#-----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE------------------------------#
# This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation #
# of the song. The owner of this website has not reviewed the contents of #
# this file. If you feel that the content of this file may be violating #
# copyright law, you may not use the information displayed here in any way. #
#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
"Cats in the Cradle" / Ugly Kid Joe
Tab transcription by Mark van 't Zet (tmvtzet@cs.vu.nl)
INTRO
Esus2 Esus2 Esus2 Esus2 Esus2 *
----7---7-------9p7------------------------------------------12-10------------
--------------------10---10-------7-----7---------7---------------12-11-10----
--9---9-----9----------9--------9-----9-------7-------9--------------------12-
--------------9---------------9-----9-------9---9---9-------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D5 G5 E5
-----------------
----------7------
--9----7--6--9---
-------7-----9---
-----------------
-----------------
VERSE 1a
A child arrived just the other day
Came to the world in the usual way
There were planes to catch, bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
E G A E
------0---3--5--3-------5-------------0---0---0--- (repeat twice)
------0---3--3--3-----5------5--------0---0---0---
------1---0---------2------2---2------1---2---1---
--2---2---0----------------------2----2---2---2---
--2-------2------------------------0--2---2---2---
--0-------3---------------------------0---0---0---
VERSE 1b
He was talking 'fore I knew it and when he could, he said
"I'm gonna be like you, yeah,
You know I'm gonna be like you"
D D/C# D/B D/A * D/G D/F# E D/G D/F# (E)
--------------------------------------------------0---------------------------
---3-----3------3------3------3------3--------------0----------3-------3------
-----2-----2------2------2------2------2------0h1-----1----------2-------2----
-0------------------------------------------2-----------2---------------------
-------4-----2------0---------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------3------2------0------------------3-------2-----0--
E Esus4 E
-------0--0--0--0--0--0--
-------0--0--0--0--0--0--
----1--1--1--2--2--2--1--
--2----2--2--2--2--2--2--
-------------2--2--2--2--
-------------0--0--0--0--
INTRO - Play up to *
VERSE 2a
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 OK"
VERSE 2b
He walked away with a smile on his face, he said
"I'm gonna be like him, yeah,
you know I'm gonna be like him"
CHORUS
The cats in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and a 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
--0--0----2--3--2--3--3--3---------------0--0----2--3--2-- Play Verse 1b
--0--0----3--3--3-----3--3----2--3--2----0--0----3--3--3-- from * to (E)
--1--1----2--2--2-----0--0----2--2--2----1--1----2--2--2--
--2--2----0--0--0-----0--0----2--2--2----2--2----0--0--0--
--2--2----------------2--2----0--0--0----2--2-------------
--0--0----------------3--3---------------0--0-------------
VERSE 3a
When he came from college just the other day
So much like a man I just have to say
I'm proud of you, could you sit for a while
He shook his head and he said with a smile
VERSE 3b
What I'm feeling like, dad, is to borrow the car keys
see you later, can I have them please
CHORUS
BRIDGE - Three parts simultaneously
Electrical guitar
E5 C5 D5 B5 E5 C5 D5 B5 E5
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
-------5----7----4---------5----7----4-------
--2----5----7----4----2----5----7----4----2--
--2----3----5----2----2----3----5----2----2--
--0-------------------0-------------------0--
Acoustic
E Cmaj7 D B E Cmaj7 D B E
--0----0----2----2----0----0----2----2----0--
--0----0----3----4----0----0----3----4----0--
--1----0----2----4----1----0----2----4----1--
--2----2----0----4----2----2----0----4----2--
--2----3----0----2----2----3----0----2----2--
--0----0---------2----0----0---------2----0--
Electrical guitar 2
------------------------------------(10/)-12-
---------------------------8----10-----------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
VERSE 4a
Long since retired, my son 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.
VERSE 4b
You see, my new job's ass and the kids got the flew,
but it's sure nice talking to you dad,
it was sure nice talking to you.
VERSE 5b
And as I hung up the phone is occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me!
CHORUS - twice, play this part over the above chorus
Electrical guitar
E5 D5 G5 A5 E5 D5 G5 F#x E5 G5 F#x E5
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------7--7--7--------2--2--2-----------7--7--7--------------------------
--2--2--2--7--7--7--5--5--2--0--2--2--2--2--7--7--7--5--4--2--2--2--5--4--2--
--2--2--2--5--5--5--5--5--0--0--0--2--2--2--5--5--5--5--5--2--2--2--5--5--2--
--0--0--0-----------3--3-----------0--0--0-----------3--2--0--0--0--3--2--0--
OUTRO
arp arp arp
-----7-----7-----9p7------------------------------------
---------------------10---10--7------7--------7---------
--9-----9-----9---------9-----7----7------7--------9----
--9---------------------------9--9------9---9---9--9----
--7---------------------------7-------------------------
--0-----------------------------------------------------
Brought to you by the GUITARMASTA - http://www.guitarmasta.net
Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
|
No Picture
david Average |
#1 by david maynard at Jul 10, 1977 at 6:09 AM EST |
| No not Cat Stevens. The Carpenters. This version is like 1 Million times better than the original. | |
|
No Picture
Joan Average |
#2 by Joan Rius at Apr 8, 1978 at 10:31 AM EST |
| This IS a great version. Here's my take. He kept putting his son off and pushing him away, he never took time to establish a relationship with him so he learned to live without his dad.. When he finally did decide to the kid had his own family. Basically he wasn't there when the kid really needed him so now the kid just isn't interested, he didn't see how special his son was intil he looked back and realized all he missed. | |
|
No Picture
eddy Lead Player |
#3 by eddy blade at Mar 23, 1989 at 7:55 AM EST |
| This song reminds me of my dad.. I will always say this is our song because he was never there for me.. I love this song. It always makes me cry.. | |
|
No Picture
matt Average |
#4 by matt spolsky at Oct 21, 1990 at 12:23 AM EST |
| could the silver spoon be somehow related to cocaine??? That is what I heard... | |
|
No Picture
BeN-bEn Lead Player |
#5 by BeN-bEn Lesniewski at Nov 3, 1992 at 2:46 AM EST |
| oops, sorry for the double post! | |
|
No Picture
dan Average |
#6 by dan evans at Mar 14, 1998 at 7:10 PM EST |
| also, i believe the lyric in the second verse is "my son turned ten just the other day", not "well he slept til ten just the other day"... | |
|
No Picture
Jordan Wanna Be |
#7 by Jordan Ivory-Marcotte at May 19, 1998 at 7:14 PM EST |
| "touching his son inappropriately"?? that was a joke, right? I agree with DownIsTheNewUp. I originally took the chorus to be symbolic of childhood. It shows that the father missed his son's childhood- the games, the nursery rhymes etc. The end of the song shows the father wanting to get back in touch with his son to make up for lost time, I suppose, but alas, he finds his boy grw up just like him and cannot seem to find the time. | |
|
No Picture
drw Average |
#8 by drw drw at Jan 4, 2004 at 9:09 PM EST |
| That song is all about having an absent father in childhood and the kid's father never gave him any time and now the kids grown up and can't give his father time... ~Vampy | |
Top 7 Ugly Kid Joe Guitar Tabs
Popular Guitar Tabs