Cat's In The Cradle
Harry Chapin (w/ Sandra Chapin, 1974)
Riff:
d u d u
A|-----0---0---0-0-|-2p0---------0-0-|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-------------2-2-|-----3---3---3-3-|-0-------0-------|-----0-----------|
C|-2-----------2-2-|-------------2-2-|-----------------|-2p0-----2-------|
G|-------------2-2-|-------------2-2-|-----------------|-----------------|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Intro (First 4 bars play riff)
| [D] | [D] | [D] | [D] |
| [D] | [D] | [D] | [D]
My | [D] child arrived just the | [F] other day
He | [G] came to the world in the | [D] usual way
But there were | [D] planes to catch and | [F] bills to pay |
| [G] He learned to walk while I | [D] was away
And he was | [C] talkin' 'fore I [Em7] knew it, and | [Am] as he grew [Em7]
He'd say | [F] "I'm gonna [Am] be like | [D] you dad
You | [F] know I'm gonna [Am] be like | [D] you" | [D]
Chorus
And the | [D] cat's in the cradle and the | [C] silver spoon |
| [F] Little boy blue and the | [G] man on the moon |
| [D] "When you comin' home dad?" "I | [C] don't know when,
but | [F] we'll get to- [Am] gether | [D] then
You | [F] know we'll have a [Am] good time | [D] then |
Instrumental (First 4 bars play riff)
| [D] | [D] | [D] | [D] |
| [D] | [D]
My | [D] son turned ten just the | [F] other day
He said, | [G] "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come | [D] on let's play
Can you | [D] teach me to throw", I said | [F] "Not today
I got a | [G] lot to do", he said, | [D] "That's ok"
And he | [C] walked a- [Em7] way but his | [Am] smile never [Em7] dimmed
And said, | [F] "I'm gonna [Am] be like | [D] him, yeah
You | [F] know I'm gonna [Am] be like | [D] him" | [D]
Chorus
And the | [D] cat's in the cradle and the | [C] silver spoon |
| [F] Little boy blue and the | [G] man on the moon |
| [D] "When you comin' home dad?" "I | [C] don't know when,
but | [F] we'll get to- [Am] gether | [D] then son
You | [F] know we'll have a [Am] good time | [D] then |
Instrumental (First 4 bars play riff)
| [D] | [D] | [D] | [D] |
| [D] | [D]
Well, he | [D] came home from college just the | [F] other day
So | [G] much like a man I just | [D] had to say
"Son, I'm | [D] proud of you, can you | [F] sit for a while?"
He | [G] shook his head and | [D] said with a smile
"What I'd | [C] really like, [Em7] Dad, is to | [Am] borrow the [Em7] car keys |
| [F] See you [Am] later, can I | [D] have them please?" | [D]
Chorus
And the | [D] cat's in the cradle and the | [C] silver spoon |
| [F] Little boy blue and the | [G] man on the moon |
| [D] "When you comin' home son?" "I | [C] don't know when,
but | [F] we'll get to- [Am] gether | [D] then, Dad
You | [F] know we'll have a [Am] good time | [D] then" |
Instrumental Bridge
| [Bb] | [C] [Am] | [D] | [D] |
| [Bb] | [C] [Am] | [D] | [D] | [D] | [D]
I've | [D] long since retired, my | [F] son's moved away |
| [G] I called him up just the | [D] other day | [D]
I said, "I'd | [D] like to see you if you | [F] don't mind"
He said, "I'd | [G] love to, Dad, if I can | [D] find the time | [D]
You see my | [C] new job's a [Em7] hassle and | [Am] kids have the [Em7] flu
But it's | [F] sure nice [Am] talking to | [D] you, Dad
It's been | [F] sure nice [Am] talking to | [D] you" | [D]
And as I | [C] hung up the [Em7] phone it oc- | [Am] curred to [Em7] me
He'd | [F] grown up [Am] just like | [D] me
My | [F] boy was [Am] just like | [D] me | [D]
Chorus
And the | [D] cat's in the cradle and the | [C] silver spoon |
| [F] Little boy blue and the | [G] man on the moon |
| [D] "When you comin' home son?" "I | [C] don't know when,
but | [F] we'll get to- [Am] gether | [D] then, Dad
We're | [F] gonna have a [Am] good time | [D] then" |
Outro (Play intro riff)
| [D] | [D] | [D] | [D] |
#Capo on 3rd fret to play with original.
#Last Updated 9/28/20 JJ
Visit UkeboxLessons
Harry Chapin (w/ Sandra Chapin, 1974)
Riff:
d u d u
A|-----0---0---0-0-|-2p0---------0-0-|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-------------2-2-|-----3---3---3-3-|-0-------0-------|-----0-----------|
C|-2-----------2-2-|-------------2-2-|-----------------|-2p0-----2-------|
G|-------------2-2-|-------------2-2-|-----------------|-----------------|
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Intro (First 4 bars play riff)
| [D] | [D] | [D] | [D] |
| [D] | [D] | [D] | [D]
My | [D] child arrived just the | [F] other day
He | [G] came to the world in the | [D] usual way
But there were | [D] planes to catch and | [F] bills to pay |
| [G] He learned to walk while I | [D] was away
And he was | [C] talkin' 'fore I [Em7] knew it, and | [Am] as he grew [Em7]
He'd say | [F] "I'm gonna [Am] be like | [D] you dad
You | [F] know I'm gonna [Am] be like | [D] you" | [D]
Chorus
And the | [D] cat's in the cradle and the | [C] silver spoon |
| [F] Little boy blue and the | [G] man on the moon |
| [D] "When you comin' home dad?" "I | [C] don't know when,
but | [F] we'll get to- [Am] gether | [D] then
You | [F] know we'll have a [Am] good time | [D] then |
Instrumental (First 4 bars play riff)
| [D] | [D] | [D] | [D] |
| [D] | [D]
My | [D] son turned ten just the | [F] other day
He said, | [G] "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come | [D] on let's play
Can you | [D] teach me to throw", I said | [F] "Not today
I got a | [G] lot to do", he said, | [D] "That's ok"
And he | [C] walked a- [Em7] way but his | [Am] smile never [Em7] dimmed
And said, | [F] "I'm gonna [Am] be like | [D] him, yeah
You | [F] know I'm gonna [Am] be like | [D] him" | [D]
Chorus
And the | [D] cat's in the cradle and the | [C] silver spoon |
| [F] Little boy blue and the | [G] man on the moon |
| [D] "When you comin' home dad?" "I | [C] don't know when,
but | [F] we'll get to- [Am] gether | [D] then son
You | [F] know we'll have a [Am] good time | [D] then |
Instrumental (First 4 bars play riff)
| [D] | [D] | [D] | [D] |
| [D] | [D]
Well, he | [D] came home from college just the | [F] other day
So | [G] much like a man I just | [D] had to say
"Son, I'm | [D] proud of you, can you | [F] sit for a while?"
He | [G] shook his head and | [D] said with a smile
"What I'd | [C] really like, [Em7] Dad, is to | [Am] borrow the [Em7] car keys |
| [F] See you [Am] later, can I | [D] have them please?" | [D]
Chorus
And the | [D] cat's in the cradle and the | [C] silver spoon |
| [F] Little boy blue and the | [G] man on the moon |
| [D] "When you comin' home son?" "I | [C] don't know when,
but | [F] we'll get to- [Am] gether | [D] then, Dad
You | [F] know we'll have a [Am] good time | [D] then" |
Instrumental Bridge
| [Bb] | [C] [Am] | [D] | [D] |
| [Bb] | [C] [Am] | [D] | [D] | [D] | [D]
I've | [D] long since retired, my | [F] son's moved away |
| [G] I called him up just the | [D] other day | [D]
I said, "I'd | [D] like to see you if you | [F] don't mind"
He said, "I'd | [G] love to, Dad, if I can | [D] find the time | [D]
You see my | [C] new job's a [Em7] hassle and | [Am] kids have the [Em7] flu
But it's | [F] sure nice [Am] talking to | [D] you, Dad
It's been | [F] sure nice [Am] talking to | [D] you" | [D]
And as I | [C] hung up the [Em7] phone it oc- | [Am] curred to [Em7] me
He'd | [F] grown up [Am] just like | [D] me
My | [F] boy was [Am] just like | [D] me | [D]
Chorus
And the | [D] cat's in the cradle and the | [C] silver spoon |
| [F] Little boy blue and the | [G] man on the moon |
| [D] "When you comin' home son?" "I | [C] don't know when,
but | [F] we'll get to- [Am] gether | [D] then, Dad
We're | [F] gonna have a [Am] good time | [D] then" |
Outro (Play intro riff)
| [D] | [D] | [D] | [D] |
#Capo on 3rd fret to play with original.
#Last Updated 9/28/20 JJ
Visit UkeboxLessons