[Verse 1]
             
My child arriv

            
ed just the ot

her day;
             
Came to the wo

           
rld in the usu

al way
              
But there were

             
 planes to cat

       
ch and bills t

o pay.
             
He learned to 

             
walk while I w

as away.
       
He was talking

 'fore I knew 

it and as he g

rew he said,
             
"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 a man on

 the moon.
 
"When you comi

n' home?"
        
"Son, I don't 

know when,
             
We'll get toge

      
ther then.
             
You know we'll

              
 have a good t

    
ime then."

[Verse 2]
             
Well, my son t

              
urned ten just

     
 the other day

.
             
He said, "Than

              
ks for the bal

        
l, Dad. Come o

n, let's play.
             
Could you teac

              
h me to throw?

           
", I said "Not

 today
             
I got a lot to

              
 do." He said,

  
 "That's okay.

"
       
And he walked 

away and he sm

iled and he sa

id
             
"You know, I'm

              
 gonna be like

  
 him, yeah.
             
You know I'm g

             
onna be like h

im."

[Chorus 2]
             
And the cat's 

              
in the cradle 

        
and the silver

 spoon,
             
Little boy blu

        
e and a man on

 the moon.
 
"When you comi

n' home?"
        
"Son, I don't 

know when,
             
We'll get toge

      
ther then.
             
You know we'll

              
 have a good t

    
ime then."

[Verse 3]
             
Well, he came 

              
from college j

        
ust the other 

day,
             
So much like a

            
 man I just ha

d to say.
             
"I'm proud of 

              
you, could you

 
 sit for a whi

le?"
             
He shook his h

           
ead and he sai

d with 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 3]
             
And the cat's 

              
in the cradle 

        
and the silver

 spoon,
             
Little boy blu

        
e and a man on

 the moon.
 
"When you comi

n' home, Son?"
   
"I don't know 

when,
             
We'll get toge

      
ther then.
             
You know we'll

              
 have a good t

    
ime then."

 

[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'd like to s

           
ee you, if you

 don't mind."
             
He said, I'd l

              
ove to, Dad, i

          
f I could find

 the time.
         
You see, my ne

w job's a hass

le and the kid

s have the flu

,
             
But it's sure 

              
nice talking t

   
o you, Dad.
             
It's been sure

              
 nice talking 

   
to you."

[Ending verse]
       
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.

[Chorus 4] 
             
And the cat's 

              
in the cradle 

        
and the silver

 spoon,
             
Little boy blu

        
e and a man on

 the moon.
 
"When you comi

n' home, Son?"
   
"I don't know 

when,
             
We'll get toge

      
ther then.
             
You know we'll

              
 have a good t

    
ime then."

[Chorus 4] 
             
And the cat's 

              
in the cradle 

        
and the silver

 spoon,
             
Little boy blu

        
e and a man on

 the moon.
 
"When you comi

n' home, Son?"
   
"I don't know 

when,
             
We'll get toge

      
ther then.
             
You know we'll

              
 have a good t

    
ime then."