A comment by a reader in Jim’s post Monday Forum – Cilla Black and nostalgia led me to this wonderful song that I had never heard before. It resonated like very few songs have and I am sure that many others would be as touched by the emotions expressed as I have been.
“Cat’s In The Cradle”
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”
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on 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
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, “That’s 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”
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on 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
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”
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on 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
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
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
We’re gonna have a good time then.
i remember that song.
it has always made me cry.
very poignant.
and true.
people wake up too late sometimes.
tammy j recently posted..spaghettios and the peanut
Since coming across it I have heard it about a dozen times. It has become an earworm.
Harry Chapin is one of my top 10 favorite artists of all time. His early death was a tragedy in many ways. RE this song – my kids are nothing like me so I suppose I was successful in what the song speaks to. Here’s another song that speaks to Harry meeting his wife
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y5oZX8lmIs
shackman recently posted..Up and Down
And that is a beautiful song too. It is a pity that I did not know him in his prime.
I like that song too, even though it doesn’t apply to us.
Cheerful Monk recently posted..The CECIL Animal Trophies Act
I can understand.
Super-famous number, and Harry Chapin’s greatest and only real hit. The lyrics were originally penned by his wife in a poem describing the strained relationship between her first husband and his father.
Wow! How do you know these inside stories?
It’s a really famous song – and I’m an information troll 🙂
Unfortunately this is the version that comes to mind for me. It was used in a police video advert in Northern Ireland some years ago, to encourage people to report acts of atrocity to a confidential telephone number.
Grannymar recently posted..25th Belfast Pride…
Oops! I forgot to add the link: https://youtu.be/NswpCTliqxo
Grannymar recently posted..25th Belfast Pride…
I got the link from the other comment and I can understand how you must feel. Not good days to have lived through.
my parents never had that problem with me – because Dad was fully retired by time I came to a point where I understood having a parent. Neither really did much for me that involved doing things with me…however, I did learn a lot about horse racing [not that I followed through with bets or even taking an interest in it all]…
You are lucky. I had the problem with my son.
I love the message this song sends. i certainly think that my husband and I were physically “there” for our children. Perhaps we were to young to always have been emotionally supportive, but then, “When we know better, we do better.” (Maya Angelou)
Mother recently posted..Saturday: Three Funerals and a Birthday Party
I was not there for Ranjan as much as I would have liked to have been. Urmeela carried the burden and all Ranjan’s friends from his school and college days remember her with much affection even today.