03- The Naming Of Cats/Invitation to the Jellicle Ball

What's a Jellicle cat? What's a Jellicle cat? The naming of cats is a difficult matter It isn't just one of your holiday games You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter When I tell you a cat must have three different names First of all, there's the name that the family use daily Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey All of them sensible, everyday names There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames Such as Plato, Admetas, Electra, Demeter But all of them sensible everyday names But I tell you a cat needs a name that's particular A name that's peculiar, and more dignified Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride? Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo or Coricopat Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum Names that never belong to more than one cat But above and beyond there's still one name left over And that is the name that you never will guess The name that no human research can discover But the at himself knows, and will never confess When you notice a cat in profound meditation The reason, I tell you, is always the same: His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation Of the thought Of the thought Of the thought Of his name His ineffable effable effanineffable Deep and inscrutable singular name Jellicle Cats come out tonight Jellicle Cats come one come all The Jellicle moon is shining bright Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball Jellicle Cats come out tonight Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball Jellicle Cats meet once a year At the Jellicle Ball where we all rejoice And the Jellicle Leader will soon appear And make what is known as the Jellicle Choice When Old Deuteronomy, just before dawn Through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife Announces the cat who can now be reborn And come back to a different Jellicle Life For waiting up there is the Heaviside Layer Full of wonders one Jellicle only will see And Jellicles ask because Jellices dare: Who will it be? Who will it be?