Cat's in the Cradle
1974 single by Harry Chapin
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"Cat's in the Cradle" is a folk rock song by American singer-songwriter Harry Chapin, from his fourth studio album, Verities & Balderdash (1974). The single topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1974. As Chapin's only number-one song, it became his signature song and a staple for folk rock music. Chapin's recording of the song was nominated for the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011.[6]
| "Cat's in the Cradle" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Side-A label of the US vinyl single | ||||
| Single by Harry Chapin | ||||
| from the album Verities & Balderdash | ||||
| B-side | "Vacancy" | |||
| Released | October 1, 1974[1] | |||
| Studio | Connecticut (Bridgeport, Connecticut) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | Elektra | |||
| Songwriters |
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| Producer | Paul Leka | |||
| Harry Chapin singles chronology | ||||
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Composition and background
"Cat's in the Cradle" is narrated by a man who becomes a father in the first stanza. He is constantly too busy with his work to spend time with his son, despite his son looking up to him and promising he will grow up to be just like him. When the son graduates from college, he declines his father's offer to relax with him and instead asks for the car keys. In the final stanza, the now-retired father calls his adult son and asks to spend some time together, but the son is now too busy with his own work and family to spend time with his dad, and the father realizes his son has indeed grown up to be just like him.
The chorus references the children's game cat's cradle, silver spoons as traditional baby gifts, as well as the nursery rhymes Little Boy Blue and The Man in the Moon.
The song's lyrics began as a poem written by Chapin's wife, Sandra "Sandy" Gaston; the poem itself was inspired by the awkward relationship between her first husband, James Cashmore, and his father, John, a politician who served as Brooklyn borough president. She was also inspired by a country music song she had heard on the radio.[7] Chapin also said the song was about his own relationship with his son, Josh, admitting, "Frankly, this song scares me to death."[8]
Misattribution
Many misattribute the song to British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, likely due to mistitled MP3 files circulating on file sharing services, but in fact he neither wrote or performed it.[9] The confusion may originate with the fact that Stevens's record label did release an unrelated compilation album entitled Cat's Cradle.[10] In later years, Stevens joked that the song had "been haunting me for years". He included it in a list of his favorite songs about children, saying: "It reflects the dilemma of many homes. A beautiful song."[11]
Reception
Cash Box called it "a tender story of a father and his son and a perfect representation of how roles change in the relationship over the years," stating it was a "lyrical delight."[12] Record World said that the song "deals with the preoccupations plaguing parenthood" and that it "bridges the generation gap by pointing up mutual faults."[13]
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[23] | 2× Platinum | 160,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[24] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[25] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[26] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Ugly Kid Joe version
| "Cats in the Cradle" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Ugly Kid Joe | ||||
| from the album America's Least Wanted | ||||
| Released | February 21, 1993 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock[27] | |||
| Length | 4:01 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Mark Dodson | |||
| Ugly Kid Joe singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Cats in the Cradle" on YouTube | ||||
In 1992, American hard rock band Ugly Kid Joe included a cover of the song, renamed "Cats in the Cradle" (without the apostrophe), on their debut album, America's Least Wanted (1992). The cover was produced by Mark Dodson and issued as a single in 1993 by Mercury Records. It experienced commercial success, becoming a top-10 hit in numerous countries. The accompanying music video was directed by American illustrator, photographer and film director Matt Mahurin.[28]
Critical reception
AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine remarked on the band's "revamped" version of the song.[29] Mary Lynn White from Calgary Herald said their version "proves you're deep too."[30] Jason Fliegel from The Cavalier Daily felt the band has redone the song "in its own unique style".[31] Deborah Frost of Entertainment Weekly called it a "scarily straight" cover.[32] Steve Hochman of Los Angeles Times said, "Turning Harry Chapin's 'Cat's in the Cradle' into a power ballad was a bad idea to begin with; making it sound neither snotty nor particularly sincere only compounds the error."[33] Tom Ford from Toledo Blade wrote that they "do an excellent job", "adding power to the sing-song chorus, and a crashing finale that removes its coffeehouse patina."[34]
Commercial performance
"Cats in the Cradle" peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100, giving Ugly Kid Joe their highest-charting single on the ranking. The song also reached number three on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and number 11 on the Top 40/Mainstream chart. The single sold 500,000 copies domestically, earning a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
In Canada, the song peaked at number one on The Record's singles chart and at number eleven on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart. Outside North America, the cover topped Australia's ARIA Singles Chart for a week and reached the top five in Iceland, Ireland, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland. In the United Kingdom, "Cats in the Cradle" charted at number seven on the UK Singles Chart.
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[35] | 1 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[36] | 7 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[37] | 20 |
| Canada Retail Singles (The Record)[38] | 1 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[39] | 11 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[40] | 21 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[41] | 16 |
| Europe (European Hit Radio)[42] | 13 |
| France (SNEP)[43] | 28 |
| Germany (GfK)[44] | 10 |
| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[45] | 2 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[46] | 3 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[47] | 14 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[48] | 12 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[49] | 4 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[50] | 2 |
| Portugal (AFP)[51] | 8 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[52] | 4 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[53] | 5 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts)[54] | 7 |
| UK Airplay (Music Week)[55] | 4 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[56] | 6 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[57] | 3 |
| US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[58] | 11 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[59] | 9 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[60] | 8 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[61] | 79 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[62] | 40 |
| Germany (Media Control)[63] | 25 |
| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[64] | 32 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[65] | 65 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[66] | 70 |
| New Zealand (RIANZ)[67] | 24 |
| Sweden (Topplistan)[68] | 30 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[69] | 26 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[70] | 74 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[71] | 61 |
| US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)[72] | 39 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[73] | 47 |
Decade-end charts
| Chart (1990–1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[74] | 45 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[60] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[75] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[76] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[77] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[78] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
Johnny Cash
In 2002, Johnny Cash released a compilation album entitled Cat's in the Cradle, with his version of this song at track 2.[81]
In popular culture
Rapper Darryl "DMC" McDaniels was inspired to rewrite "Cat's in the Cradle" and perform it as "Just Like Me," featuring Sarah McLachlan. The song was released from DMC's album Checks Thugs and Rock n Roll in March 2006; it tells the story of his birth and adoption.[82][83]
The song was used in a 1993 anti-terrorism advert in Northern Ireland that plays on the song's theme of a father who neglects his son in order to show a terrorist neglecting his family and his son turning out to be like his father and suffering the consequences by going down the same life path. The video ends with the slogan "Don't Suffer It, Change It" and the number of the confidential telephone line that was in operation at the time to report terrorist activity in Northern Ireland.[84][85]
A lyric of the song was mentioned by the father to his son in the Christmas episode of The Middle season 5.[86] The song was also referenced in the animated series BoJack Horseman, when the character Mr. Peanutbutter forces his accountant to stop spending time with his son to come back to work for him. The accountant's son says his father was supposed to play catch with him, and show him the song, to which the accountant says "Don't listen to it now [...] The lyrics are too relevant!"[87]