The Cat in the Window (The Bird in the Sky)

Petula Clark

About The Cat in the Window (The Bird in the Sky)

"The Cat in the Window (The Bird in the Sky)" is a song with words and music by Gary Bonner and Alan Gordon which was a 1967 single for Petula Clark. In the spring of 1967, Clark had had her biggest hit ever with "This is My Song" her first single since "Downtown" in 1964, not written and produced by Tony Hatch, whose 1966 collaborations with Clark had failed to maintain her US Top Ten presence and had missed the UK Top 50 completely. Clark had then cut the These Are My Songs album with producer Sonny Burke, reuniting with Hatch only for one track "Don't Sleep in the Subway"; although that track had been the album's second single and a strong follow-up to "This Is My Song", Clark had proceeded to record her next album with no planned involvement from Hatch. Clark continued to work with Burke but as his productions tended to be intensely easy listening, she signed with Koppelman-Rubin Associates, a Los Angeles-based music publishing and independent production company, to provide her with material with more Top 40 appeal. The submissions to Charles Koppelman and Dan Rubin for consideration for Clark to record included two songs: "Who Got the Credit" and "Bus Driver is a Fruit Cake" which if deemed suitable for Clark - which they weren't - would have been the first songs placed by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Eventually Koppelman-Rubin had Clark record a song by their staff writers Gary Bonner and Alan Gordon: "The Cat in the Window (The Bird in the Sky)". Bonner and Gordon had been signed as Koppelman-Rubin house writers on the strength of penning the Turtles' #1 hit "Happy Together" and had recently placed songs with Gary Lewis and the Playboys, the Mojo Men, Gene Pitney and the Righteous Brothers. "The Cat in the Window..." was reportedly written with Clark in mind; the song was also cut by the Turtles whose version had no contemporaneous release.1Recorded by Clark at Wally Heider Studios, "The Cat in the Window..." is a brief (at 1:55) track richly orchestrated with strings and flutes - Jack Nitzsche arranged the session - difficult to categorize by specific musical genre. The lyrics have the singer empathize with a cat ("with a tear in his eye") seemingly eager to "fly out the window, go where the wind goes" like the birds flying by. Resolving to "glide to a rainbow off where the clouds go dancing by," she ends with the plaintive comment, "You won't find me . . . don't even try to." Another Bonner/Gordon composition: "Fancy Dancin' Man", was recorded to serve as the track's B-side. 


Year:
2000
1:57
97 

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Fly away, fly away
There's a cat in the window
And he's watching all the birds go passing by
He'd love to fly out the window
Go where the wind goes
And so would I
Like that cat in the window
Who keeps wishing for some wings to take a ride
I'd love to glide to a rainbow
Off where the clouds go dancing by
And if I could fly
You wouldn't find me hangin' around
Watching the birds go by
Yes the cat in the window
Has a tear in his eye
I should leave today, fly away
Why, oh why should I stay like the cat in the window
Who keeps watching the birds
Go by from the window
If I could fly though
You won't find me
Don't even try to

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Petula Clark

Petula Sally Olwen Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932) is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades. more »

3 fans

Written by: ALAN LEE GORDON, GARRY OWEN BONNER

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CARLIN AMERICA INC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


13 facts about this song

Release Date
"The Cat in the Window (The Bird in the Sky)" by Petula Clark was released in 1967.
Songwriters
The song was written by Gary Bonner and Alan Gordon, who were also known for writing songs for The Turtles.
Album
The song is part of Petula Clark's album "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener".
Genre
The song falls under the Pop music genre.
Billboard Chart
"The Cat in the Window (The Bird in the Sky)" reached number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
UK Singles Chart
Despite Clark's popularity in the UK, the song did not chart on the UK's Top 40 chart.
Same Year Release
"The Cat in the Window (The Bird in the Sky)" was one of the four singles Petula Clark released in 1967.
Record Label
The song was released under the Warner Bros.-Seven Arts record label in the United States.
Production
The song was produced by Tony Hatch, who also worked with Petula on many of her other hits.
Animal Theme
"The Cat in the Window (The Bird in the Sky)" is one of the few pop songs with an animal theme that gained popularity.
Musical Style
The song has been noted for its somewhat psychedelic style, a departure from the traditional pop sound Petula Clark was known for.
Northern Exposure
The song was used in the television series "Northern Exposure" during the fourth season's Halloween episode "The Great Mushroom".
Cover Versions
A German version of "The Cat in the Window (The Bird in the Sky)" was recorded in 1967 by singer Siw Malmkvist under the title "Die Katze im Sack".

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    The Cat in the Window (The Bird in the Sky)

    15,481
    105     2

    Top Hot 100 Songs 1967

    Billboard #26


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