You know the tune. It’s that slinky, high-pitched, vaguely unsettling melody that usually triggers a wave of nostalgia followed immediately by a "wait, should I be hearing this?" cringe. Most people looking for siamese cat song lyrics are actually hunting for a specific 1955 earworm from Disney’s Lady and the Tramp. But if you dig into the history of these lyrics, you find a messy intersection of mid-century animation, cultural shifts, and a very specific type of vocal performance that wouldn't fly today.
It’s weirdly catchy. "We are Siamese if you please. We are Siamese if you don’t please."
Those lines, written by Peggy Lee and Sonny Burke, have basically lived rent-free in the collective subconscious for seventy years. Peggy Lee didn't just write them; she voiced both cats, Si and Am, using a thin, nasal register that was meant to sound "exotic" back in the fifties. Today? It’s a textbook example of why some classics feel like they’re wearing a heavy layer of dust.
The Problematic Roots of the Siamese Cat Song Lyrics
Honestly, the lyrics themselves—if you just read them on a page—are mostly about two cats being jerks. They want to drink the milk. They want to mess with the bird. They’re basically agents of chaos in a Victorian household. But when you pair those siamese cat song lyrics with the visual caricatures of the time and the specific musical "Orientalist" tropes, the context changes entirely.
In the original 1955 film, the cats are drawn with exaggerated features that leaned heavily into post-WWII stereotypes. The music uses what musicologists call the "Oriental riff"—that specific five-note pattern that Westerners used for decades to signify "The East" without actually referencing any real musical tradition from Asia. It’s a shorthand. It’s lazy. And for many, it's offensive.
Breaking Down the Original Text
The structure of the song is repetitive. It’s a march.
"Now we lookin' over our new domicile.
If we like we stay for maybe quite a while."
Notice the "broken English" style of the phrasing. This wasn't accidental. It was a stylistic choice meant to emphasize that these cats were "foreigners" invading the safe, domestic space of the American household represented by Lady. It’s a classic "Us vs. Them" narrative played out with felines.
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Peggy Lee was an incredible jazz talent—her work on "Fever" is legendary—but her portrayal here is one of the most debated parts of her legacy. She used a muted, staccato delivery to make the cats feel sneaky. When they sing about the "chickie" in the "wire house," they aren't just hungry; they’re portrayed as calculating and cruel.
Why Disney Finally Changed the Lyrics in 2019
If you watched the 2019 live-action remake of Lady and the Tramp on Disney+, you probably noticed something was missing. Or rather, something was entirely different. The studio didn't just tweak the siamese cat song lyrics; they threw the whole song in the trash.
They replaced it with a song called "What a Shame," performed by Nate "Rocket" Wonder and Roman GianArthur (members of Janelle Monáe’s Wondaland collective).
Why the total overhaul?
Basically, the original song was inseparable from its baggage. You couldn't just "fix" a few words. The melody itself was tied to the stereotype. The 2019 version features two cats (still breeds of Siamese, but looking like actual cats rather than cartoons) who sing about their destructive nature without the mock-accent or the stereotypical musical cues.
"What a Shame" vs. The Original
The new song is more of a bluesy, jazz-inflected track. It focuses on the cats’ entitlement. They’re pampered, they’re bratty, and they’re proud of it.
- Original Focus: Foreignness, "sneaky" stereotypes, broken English.
- 2019 Focus: General feline mischief, superiority complex, household destruction.
It was a necessary move. Disney has been doing this a lot lately—adding content warnings to the beginning of Peter Pan, Dumbo, and Aristocats. But for Lady and the Tramp, they decided a warning wasn't enough for a scene that was so central to the movie’s second act.
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The Weird Pop Culture Afterlife of Si and Am
Outside of the movie, these lyrics have popped up in the strangest places. Did you know there are covers? There shouldn't be, but there are.
Because the song is technically a masterpiece of "character writing" from a purely structural standpoint, it’s been studied in musical theater circles. The way the rhythm mimics a cat's pounce is actually quite clever. This is the nuance that's hard to swallow: something can be creatively well-constructed while being socially regressive.
Many people still search for the lyrics because they remember the "fun" of the melody from childhood. It's a "memory vs. reality" situation. You remember the cats being funny; you forget the slanted eyes and the gongs in the background music.
Technical Breakdown: How the Song Was Recorded
In 1955, recording technology was relatively primitive compared to today's digital workstations. Peggy Lee had to record the parts separately.
She layered her voice. This was a big deal back then. By overdubbing her vocals, she created that eerie, synchronized "twin" effect. It’s a technique that would later become a staple in pop music, but in the mid-fifties, it was used here to make the Siamese cats feel "otherworldly" and unsettling.
The instrumentation is also worth noting. It’s heavy on the woodblocks and chimes. These are "percussive signifiers." They tell the audience how to feel before the cats even open their mouths. It’s a trick used in film scoring to bypass the brain and go straight to the gut. Unfortunately, the gut feeling they were aiming for was based on a lot of prejudice.
Siamese Cats in Reality vs. Lyrics
Real Siamese cats are loud. If you've ever owned one, you know they don't whisper-sing slinky songs. They scream. They are "talkers" in the cat world, known for a low-pitched, rasping meow that sounds remarkably like a human baby crying.
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The siamese cat song lyrics portray them as quiet, tiptoeing ninjas.
Reality check: A Siamese cat would actually just knock the fishbowl off the table while staring you dead in the eye and yowling at the top of its lungs.
The lyrics lean into the "mysterious" myth of the breed, which was imported from Thailand (formerly Siam) and became a status symbol in the West. By the 1950s, they were the "exotic" pet of choice, which is why they were cast as the villains. They represented something new and unfamiliar to the suburban American audience.
What to Do With This Information
If you're a parent today and your kid finds the original movie on a DVD or an old VHS, it’s a teaching moment. You don't necessarily have to ban the song, but you have to talk about why it's there.
- Acknowledge the melody. It’s okay to admit the song is catchy. That’s why it worked.
- Point out the stereotypes. Explain that "this is how people in 1955 thought it was okay to portray other cultures."
- Compare it to the remake. Show how the 2019 version keeps the "mean cat" energy without the "racist caricature" energy.
The history of film is full of these landmines. Ignoring them doesn't make them go away, and honestly, understanding the "why" behind the siamese cat song lyrics makes you a more informed consumer of media.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Researchers
If you are looking for the lyrics for a performance or a project, consider the "What a Shame" version instead. It carries the same narrative weight—cats being jerks and getting the dog in trouble—without the historical baggage.
For those interested in the musical history, look up Peggy Lee’s broader discography. She was a powerhouse of a songwriter who broke barriers for women in the industry, even if this specific contribution hasn't aged well.
The final takeaway? The siamese cat song lyrics are a time capsule. They show us exactly where we were as a culture in 1955—and they show us how far we've had to travel since. When you listen to them now, you're not just hearing a song about cats; you're hearing the sound of a bygone era's blind spots.
To dig deeper into the evolution of animation and musical tropes, research the term "The Oriental Riff" and its usage in 20th-century American media. You can also compare the 1955 and 2019 Lady and the Tramp soundtracks on streaming platforms to hear the shift in musical arrangement firsthand.