Cats In The Cradle chords
Harry Chapin * 1974

[Intro]
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[Verse 1]
             
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"

[Chorus]
             
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 son
             
You know we'll

            
 have a good t

    
ime then

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[Verse 2]
             
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"

[Chorus]
             
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 son
             
You know we'll

            
 have a good t

    
ime then

[Transition]
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[Verse 3]
             
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?"

[Chorus]
             
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

     
(Slower)
 [Verse 4]
             
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

(A Tempo)

[Chorus]
             
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

[Outro]
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