Old Deuteronomy Songtext
von T. S. Eliot

Old Deuteronomy
Old Deuteronomy′s lived a long time
He's a cat who has lived many lives in succession
He was famous in Proverb and famous in rhyme
A long while before Queen Victoria′s accession

Old Deuteronomy's buried nine wives
And more, I'm tempted to say ninety-nine
And his numerous progeny prospers and thrives
And the village is proud of him in his decline
At the sight of that placid and bland physiognomy
When he sits in the sun on the vicarage wall

The oldest inhabitant croaks
"Well, of all things, can it be really?
No, yes, oh, hi, oh my eye
My mind may be wandering
But I confess I believe it is Old Deuteronomy"


Old Deuteronomy sits in the street
He sits in the high street on market day
The bullocks may bellow, the sheep they may bleat
But the dogs and the herdsmen will turn them away
The cars and the lorries run over the kerb
And the villagers put up a notice: "Road closed"
So that nothing untoward may chance to disturb
Deuteronomy′s rest, when he feels so disposed
Or when he′s engaged in domestic economy

And the oldest inhabitant croaks
"Well, of all things, can it be really?
No, yes, oh, hi, oh my eye
My sight's unreliable
But I can guess that the cause of the trouble is Old Deuteronomy"

Old Deuteronomy lies on the floor
Of The Fox and French Horn for his afternoon sleep
And when the men say, "There′s just time for one more"
Then the landlady from her back parlour will peep
And say, "Now then, out you go, by the back door
For Old Deuteronomy mustn't be woken
I′ll have the police if there's any uproar"
And out they all shuffle, without a word spoken
The digestive repose of that feline′s gastronomy
Must never be broken, whatever befall


And the oldest inhabitant croaks
"Well, of all things, can it be really?
Yes, no, oh, hi, oh my eye
My legs may be tottery
I must go slow, and be careful of Old Deuteronomy"