Black Cat Shuffle

Ron Ferguson

Tammy Burns

Ron Ferguson

country, rockabilly, blues

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[INTRO — SPOOKY ROCKABILLY SHUFFLE | E MINOR]
[UPRIGHT BASS WALK | BRUSHED SHUFFLE | TAMMY ACOUSTIC]
[PEDAL STEEL CRIES — ♭5→5→6]
[TELECASTER STING]

[VERSE 1]
Black cat creeping down an old back road,
Moon hangs low where the cold wind blows.
Tail held high and his eyes burn gold,
Walks like he knows what the night won't tell.

[ACOUSTIC CHOP]

Dead leaves dancing where his paws come down,
No dogs barking when he comes through town.
Cross my path and he don't look back—
Just one slow wink from that midnight cat.

[CHORUS]
BLACK CAT SHUFFLE,
SLIP THROUGH THE NIGHT.
BLACK CAT SHUFFLE,
STAY OUTTA SIGHT.

UNDER THAT AMBER HALLOWEEN MOON,
HE'LL CROSS YOUR PATH
AND BE GONE TOO SOON.

BLACK CAT SHUFFLE,
SLICK AND LOW—
WHERE THAT CAT'S HEADED,
AIN'T NOBODY KNOWS.

[PEDAL STEEL ANSWER — CRYING ♭5→5→6]

[VERSE 2]
Bare black branches claw at the sky,
Old moon watching with a jaundiced eye.
Porch light flickers when he passes by,
Little black shadow with nine damn lives.

Graveyard gate gives a rusty squeal,
Cold wind turns and the night goes still.
I hear one yowl from behind that wall—

[STOP]

Then another black cat
answers the call.

[INSTRUMENTAL — TAMMY ACOUSTIC + KEVIN TELE]
[HEXATONIC RUN: 1–♭3–4–♭5–5–6]

[CHORUS]
BLACK CAT SHUFFLE,
SLIP THROUGH THE NIGHT.
BLACK CAT SHUFFLE,
EYES BURNING BRIGHT.

UNDER THAT AMBER HALLOWEEN MOON,
ONE BECOMES TWO,
THEN A WHOLE DAMN CREW.

BLACK CAT SHUFFLE,
TAILS HELD HIGH—
THIRTEEN BLACK SHADOWS
GO SLINKING BY.

[BREAKDOWN — BASS + ACOUSTIC | HALF-DIRTY SHUFFLE]

[VERSE 3]
Now Grandma told me when I was ten,
“Black cat crosses, don't cross him again.
Turn yourself round, take another track,
Or bad damn luck's gonna follow you back.”

Well, Grandma's gone,
but I heard her clear,
When that black tom stopped
and looked right here.

He sat right down
in the middle of the lane—

[STOP]

Then lifted one paw
like he knew my name.

[PEDAL STEEL WAIL]

[BRIDGE — DARKER]
I stepped to the left.

He stepped there too.

I stepped to the right.

Guess what he'd do.

I said,
“CAT, I AIN'T GOT ALL DAMN NIGHT.”

He licked one paw.

[BEAT]

“Yeah.

All right.”

[BREAKDOWN — FULL BAND | SHUFFLE HARDER]

[VERSE 4]
So I followed that cat through the cemetery gate,
Past leaning stones with forgotten dates.
Through leafless trees where the moon shone red,
To a midnight party for the restless dead.

There were black cats dancing on every stone,
Old bones rattling all on their own.
That tom looked back like,
“Girl, come on.”

[TAMMY]
“Aw, hell.

One dance.

Then I'm gone.”

[FINAL CHORUS — BIG SHUFFLE]
BLACK CAT SHUFFLE,
ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT.
BLACK CAT SHUFFLE,
UNDER MOONLIGHT.

PEDAL STEEL CRYING,
OLD BONES KEEP TIME,
THIRTEEN BLACK CATS
IN A SECOND-LINE LINE.

BLACK CAT SHUFFLE,
ROUND WE GO—
IF IT'S BAD LUCK, BABY,
I DON'T WANNA KNOW.

BLACK CAT SHUFFLE,
SCRATCH AND SLIDE—

[HARD STOP]

COME DAYLIGHT—

[CAT: MRRROW]

I'M STILL OUTSIDE.

[FINAL PEDAL STEEL CRY — ♭5→5→6→1]
[CUT]

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[INTRO — SPOOKY ROCKABILLY SHUFFLE | E MINOR] [UPRIGHT BASS WALK | BRUSHED SHUFFLE | TAMMY ACOUSTIC] [PEDAL STEEL CRIES — ♭5→5→6] [TELECASTER STING] [VERSE 1] Black cat creeping down an old back road, Moon hangs low where the cold wind blows. Tail held high and his eyes burn gold, Walks like he knows what the night won't tell. [ACOUSTIC CHOP] Dead leaves dancing where his paws come down, No dogs barking when he comes through town. Cross my path and he don't look back— Just one slow wink from that midnight cat. [CHORUS] BLACK CAT SHUFFLE, SLIP THROUGH THE NIGHT. BLACK CAT SHUFFLE, STAY OUTTA SIGHT. UNDER THAT AMBER HALLOWEEN MOON, HE'LL CROSS YOUR PATH AND BE GONE TOO SOON. BLACK CAT SHUFFLE, SLICK AND LOW— WHERE THAT CAT'S HEADED, AIN'T NOBODY KNOWS. [PEDAL STEEL ANSWER — CRYING ♭5→5→6] [VERSE 2] Bare black branches claw at the sky, Old moon watching with a jaundiced eye. Porch light flickers when he passes by, Little black shadow with nine damn lives. Graveyard gate gives a rusty squeal, Cold wind turns and the night goes still. I hear one yowl from behind that wall— [STOP] Then another black cat answers the call. [INSTRUMENTAL — TAMMY ACOUSTIC + KEVIN TELE] [HEXATONIC RUN: 1–♭3–4–♭5–5–6] [CHORUS] BLACK CAT SHUFFLE, SLIP THROUGH THE NIGHT. BLACK CAT SHUFFLE, EYES BURNING BRIGHT. UNDER THAT AMBER HALLOWEEN MOON, ONE BECOMES TWO, THEN A WHOLE DAMN CREW. BLACK CAT SHUFFLE, TAILS HELD HIGH— THIRTEEN BLACK SHADOWS GO SLINKING BY. [BREAKDOWN — BASS + ACOUSTIC | HALF-DIRTY SHUFFLE] [VERSE 3] Now Grandma told me when I was ten, “Black cat crosses, don't cross him again. Turn yourself round, take another track, Or bad damn luck's gonna follow you back.” Well, Grandma's gone, but I heard her clear, When that black tom stopped and looked right here. He sat right down in the middle of the lane— [STOP] Then lifted one paw like he knew my name. [PEDAL STEEL WAIL] [BRIDGE — DARKER] I stepped to the left. He stepped there too. I stepped to the right. Guess what he'd do. I said, “CAT, I AIN'T GOT ALL DAMN NIGHT.” He licked one paw. [BEAT] “Yeah. All right.” [BREAKDOWN — FULL BAND | SHUFFLE HARDER] [VERSE 4] So I followed that cat through the cemetery gate, Past leaning stones with forgotten dates. Through leafless trees where the moon shone red, To a midnight party for the restless dead. There were black cats dancing on every stone, Old bones rattling all on their own. That tom looked back like, “Girl, come on.” [TAMMY] “Aw, hell. One dance. Then I'm gone.” [FINAL CHORUS — BIG SHUFFLE] BLACK CAT SHUFFLE, ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT. BLACK CAT SHUFFLE, UNDER MOONLIGHT. PEDAL STEEL CRYING, OLD BONES KEEP TIME, THIRTEEN BLACK CATS IN A SECOND-LINE LINE. BLACK CAT SHUFFLE, ROUND WE GO— IF IT'S BAD LUCK, BABY, I DON'T WANNA KNOW. BLACK CAT SHUFFLE, SCRATCH AND SLIDE— [HARD STOP] COME DAYLIGHT— [CAT: MRRROW] I'M STILL OUTSIDE. [FINAL PEDAL STEEL CRY — ♭5→5→6→1] [CUT]

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