Harry Chapin – Cat’s in the cradle

LYRICS:

[Verse 1]
My Child Arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He Learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin’ ‘fore I knew it, and as he grew
He’d say “I’m gonna be like you, Dad
You know I’m gonna be like you”

[Chorus]
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
When you comin’ home, Dad
I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then
You know we’ll have a good time then

[Verse 2]
My son turned ten just the other day
He said, “Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let’s play
Can you teach me to throw”, I said “Not today
I got a lot to do”, he said, “Thats ok”
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, “I’m gonna be like him, yeah
You know I’m gonna be like him”

[Chorus]
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
When you comin’ home, Dad
I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then
You know we’ll have a good time then

[Verse 3]
Well, he came from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
“Son, I’m proud of you, can you sit for a while”
He shook his head and said with a smile
“What I’d really like, Dad is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please”

[Chorus]
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
When you comin’ home son
I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then, Dad
You know we’ll have a good time then

[Verse 4]
I’ve long since retired, my son’s moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, “I’d like to see you if you don’t mind”
He said, “I’d love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job’s a hassle and kids have the flu
But it’s sure nice talking to you, Dad
It’s been sure nice talking to you”
And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He’d grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

[Chorus]
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
When you comin’ home son
I don’t know when, but we’ll get together then, Dad
Were gonna have a good time then

Biography

“Cat’s in the Cradle” (spelled “Cats in the Cradle” in Ugly Kid Joe’s version) is a 1974 folk rock song by Harry Chapin from the album Verities & Balderdash. The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1974. As Chapin’s only No. 1 hit song, it became the best known of his work and a staple for folk rock music. Chapin’s recording of the song was nominated for the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011.^[2][3]

The song’s lyrics began as a poem written by Harry’s wife, Sandra “Sandy” Gaston; the poem itself was inspired by the awkward relationship between her first husband, James Cashmore, and his father, John, a politician who served as Brooklyn Borough President. She was also inspired by a country music song she had heard on the radio.^[4] Chapin also said the song was about his own relationship with his son, Josh, admitting, “Frankly, this song scares me to death.”^[5]

Ugly Kid Joe version

“Cats in the Cradle”
Single by Ugly Kid Joe
from the album America’s Least Wanted
Released	March 25, 1993
Recorded	1992
Genre	Hard rock, pop rock
Length	4:01
Label	Mercury
Songwriter(s)	Harry Chapin Sandra Chapin
Producer(s)	Mark Dodson
Ugly Kid Joe singles chronology
“So Damn Cool” (1992) “Cats in the Cradle” (1993) “Busy Bee” (1993)

In 1992, the hard rock band Ugly Kid Joe included a cover of the song, renamed “Cats in the Cradle”, on their debut album America’s Least Wanted. The cover was issued as a single in 1993 and peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, the group’s highest ever position on that chart.^[13] The song also peaked at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The single sold 500,000 copies domestically, earning a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.^[14][15]

In Chapin’s version, the chorus changes from “when you coming home, dad?” to “when you coming home, son?”, as the child grows up, and the situation changes from a busy father neglecting his son to a busy son neglecting his father. In Ugly Kid Joe’s version, all the choruses use the same words with a subtle change from “When you coming home? Son, I don’t know when”, to “When you coming home, son? I don’t know when.”

 

With John Denver and Geraldo