When Italian Children Celebrated a Cat Who Refused to Bathe
This is a children’s song, recorded by Piccolo Coro dell’Antoniano in 2004 and winner of the 47th Zecchino d’Oro. It was performed by Mauro Farci (5 years old, from Sinnai, Cagliari). The lyrics are by Federico Padovano with music by Alessandro Nidi and Cristiano Minellono. The song also won the Zecchino d’Argento for Italian songs, tied with Tali & Quali.
Like other hits from Zecchino d’Oro, this piece also features cats as the protagonists. The “Stinky Cat” (Il Gatto Puzzolone) gets his name because he stubbornly refuses to wash himself, due to his allergy to soap. For this reason, he has turned completely black and smells so bad that even pigs can’t stand him. According to the lyrics, many—both children and adults—would like to imitate Stinkly Cat.
Stinkly Cat also makes a cameo in the animated short Il drago raffreddato (The Cold-Dragon), during the verse “The raccoon brings a piece of soap”; when the cat sees the soap, he gets scared and runs away. Luckily, there is only one, and not 44!
Lyrics
Miao, miao, miao, miao, miao
Miao, miao, miao, miao, miao
In fondo al mio cortile
C’è un tipo peperino
Lo chiaman Puzzolone
Ma era un bel gattino
Ha i baffi da tigrotto
Lo sguardo malandrino
Ha i denti così gialli
Che sembra un canarino (sembra un canarino)
È un gatto prepotente
E per quell’odorino
I gatti del cortile
Si tappano il nasino
È un gatto così nero
Che sembra Calimero
Neanche San Tommaso
Ci metterebbe il naso
Il gatto Puzzolone
È allergico al sapone
Non ha più un pelo bianco
Perché non fa mai lo shampoo
Mi sembra appena uscito da un tornado (uh)
Se gli fai la doccia
Ti fa il brodo senza dado (bleah)
Il gatto Puzzolone
È allergico al sapone
Non ha più un pelo bianco
Perché non fa mai lo shampoo
Si ostina a non lavarsi (no)
E ne conosco tanti (sì)
Che vogliono imitarlo
Bambini ma anche grandi
Il gatto Puzzolone
È allergico al sapone
Non ha più un pelo bianco
Perché non fa mai lo shampoo
Si ostina a non lavarsi
E ne conosco tanti
Che vogliono imitarlo
Bambini ma anche grandi
Il gatto gatto (miao)
Il gatto gatto (miao)
Il gatto Puzzolone
È proprio fetentone
Il gatto gatto (miao)
Il gatto gatto (miao)
Gatto sei simpatico
Ma fatti un po’ più in là
Miao, miao, miao miao miao
Miao, miao, miao miao miao
Ha i piedi così neri
Che sembrano stivali
E quando lui arriva
Se ne vanno anche i maiali
È un gatto così nero
Che sembra Calimero
Ed anche un marziano
Starebbe un po’ lontano
Il gatto Puzzolone
È allergico al sapone
Non ha più un pelo bianco
Perché non fa mai lo shampoo
Mi sembra appena uscito da un tornado (uh)
Se gli fai la doccia
Ti fa il brodo senza dado (bleah)
Il gatto Puzzolone
È allergico al sapone
Non ha più un pelo bianco
Perché non fa mai lo shampoo
Si ostina a non lavarsi (no)
E ne conosco tanti (sì)
Che vogliono imitarlo
Bambini ma anche grandi
Il gatto Puzzolone
È allergico al sapone
Non ha più un pelo bianco
Perché non fa mai lo shampoo
Si ostina a non lavarsi
E ne conosco tanti
Che vogliono imitarlo
Bambini ma anche grandi
Miao miao, miao miao
Il gatto Puzzolone
È proprio fetentone
Miao miao, miao miao
Gatto sei simpatico
Ma fatti un po’ più in là
Gatto sei simpatico
Ma fatti un po’ più in là
Lyrics
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
At the bottom of my courtyard
There’s a fiery fellow
They call him Stinky Cat
But he used to be a cute kitten
He’s got whiskers like a little tiger
A mischievous look in his eyes
His teeth are so yellow
He looks like a canary (looks like a canary)
He’s a bossy kind of cat
And because of that little smell
The cats in the courtyard
Hold their noses tight
He’s such a black cat
That he looks like Calimero
Not even Saint Thomas
Would stick his nose in there
Stinky Cat
Is allergic to soap
He doesn’t have a white hair left
Because he never shampoos
He looks like he just came out of a tornado (uh)
If you give him a shower
He makes broth without bouillon (bleah)
Stinky Cat
Is allergic to soap
He doesn’t have a white hair left
Because he never shampoos
He insists on not washing (no)
And I know plenty (yes)
Who want to imitate him
Kids but also grown-ups
Stinky Cat
Is allergic to soap
He doesn’t have a white hair left
Because he never shampoos
He insists on not washing
And I know plenty
Who want to imitate him
Kids but also grown-ups
The kitty cat (meow)
The kitty cat (meow)
Stinky Cat
Is really a rascal
The kitty cat (meow)
The kitty cat (meow)
Cat, you’re funny
But scoot a little farther away
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow
His feet are so black
They look like boots
And when he arrives
Even the pigs run off
He’s such a black cat
That he looks like Calimero
And even a Martian
Would keep his distance
Stinky Cat
Is allergic to soap
He doesn’t have a white hair left
Because he never shampoos
He looks like he just came out of a tornado (uh)
If you give him a shower
He makes broth without bouillon (bleah)
Stinky Cat
Is allergic to soap
He doesn’t have a white hair left
Because he never shampoos
He insists on not washing (no)
And I know plenty (yes)
Who want to imitate him
Kids but also grown-ups
Stinky Cat
Is allergic to soap
He doesn’t have a white hair left
Because he never shampoos
He insists on not washing
And I know plenty
Who want to imitate him
Kids but also grown-ups
Meow meow, meow meow
Stinky Cat
Is really a rascal
Meow meow, meow meow
Cat, you’re funny
But scoot a little farther away
Cat, you’re funny
But scoot a little farther away
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