Well, a child 

        
arrived just t

he other 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 s

ay,
          
"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

             
g home dad, I 

don't know whe

n
             
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, c'mon,

 let's play
             
Can you teach 

              
me to throw?",

          
 I said, "Not 

today,
             
I got a lot do

              
", he said, "T

 
hat's okay"

And he walked 

away but his s

mile never dim

med, it 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

             
g home dad, I 

don't know whe

n
             
But we'll get 

       
together then
             
You know we'll

           
 have a good t

   
ime then


             
Well, he came 

              
from college j

        
ust the other 

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 he sai

d with a smile

,
 
"What I'd real

ly like dad is

 to borrow the

 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

             
g home son, I 

don't know whe

n
             
But we'll get 

       
together then,

 dad
             
You know we'll

           
 have a good t

   
ime then


[Interlude]

             


             
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 th

e time
           
You see my new

 job's a hassl

e and the kids

 have the flu
             
But it's sure 

         
nice talkin' t

  
o you, dad
             
It's been sure

         
 nice talkin' 

   
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

             
g home son, I 

don't know whe

n
             
But we'll get 

      
together then,

 dad
             
We're gonna ha

         
ve a good time

 
 then