Cat's in the Cradle - Harry Chapin 1974

"Cat's in the Cradle", by American singer-songwriter Harry Chapin from his 1974 album Verities & Balderdash, reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Although his only #1 hit song, it became his best known work, and a staple for folk rock music. The recording was nominated for the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011. The song's lyrics actually started out as a poem written by Chapin's wife who was inspired by a country music song she had heard about how the parent's children grew up and leave home bringing an end to the good old family days. It touched Chapin personally after his son was born. He added various "symbols" of childhood to the lyrics as reminders of how quickly it ends. As a producer, Chapin was best known for his folk rock and pop rock songs that achieved worldwide success in the 1970's. He became one of the most popular artists and highest paid performers, and one of the best charting musical artists in the U.S. As a humanitarian and philanthropist, he established The Harry Chapin Foundation for which he raised more than $3 million in the last six years of his life.

[@hannahdelvecchio7521]

Good song

[@shea65]

Listen and learn.

[@teresasmith3894]

I've always loved this songs and it always makes me cry 😭

[@samanthafox2664]

I'm 54 and this still makes me cry as does Don McLean's Vincent x

[@GregCoxTV]

I love this song and would like to license this, or part of this, for use in a movie. How can I do that? Who owns this recording now?

[@sharpright6887]

I have young children and this song reminds me how the time I have with them is precious and fleeting.

[@ColinCropley]

this song was always reminding me of me and my dad when we grew up.

[@snoops5581]

Songs today don’t have such meaning. I was 11 years old when this came out & never tire of it.

[@alfredbowser6528]

This life at its fullest

[@roxannesutton4189]

My 3 sons have known all words to this song since they were just talking . It reminds of there Father he was a good man except always on the road driving them 18 wheelers ,.,,…. Sad but true !!!!!!’

[@melissaspates2905]

So true 😢

[@carlhenderson2792]

Always thought it was cat Stevens

[@kaldiscoffeecorner4448]

My grandma thought the same thing. I listen to this one, the ugly kid joe one, and the johny cash one

[@dianecurran1745]

I always think it is cat stevens to

[@JimmyBrucks]

@@dianecurran1745 Cat Stevens did it better

[@bluesmokerH1]

Today just afternoon here I'm doing my very own Schrödinger's cat experiment in a cardboard box. Mazy the little red cat!

[@robertbell7677]

So so so true

[@sic-n-tiredtired4273]

One of the most true and best songs ever written, that describes and touched SO many

[@falconfan4389]

This is my dad

[@TheSiralex76]

Hope you have a better ending

[@josebenitez4740]

Wow how time flies now I’m paying the consequences 😢

[@planetearthsoul]

Nothing better than the original..At least for this beautiful tune.

[@sandradee4914]

😊😅😮❤😊

[@sandradee4914]

❤

[@bearonaromp7473]

Such a sad song. But the son always held out hope.

[@TonyGPizza]

The son was also at fault. In his way, so was Harry. His fans wanted, BEGGED him to bring father and son back for closure in a new song. But he wrote a sequel to Taxi instead, called it Sequel, and died less than a year later.