Cats In The Cradle Guitar Tab

Verities & Balderdash Tabs:

Cat's In The Cradle »

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Cat’s in the cradle-Harry Chapin
I tabbed this out about three months ago,so ..here it is. (I think it is just about 97% 
correct!)

E------0--0-------2-p-0----------------------------------------------|
B-----------------------0----3-------0----------0-------0------------|
G---2--------2------------2-----2---------2----------0------2--------|
D------2--2----2--2---------------2-----2---------2-----0------------|
A---0------------------------0-------0------0--------0------0--------|
E--------------------------------------------------------------------|
*to match recorded key, place capo at 8th fret.

Repeat this throughout the verses.

E--------------------------------------------------------------------|
B--------------------------------------------------------------------|
G---------2-------------2-------------2-------------2----------------|
D-----2------------2--------------2------------2---------------------|
A----------------------------0---------------------------0-----------|
E------------0----------------------------0--------------------------|

Chorus:

A, G, C, D, A, G, C, Em/B,

you can e-mail me at BadBreath22@yahoo.com if you want the full tabbed out version.

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Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques


No Picture Scuba Steve Average	#1 by Scuba Steve usry at Aug 15, 1971 at 12:10 AM EST
	Bullzeye you definitely hit the bulls eye (ouch) Anyway- the words are- "and he walked away but his smile never dimmed"

No Picture chris Wanna Be	#2 by chris carpenter at Apr 27, 1972 at 7:07 PM EST
	ive always liked this song. its definetly one of those great classics that you'll always like. ive liked it since i was in elementary school. its a really cool story and reminds me of my dad. my mom always tells me that this part was made for me: "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 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?" even though im not a guy, its probably true. oh well. i love this song!

No Picture Ryan Average	#3 by Ryan Van Halen at Jun 17, 1972 at 7:54 PM EST
	britbart: Maybe he was a very cynical ten year old. By the time I was ten, I had realised that my parents were racist, and it was starting to rub off on me. (luckily, I found ways to save myself) My point is that not all ten year olds are naiive and optomistic.

No Picture jimmy Wanna Be	#4 by jimmy rodrigues at May 13, 1974 at 7:10 PM EST
	definately about not making the time to spend with your child and later finding yourself in your child's shoes, trying to see him, but constantly being turned down

No Picture Jezirae Wanna Be	#5 by Jezirae Williams at Feb 15, 1979 at 8:23 PM EST
	Well maybe just because I'm an optimist I never saw this like everyone else. I saw it as even though the father was never there as often as he wanted to be for his son that he still obviously had an impact on his life because his son wanted to be like him. He was saying it from a young age and I can't see a ten year old or any young kid saying to his father that he would be like him in the sense that his father wasn't present enough so he would be like that to his kids too. I always looked at it as more of a pride that the son wanted to be like his father, rather than a dissapointment, and to me it was like the father was proud. But that's me.

No Picture Rebecca Average	#6 by Rebecca ******* at Mar 27, 1979 at 3:24 AM EST
	I agree with many of the comments above- this song is about the importance of family... I think aside from a sociological look at the family, it is actually a metaphor of society as a whole. Why does the father not have time for his son? Perhaps the phenomena of mass consumption has something to do with it. The father probably did not have time for his son because he valued work and money more then he did their relationship. This is not something new. Our society is so pre-occupied with material gain, money and work, we have forgotten the importance of family unity. Much like the father in this song has...

No Picture Alek Wanna Be	#7 by Alek Kalinowski at Sep 15, 1980 at 6:38 PM EST
	Does this song even need an explaination? This is one of the few songs that can bring tears to my eyes...

No Picture CJ Wanna Be	#8 by CJ West at Mar 11, 1983 at 9:54 AM EST
	yeah its supposed to be a sad song not an uplifting one. Nice bullseye

No Picture Eric Wanna Be	#9 by Eric Canfield at May 13, 1984 at 2:30 AM EST
	I'm new to this whole songmeanings thing, so, erm, go easy on me. rofl I have this song one my computer and just thought... This song is about a dad whose never been there for his son, we've established that. His son looks up to him because, well, he's his dad [and he's a young child] and because he's a good kid. His dad knows this, but can't make the time for his kid. When his dad finally has the time for his son... His son has grown up and is like him. Now [imagine this word in italics] he doesn't have time for him. It's like a circle story... and it's about the father's disappointment. And this is quite random -- but his wife wrote this, lol 1 2 Next

No Picture Hellspawn Average	#10 by Hellspawn at Nov 16, 1985 at 2:03 AM EST
	I really like this song, my dad doesnt love me :(

No Picture steffan Badass	#11 by steffan harkins at Jun 15, 1987 at 1:36 AM EST
	This song always reaches a soft part of my heart. I think if, if the young people of this generation, in a time when we have cell phones, emails, work at home, people forget that they have families. I think that if young people just realized, and even the old generation realizes that there is something more important than the almightyy dollar, the world would be a much better place.

No Picture Paul Average	#12 by Paul Givlin at Mar 7, 1989 at 12:08 PM EST
	this song stands the test of time, even today it tells the tale of most father and son relationships

No Picture Moctezum@ Average	#13 by Moctezum@ The Great at Apr 15, 1989 at 6:07 AM EST
	Am I the only one who absolutely can't stand this song? It's pretty much the same song as Cat Stevens' "Father and Son," only Cat Stevens' is a whole lot better and more meaningful.

No Picture cinn Professional Badass	#14 by cinn mcrickson at Jun 28, 1989 at 4:27 PM EST
	one time i was at a family party and this song came on and my dad was singin it, and i just thought he was singin it cuz he does that, but my mom told me after that he really meant it that time...and this song just means too much to explain...cuz the way i saw it, my dad always was here for me, and i just hope he knows that he was

No Picture Pysio Wanna Be	#15 by Pysio xD at Aug 4, 1989 at 1:06 AM EST
	I think that if young people just realized, and even the old generation realizes that there is something more important than the almightyy dollar, the world would be a much better place. I totally agree. Spend time with your kids. Me and my father have a real close relationship, but I know my father didnt have a real close relationship with his father. So it just comes to show that people can change. You dont have to be the same, you can change for the better. Be a father, and be there for your kid, thats what it means to be a father. I hope one day I can do the things that me and my father done with my kids

No Picture jordan Porreca Lead Player	#16 by jordan Porreca porreca at Jul 23, 1990 at 5:16 AM EST
	Don't take the time you have together for granted becuase you may never have a chance to get it back or make it up. Don't realise to late in life that you've let things slip by.

No Picture kevin Wanna Be	#17 by kevin dunn at Dec 8, 1993 at 2:03 AM EST
	I think a lot of people are totally missing the point of this song. It's about a father who was always too busy to spend time with his son, even though his son always promises to grow up just like him. Till one day many years later he sees his son acting the same way he used to, not making time for his family at all, and realizes too late that he really did grow up just like his father... It's a cautionary tale about spending time with your kids. It's sad. It's not supposed to be something you're proud of, jeez...

No Picture Freddy Badass	#18 by Freddy Timmons at Jan 24, 1994 at 8:11 PM EST
	Britbart, nobody denies that. The son isn't dissapointed, he just thinks his dad is the greatest guy in the world and wants to be like him, not really even noticing that his dad is never there for him. His dad is always proud of him, but is going to be dissapointed that his son can't take the time to see him. His dad's feelings are bittersweet, he's proud of his son but his son also helped him see his own faults as a father.

No Picture Todd Average	#19 by Todd Cathey at Sep 8, 1995 at 4:57 PM EST
	"It's about a father who was always too busy to spend time with his son, even though his son always promises to grow up just like him." the boy isn't promising to be just like his father, as in, he doesn't want to be like his father. he's saying he's gonna grow up like his father since he was raised to do that

No Picture Rodrigo Wanna Be	#20 by Rodrigo Pogo Punker at Sep 28, 1995 at 8:07 AM EST
	"It's about a father who was always too busy to spend time with his son, even though his son always promises to grow up just like him." the boy isn't promising to be just like his father, as in, he doesn't want to be like his father. he's saying he's gonna grow up like his father since he was raised to be that way.

No Picture Mitch Badass	#21 by Mitch Schooler at Aug 10, 1997 at 12:23 PM EST
	This is one of my favorite songs, but I thought it went "he walked away, but his smile never did"

No Picture health risk Average	#22 by health risk at Nov 13, 1997 at 10:45 AM EST
	I dedacated this song to my dad after my mom left us, it's one of the few times he had tears in his eyes. d has raised myself and my brother, I hope I can be like him when I'm his age.

No Picture Lianna Average	#23 by Lianna Basile at Jul 21, 1998 at 4:16 PM EST
	The song is about a dad whos to busy to spend time with his son. A boy when your young idolizes his dad so the kid is saying I want be just like you dad. I kind of thought the kid at the end was just blowing off his dad a little like he was always blown off. In a round about way it is trying to say you have to have priorities in life and your job isnt the most important thing. Family will be there forever and your job wont.

No Picture Nic Average	#24 by Nic Bosco at Dec 8, 2004 at 2:02 AM EST
	"It's about a father who was always too busy to spend time with his son, even though his son always promises to grow up just like him." the boy isn't promising to be just like his father, as in, he doesn't want to be like his father. he's saying he's gonna grow up like his father since he was raised to do that

No Picture Laura Average	#25 by Laura at Aug 19, 2005 at 1:51 PM EST
	Well, children should learn from this song that they will turn out like their parents unless they make a conscious effort to be different. A lot of people know what it's like to be low priority with their Dad, and nowadays with both parents, but it need not be like this in the future. Make time for your kids now, and they will learn to make time for you & for their own kids.