrumental works has pioneered and shaped the American music today. His style was often referred to as “populist" and which the composer labeled his "vernacular" style. He also produced music in different genres such as vocal works, chamber music, opera, and film scores.