"Cats in the Cradle" tells the story of a neglectful workaholic father and his son, who eventually turns into the same kind of workaholic man as his dad. But what if your father is attentive and loving, but you still turn into him? Here's how "Cats in the Cradle" would have gone had my father written it, instead of Harry Chapin.
Cats in the Cradle
By Sean's Dad
My child arrived just the other day
Came into the world in the usual way
But there was football to watch
And chess to play
He learned to talk, I was home that day
Though he was talkin' with a lisp, I still understood
He said, "I'm gonna be like you, Dennis"
"You know I'm gonna be like you."
Chorus
Cats in the cradle
And an ugly couch
Gargamel, Gandalf,
And Oscar the Grouch
When you coming home, Dad?
At 6:42
Tell Mom to pick me up at BART
Remind your mom to pick me up
My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the crosswords. What a great birthday!"
"Do you know a French word for 'sword'?",
I said, "It's épée".
He filled in 19 Down and put the book away
And he walked away with a pen behind his ear and said,
"I'm gonna be like you, Dad."
"You know I'm gonna be like you."
Chorus
Well, he came home 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 nodded his head and said with a smile
"What I'm feeling like, Dad,
Is watching soccer on TV
Can you hand me some of that salami and cheese?"
Chorus
My son got a job, seven blocks away
I called him up just the other day
"I'd like to see you if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd like to, Dad. I've got plenty of time."
"You see, my new job's laid-back
And my car's out of the shop
So I'll drive by and pick you up
I'll drive by and pick you up."
And as he locked the driver's door before pumping gas (even though I was sitting in the car) chewed blue gum, wrote a to-do list on the back of his receipt, and whistled a Grateful Dead song off-key, it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me!
Chorus
Bravo, Sean. Bravo.
Sean, this is a classic. I almost spat out my glue gum laughing, though as I caught myself making yet another "to do" list, I think it hit a little too close to home. If I start drinking Heineken, it's all over.
This made me giggle at my desk, but I don't see Ugly Kid Joe covering this version.
Oh dear dad
Can you see me now?
I am myself
Like you somehow
I wait up in the dark
For you to speak to me (about the proper shape for a bicycle seat)
My eyes open up
Release me (from my promise to go hiking at 8 a.m. on father's day)