Cats In The Cradle

My child arrived just the other day

ˈmaɪ ˈtʃaɪəɫd ɚˈraɪvd ˈdʒʌst ðiː ˈʌðɚ ˈdeɪ

Came to the world in the usual way

ˈkʰeɪm tə ðə ˈwɝɫd ˈɪn ðə ˈjuʒəwəɫ ˈweɪ

But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay

bət ˈðɛr ˈwɝ ˈpleɪnz tə ˈkʰætʃ | ən ˈbɪɫz tə ˈpʰeɪ

He learned to walk while I was away

ˈhi ˈlɝnt tə ˈwɑk ˈwaɪəɫ ˈaɪ ˈwəz əˈweɪ

He was talkin’ ‘fore I knew it

ˈhi ˈwəz ˈtʰɑkən ˈfɔr ˈaɪ ˈnu ˈɪt

And as he grew, he said

ən ˈæz ˈhi ˈɡru | ˈhi ˈsɛd

“I’m gonna be like you, Dad”

ˈaɪm ˈɡʌnə ˈbi ˈlaɪk ˈju | ˈdæd

“You know, I’m gonna be like you”

ˈju ˈnoʊ | ˈaɪm ˈɡʌnə ˈbi ˈlaɪk ˈju

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon

ən ðə ˈkʰæts ˈɪn ðə ˈkreɪɾɫ̩ ən ðə ˈsɪɫvɚ ˈspun

Little boy blue and the man on the moon

ˈlɪɾɫ̩ ˈbɔɪ ˈblu ən ðə ˈmæn ˈɑn ðə ˈmun

“When you comin’ home?”, “Son, I don’t know when”

ˈwɛn ˈju ˈkʰʌmɪŋ ˈhoʊm? | ˈsʌn | ˈaɪ ˈdoʊnt ˈnoʊ ˈwɛn

“We’ll get together then”

ˈwiɫ ˈɡɛt təˈɡɛðɚ ˈðɛn

“You know we’ll have a good time then”

ˈju ˈnoʊ ˈwiɫ əv ə ˈɡʊd ˈtʰaɪm ˈðɛn

Well, my son turned ten just the other day

ˈwɛɫ | ˈmaɪ ˈsʌn ˈtʰɝnd ˈtʰɛn ˈdʒʌst ðiː ˈʌðɚ ˈdeɪ

He said, “Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on, let’s play”

ˈhi ˈsɛd | ˈθæŋks ˈfɔr ðə ˈbɑɫ | ˈdæd | ˈkʰʌm ˈɑn | ˈlɛts ˈpleɪ

“Could you teach me to throw?” I said, “Not today”

kəd ˈju ˈtʰitʃ ˈmi tə ˈθroʊ? ˈaɪ ˈsɛd | ˈnɑt təˈdeɪ

“I got a lot to do.” He said, “That’s okay”

ˈaɪ ˈɡɑt ə ˈlɑt tə ˈdu ‖” ˈhi ˈsɛd | ˈðæts oˈkʰeɪ

And he walked away

ən ˈhi ˈwɑkt əˈweɪ

And he smiled and he said

ən ˈhi ˈsmaɪəɫd ən ˈhi ˈsɛd

“You know, I’m gonna be like him, yeah”

ˈju ˈnoʊ | ˈaɪm ˈɡʌnə ˈbi ˈlaɪk ˈhɪm | ˈjɛə

“You know I’m gonna be like him”

ˈju ˈnoʊ ˈaɪm ˈɡʌnə ˈbi ˈlaɪk ˈhɪm

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon

ən ðə ˈkʰæts ˈɪn ðə ˈkreɪɾɫ̩ ən ðə ˈsɪɫvɚ ˈspun

Little boy blue and the man on the moon

ˈlɪɾɫ̩ ˈbɔɪ ˈblu ən ðə ˈmæn ˈɑn ðə ˈmun

“When you comin’ home?”, “Son, I don’t know when”

ˈwɛn ˈju ˈkʰʌmɪŋ ˈhoʊm? | ˈsʌn | ˈaɪ ˈdoʊnt ˈnoʊ ˈwɛn

“We’ll get together then”

ˈwiɫ ˈɡɛt təˈɡɛðɚ ˈðɛn

“You know we’ll have a good time then”

ˈju ˈnoʊ ˈwiɫ əv ə ˈɡʊd ˈtʰaɪm ˈðɛn

Well, he came from college just the other day

ˈwɛɫ | ˈhi ˈkʰeɪm frəm ˈkʰɑlɪdʒ ˈdʒʌst ðiː ˈʌðɚ ˈdeɪ

So much like a man, I just had to say

ˈsoʊ ˈmʌtʃ ˈlaɪk ə ˈmæn | ˈaɪ ˈdʒʌst ˈhæd tə ˈseɪ

“I’m proud of you, could you sit for a while?”

ˈaɪm ˈpraʊd əv ˈju | kəd ˈju ˈsɪt ˈfɔr ə ˈwaɪəɫ?

He shook his head, and he said with a smile

ˈhi ˈʃʊk ˈhɪz ˈhɛd | ən ˈhi ˈsɛd ˈwɪθ ə ˈsmaɪəɫ

“What I’d really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys”

ˈwɑt ˈaɪd ˈriəlɪ ˈlaɪk | ˈdæd | ˈɪz tə ˈbɑroʊ ðə ˈkʰɑr ˈkʰiz

“See you later. Can I have them, please?”

ˈsi ˈju ˈleɪɾɚ ‖ kən ˈaɪ ˈhæv ˈðɛm | ˈpliz?

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon

ən ðə ˈkʰæts ˈɪn ðə ˈkreɪɾɫ̩ ən ðə ˈsɪɫvɚ ˈspun

Little boy blue and the man on the moon

ˈlɪɾɫ̩ ˈbɔɪ ˈblu ən ðə ˈmæn ˈɑn ðə ˈmun

“When you comin’ home?”, “Son, I don’t know when”

ˈwɛn ˈju ˈkʰʌmɪŋ ˈhoʊm? | ˈsʌn | ˈaɪ ˈdoʊnt ˈnoʊ ˈwɛn

“We’ll get together then”

ˈwiɫ ˈɡɛt təˈɡɛðɚ ˈðɛn

“You know we’ll have a good time then”

ˈju ˈnoʊ ˈwiɫ əv ə ˈɡʊd ˈtʰaɪm ˈðɛn

I’ve long since retired, my son’s moved away

ˈaɪv ˈlɑŋ ˈsɪns rɪˈtʰaɪɚd | ˈmaɪ ˈsʌnz ˈmuvd əˈweɪ

I called him up just the other day

ˈaɪ ˈkʰɑɫd ɪm ˈʌp ˈdʒʌst ðiː ˈʌðɚ ˈdeɪ

“I’d like to see you, if you don’t mind”

ˈaɪd ˈlaɪk tə ˈsi ˈju | ˈɪf ˈju ˈdoʊnt ˈmaɪnd

He said, “I’d love to, Dad, if I could find the time”

ˈhi ˈsɛd | ˈaɪd ˈlʌv tə | ˈdæd | ˈɪf ˈaɪ kəd ˈfaɪnd ðə ˈtʰaɪm

“You see, my new job’s a hassle and the kids have the flu”

ˈju ˈsi | ˈmaɪ ˈnu ˈdʒɑbz ə ˈhæsəɫ ən ðə ˈkʰɪdz əv ðə ˈflu

“But it’s sure nice talkin’ to you, Dad, it’s been sure nice talkin’ to you”

ˈbʌt ˈɪts ˈʃʊr ˈnaɪs ˈtʰɑkən tə ˈju | ˈdæd | ˈɪts ˈbɪn ˈʃʊr ˈnaɪs ˈtʰɑkən tə ˈju

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me

ən ˈæz ˈaɪ ˈhʌŋ ˈʌp ðə ˈfoʊn ˈɪt əˈkʰɝd tə ˈmi

He’d grown up just like me, my boy was just like me

ˈhid ˈɡroʊn ˈʌp ˈdʒʌst ˈlaɪk ˈmi | ˈmaɪ ˈbɔɪ ˈwəz ˈdʒʌst ˈlaɪk ˈmi

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon

ən ðə ˈkʰæts ˈɪn ðə ˈkreɪɾɫ̩ ən ðə ˈsɪɫvɚ ˈspun

Little boy blue and the man on the moon

ˈlɪɾɫ̩ ˈbɔɪ ˈblu ən ðə ˈmæn ˈɑn ðə ˈmun

“When you comin’ home?”, “Son, I don’t know when”

ˈwɛn ˈju ˈkʰʌmɪŋˈhoʊm? | ˈsʌn | ˈaɪ ˈdoʊnt ˈnoʊ ˈwɛn

“We’ll get together then”

ˈwiɫ ˈɡɛt təˈɡɛðɚ ˈðɛn

“You know we’ll have a good time then”

ˈju ˈnoʊ ˈwiɫ əv ə ˈɡʊd ˈtʰaɪm ˈðɛn

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon

ən ðə ˈkʰæts ˈɪn ðə ˈkreɪɾɫ̩ ən ðə ˈsɪɫvɚ ˈspun

Little boy blue and the man on the moon

ˈlɪɾɫ̩ ˈbɔɪ ˈblu ən ðə ˈmæn ˈɑn ðə ˈmun

“When you comin’ home?”, “Son, I don’t know when”

ˈwɛn ˈju ˈkʰʌmɪŋˈhoʊm? | ˈsʌn | ˈaɪ ˈdoʊnt ˈnoʊ ˈwɛn

“We’ll get together then”

ˈwiɫ ˈɡɛt təˈɡɛðɚ ˈðɛn

“You know we’ll have a good time then”

ˈju ˈnoʊ ˈwiɫ əv ə ˈɡʊd ˈtʰaɪm ˈðɛn

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