Cats In The Cradle chords
Harry Chapin * 1974

Capo I

   

             
My child arriv

            
ed just the ot

her day
             
He came to the

              
 world in the 


usual way
              
But there were

              
 planes to cat

       
ch and bills t

o pay
             
He learned to 

             
walk while I w

as away
             
And he was tal

             
kin' 'fore I k

            
new it, and as

    
 he grew
              
He'd say "I'm 

           
gonna be like 


you dad
             
You know I'm g

           
onna be like y

ou"

             
And the cat's 

              
in the cradle 

        
and the silver

 spoon
             
Little boy blu

          
e and the man 

in the moon
 
When you comin

' home dad?
             
I don't know w

             
hen, but we'll

            
 get together 


then 
             
You know we'll

            
 have a good t

    
ime then

   

             
My son turned 

             
ten just the o

ther day
             
He said, "Than

              
ks for the bal

        
l, Dad, come o

n let's play
              
Can you teach 

              
me to throw", 

        
I said "Not to

day
             
I got a lot to

              
 do", he said,

  
 "That's ok"
             
And he walked 

            
away but his s

          
mile never dim

med
              
And said, "I'm

           
 gonna be like

 
 him, yeah
             
You know I'm g

           
onna be like h

im"

             
And the cat's 

              
in the cradle 

        
and the silver

 spoon
             
Little boy blu

          
e and the man 

in the moon

When you comin

' home dad?
             
I don't know w

             
hen, but we'll

            
 get together 


then 
             
You know we'll

            
 have a good t

    
ime then

   

             
Well, he came 

              
home from coll

             
ege just the o

ther day
             
So much like a

            
 man I just ha

d to say
              
"Son, I'm prou

              
d of you, can 

    
you sit for a 

while?"
             
He shook his h

        
ead and said w

ith a smile
             
"What I'd real

             
ly like, Dad, 

            
is to borrow t

       
he car keys
           
See you later,

       
 can I have th

em please?"

             
And the cat's 

              
in the cradle 

        
and the silver

 spoon
             
Little boy blu

          
e and the man 

in the moon

When you comin

' home son?
             
I don't know w

             
hen, but we'll

            
 get together 


then, Dad 
             
You know we'll

            
 have a good t

    
ime then

     2x

             
I've long sinc

              
e retired, my 


son's moved aw

ay
             
I called him u

           
p just the oth

er day
              
I said, "I'd l

              
ike 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 hassl

            
e and kids hav

      
e the flu
             
But it's sure 

            
nice talking t

  
o you, Dad
             
It's been sure

            
 nice talking 

   
to you"

             
And as I hung 

             
up the phone i

            
t occurred to 


me
             
He'd grown up 

        
just like me
           
My boy was jus

       
t like me

             
And the cat's 

              
in the cradle 

        
and the silver

 spoon
             
Little boy blu

          
e and the man 

in the moon

When you comin

' home son?
             
I don't know w

             
hen, but we'll

            
 get together 

   
then, Dad 
             
You know we'll

            
 have a good t

    
ime then

   

* Alternate:

Capo III

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