The Ugly Kid Joe cover of the song peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the UK singles chart, but is still often mistaken for a Guns N' Roses or a Skid Row cover of the song. Neither band has ever recorded this song and it has often been mislabeled as such on Gnutella and other Peer-to-peer networks.
Cats in the Cradle
Ugly Kid Joe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Came to the world in the usually way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay.
He learned to walk while I was away.
He was talkin' 'fore I knew it.
And as he grew he said,
"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 ?"
"Son, I don't know when.
We'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."
Well, my son turned ten just the other day.
He said , "Thanks for the ball, Dad. Come on, let's play.
Could you teach me to throw ?" I said, "Not today.
I got a lot to do." He said, "That's okay."
And he walked away and he smiled and he said,
"You know,
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 ?"
"Son, I don't know when.
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,
"I'm proud of you. Could you sit for a while ?"
He shook his head and he 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.
We'll get together then.
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'd like to see you, if you don't mind."
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I could find the time.
You see my new job's a hassle and the kids have the flu,
But it's sure nice talkin' to you, Dad.
It's been sure nice talkin' 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.
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
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.
We'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."
The song "Cat's in the Cradle" by Ugly Kid Joe is a powerful commentary on the relationship between a father and his son. The song's opening verse sets the scene for the story, with the singer describing how his child arrived just the other day, but he was too busy with work and other obligations to truly be present in his child's first moments. As the child grows up and begins to mimic his father's behavior, the father is forced to confront the fact that he has missed out on important moments in his son's life.
The imagery of the "cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon" refers to a children's nursery rhyme, which is fitting given the song's subject matter. The line "little boy blue and the man on the moon" also refers to a nursery rhyme, emphasizing the idea that the father is missing out on important moments in his child's life because he is too caught up in his own world. When the son asks his father if he can borrow the car keys, it becomes clear that he is growing up and becoming more independent, and the father realizes that he has missed out on too much already.
By the end of the song, the father and son have grown apart, with the son too busy to make time for his father. The singer is left with the realization that his son has grown up just like him, and the two are now estranged, just as the father was estranged from his own father. The song is a poignant reminder that time is precious, and that we should make an effort to be present for the important moments in our loved ones' lives.
Line by Line Meaning
My child arrived just the other day;
The singer's child was born recently
Came to the world in the usually way
The birth was normal
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay.
The singer was too busy to spend time with the child
He learned to walk while I was away.
The child reached milestones without the artist present
He was talkin' 'fore I knew it.
The child started talking early
And as he grew he said,
"I'm gonna be like you, Dad.
You know I'm gonna be like you."
The child admires and wants to be like the singer
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.
We'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."
The singer is absent due to work and other commitments, but promises to spend time with the child in the future
Well, my son turned ten just the other day.
The artist's son is now ten years old
He said , "Thanks for the ball, Dad. Come on, let's play.
Could you teach me to throw ?" I said, "Not today.
I got a lot to do." He said, "That's okay."
And he walked away and he smiled and he said,
"You know,
I'm gonna be like him, yeah.
You know I'm gonna be like him."
The son wants to spend time with the artist and learn from him, but the artist is too busy
Well, he came from college just the other day,
So much like a man I just had to say,
"I'm proud of you. Could you sit for a while ?"
He shook his head and he said with a smile,
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys.
See you later. Can I have them please ?"
The son has grown up and become independent, but still wants something from the artist
I've long since retired, my son's moved away.
I called him up just the other day.
"I'd like to see you, if you don't mind."
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I could find the time.
You see my new job's a hassle and the kids have the flu,
But it's sure nice talkin' to you, Dad.
It's been sure nice talkin' 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.
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
The singer is now retired and wants to see his son, but the son is busy with his own life. The singer realizes that he and his son have become very similar
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.
We'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."
The repeated chorus highlights the theme of the song, which is the cycle of absentee parenting and the desire for reconnection
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sandy Chapin, Harry F. Chapin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jessbrown307
The message is time eternal.
My Dad was killed in an auto wreck when I was a 9 year old 4th grader. Now 52 years later I can still shed a tear when I think of things done and time spent with him, and this song in particular can make those tears flow.
For most of my entire life Chapin's tune has served as a reminder.
When I was a high school freshman, we had a stereo in our Advanced English class so we could listen to commercial-free FM radio while writing. That was a big deal at the time especially for the relatively small town community where I went to school. I remember one afternoon after Cats in the Cradle aired, hard-nosed Irish disciplinarian Mr. Hollahan shut off the stereo receiver and asked the entire class to chime in and talk about what we all had just listened to, the ballad sung, and how one should aspire to live. I don't remember all of my classmates' individual responses, but I was glad I was not called upon. Hearing Cats in the Cradle that day had not brought me to tears, but the lump in my throat would have made it tough to talk and express my own experience and feelings. It had not been that many years prior to that early September 1969 morning I was really looking forward to because I was going to get to ride my bike to school, but not long after awakening knowing I had overslept and that something was wrong when I heard our family friend Shirley McArthur's voice downstairs only to soon learn my Dad had been killed on the Pit 1 Grade the night before driving home.
Now, I am a husband and father with a 14 year old son and an 18 year old princess. I endeavor to provide for my bride and family, I work hard, travel too damn much for work, but with the exception of a rare day when I only get to speak with my bride when I am on the road, I make absolutely sure my children hear me say "I love you" each and everyday. Yes, Chapin's song has had a nearly life long impact on me and maybe they don't realize it, but my own children too.
Subsequently, fathers young and old, remember to major in the majors. Only we can be our bride's husband, provider, protector, lover, and confidant, and only we can be our childrens' guide, protector, and father. No job, career, profession, or business can ever match what a good man of steel and velvet and a rock solid father can accomplish.
@reinaldotorres8729
The song "Cats in the Cradle" strikes a chord with me as I see myself repeating the same mistakes as my father did. My dad lost his life when I was just 12 due to his job, and I wished things would have been different. I have been fortunate enough not to have gone through what my dad did, but I have repeated his mistake of not being present in my kids' lives.
As a parent, I now understand the importance of balancing work and family time. However, due to the divorce and the distance between us, I have not been able to see my sons as much as I would have liked to. Time flies so quickly, and I always thought that I would soon have the time to be with them more often, but it has not happened.
Life has come full circle now as I see my sons doing what my dad did and what I did. They are busy with their lives, just like I was. But now, I am regretting not having spent more time with them, just like my dad regretted it in his final moments.
Now that my sons are adults, I am always thinking about the mistake I made for not being there for them enough. I understand the impact that my absence has had on their lives, and I am making a conscious effort to be present in their lives now through social media platforms. Although I cannot turn back time, I hope to make up for the lost time and create new memories that we can all cherish.
My experience is a reminder to all of us to prioritize spending quality time with our families, despite the challenges that life throws at us. Please don't let work or other distractions get in the way of creating lasting memories with your loved ones..
@tobib2649
Lyrics:
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 talking '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 in the moon
"When you coming 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-a, not today
I got a lot to do, he said, that's okay
And he, he walked away, but his smile never dimmed
It 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 in the moon
"When you coming 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 they 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 in the moon
"When you coming 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 the 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 coming home, son?" "I don't know when"
But we'll get together then, dad
We're gonna have a good time then
@Kacper__M
Back when it was released, it was just a cool rock song. Now, as a dad, I can't listen to it without crying, oh man...
@dramspringfeald
yeah, this song hits a little different now
@michaeldevine1068
So true! I ball every time
@flaviobraga8792
Feel the same mate
@Blueluise
as Jay z relaeased 99 Problems it was great, too. did anybody notice the marrying jewish couple + the not so amber background..🎈
@michaelpeisler7523
I think you don't know this is a Cover XD
@larryhicks9076
This song should serve as a warning to those who spend all their time at work. You'll miss your children growing up.
@sarahbarnes1041
True
@toddjohnson7572
Well, they're just by-products.
@sraaju
As if we have a choice ...