Outtake version
One.
Catlong sighs holdin' Kitty's black tooth
She left to marry some top cat, ain't it the cold truth
And there hasn't been a tally since Sally left the alley
Since Kitty left with Big Pretty things have got pretty thin
It's tight on this fence since them young dudes are muscling in
Jack Knife cries cause baby's in a bundle
She goes running nightly, lightly through the jungle
And them tin cans are exploding out of the ninety-degree heat
Cat somehow lost his baby down on Bleeker Street
It's sad but it sure is true
Cat shrugs his shoulders, sits back and sighs
Ooh, what can I do?
Oh, oh, oh, what can I do?
Ooh, ooh, what can I do?
Oh, oh, oh, what can I do?
Cat Knife lies back bent on a trash can
Flashin' lights cut the night, dude in white says he's the man
Well, you better learn to move fast when you're young or you're not long around
Cat somehow lost his baby down in the city pound
So get right, get tight, get down
Here she comes walking back down the alley, she been out all weekend long
She's all dressed up in her hot pants, she got on her stacked heels and a boy be yellin' here she comes
Oh, Kitty's back in town, Kitty back in town, Kitty's back in town, Kitty's back in town
Kitty's back in town, Kitty back in town, Kitty's back in town, oh, Kitty's back in town
Well, now, Cat knows his Kitty's been untrue
And that she left him for a city dude
But she's so soft, she's so blue
When he looks into her eyes
He just sits back and sighs
Ooh, ooh, ooh, what can I do?
Ooh, ooh, ooh, what can I do?
Oh, oh, oh, what can I do?
Oh, oh, oh, what can I do?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Aah! Oh, all right
Oh, oh, all right
The above lyrics are for an unreleased studio take of KITTY'S BACK that was recorded sometime between late June and September 1973 at 914 Sound Studios in Blauvelt, NY. This version appears on several bootlegs, including The Unsurpassed Springsteen Volume 5 (Yellow Dog Records) and Born In The Studio (Archive Productions).
This version could have the same core instrumental recording that was officially released on The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle album, but in a different mix. The vocals however are definitely different and the lyrics vary slightly from the album version.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
List of available versions of KITTY'S BACK on this website:
KITTY'S BACK [Album version]
