The Siamese Cat Song

The Siamese Cat Song is from the animated Disney film, Lady and the Tramp, made in 1955. Lady is a Cocker Spaniel who arrives as a puppy to live with a couple known as 'Jim Dear' and 'Darling'. They love the little dog and take good care of her until they discover that Darling is expecting a baby.

They become distracted and their attitude to Lady changes when the baby arrives.

Some time later, Jim Dear and Darling go away for a holiday, leaving Lady and the baby at home to be looked after by Aunt Sarah, who doesn't much care for dogs.

Aunt Sarah brings her two Siamese cats, Si and Am

These mischievous cats sing the song as they prowl around, exploring their temporary home. Lady watches anxiously as they claw the birdcage, slide down the curtains, knock over the fish bowl and head towards the baby's nursery. She does her best to put things straight and stop the cats from getting to the baby.

Of course, when Aunt Sarah sees the mess the cats have made, Lady gets the blame.

Watch those mean Meezers!

If you'd like to take a look at the cats in the film, here they are. I especially like their reaction when their owner appears, and also her assumption that Lady was the culprit. (A typical Siamese owner?)

The Siamese Cat Song Lyrics

We are Siamese if you please
We are Siamese if you don't please
We are former residents of Siam
There are no finer cat than I am

We are Siamese if you please
We are Siamese if you don't please
Now we looking over our new domicile
If we like we stay for maybe quite a while

Do you seeing that thing swimming roun' and roun'
Maybe we could reaching in and make it drown
If we sneaking up upon it carefully
There will be a head for you, a tail for me

Do you hear what I hear? A baby cry
Where we finding baby there are milk nearby
If we look in baby buggy there could be
Plenty milk for you, and also some for me

Who sang the Siamese Cat Song?

For the film, both Si and Am's voices were recorded by Peggy Lee, who also played the parts of Darling and Peg (an old dog and showgirl Lady meets when she is caught and taken to a dog pound).

The music was written by Sonny Burke, and Peggy Lee wrote the words to the song as well as many other songs in the movie.

This fascinating clip, introduced by Walt Disney himself, shows how the story, the music and the song all came together. And if you've never seen the movie, the storyboard outline shown here will give you a feel for it.

And a footnote

In 2004, almost fifty years after it was first sung by Peggy Lee, The Siamese Cat Song was re-recorded by sisters Hilary and Haylie Duff for the album DisneyMania 2.

Siamese cats in books:

Skippyjon Jones | Judy Schachner

The Grannyman | Judy Schachner

Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat | Amy Tan

Cats in the Belfry | Doreen Tovey

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