Cats In The Cradle Harry Chapin Meaning

Harry chapin s only 1 hit cat s in the cradle reached the top of the billboard hot 100 in december of 1974.

Cats in the cradle harry chapin meaning. Basically the cats in the cradle is the son and the silver spoon is the father in the sense that the son is at home while the father is away making money to feed silver spoon and take care of the childs welfare. The cat s in the cradle presents the problem of personal and extreme dedication to work and the subsequent neglect of family by a father or any parent or guardian of a child. He asks for his fathers attention and his response to his son is not now later when the father has the time i m guessing he s retired the son has a family of his own. Harry chapin cat s in the cradle lyrics meaning.

He lost to stevie wonder the verses originated as a poem written by his wife sandy the song s co writer who was inspired initially after witnessing. Cat s in the cradle is a song about the relationship of a son and his father not about a woman with a cat. Der text von cat s in the cradle entstand als gedicht von harry chapins frau sandra welches an die beziehung ihres ersten ehemannes und dessen vaters angelehnt war der als politiker in brooklyn arbeitete. But there were planes to catch and bills to pay.

The other day is repeated throughout and hammers home the shortness of life well not on my watch little buddy. Cats in the cradle and the silver spoon are the provisions of the father. As chapin s only number one song it became the best known of his work and a staple for folk rock music. Like many fathers today the song states the conversations between father and son.

The single topped the us billboard hot 100 in december 1974. Cat s in the cradle is a 1974 folk rock song by harry chapin from the album verities balderdash. My child arrived just the other day he came to the world in the usual way. Cat s in the cradle meaning.

Chapin s recording of the song was nominated for the 1975 grammy award for best male pop vocal performance and was inducted into the grammy hall of fame in 2011. Little boy blue describes the son while the man in the moon is the distant dad. The poem and story reflects harry chapin s life as a son himself and the fear that he could be that to his son josh chapin said and frankly the song scares me to death soundstage. Die melodie war an einen country song angelehnt den sandra chapin im radio gehört hatte.

Nowhere in the song does it mention a woman only a father and son. The 10 year old son is walking away in more than one respect and the next time we meet the pair it is too late for dad. Although the image of a cat in a cradle is positive in the dutch fairy tale and even in chapin s song in that it conjures up images of a child put to sleep by being read a nursery rhyme that s not the case in the other possible definition of the phrase. A reference to the song cat s in the cradle origin of cat s in the cradle.

The 1974 song of harry chapin based on a song written together with his wife sandy tells a simple and sad story clearly and well. Harry was nominated for pop male vocalist at the 1974 grammy awards. The use of cat s in the cradle to describe something dangerous appears to come from an old wives tale that if allowed into its crib a cat would kill an infant by sucking out its breath. Die bedeutung des titels stammt wahrscheinlich von einem faden kinderspiel genannt cat s cradle.

In 1992 american rock band ugly kid joe covered the song.