Cat's in the Cradle, written with his wife Sandy Chapin
“
My child arrived just the other day,
He came to the world in the usual way.
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay.
He learned to walk while I was away.
And he was talking 'fore I knew it, and as he grew,
He'd say, "I'm gonna be like you, dad.
You know I'm gonna be like you."
— Harry Chapin
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "My child arrived just the other day,
He came to the world in the usual way.
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay.
He learned to walk while I was away.
And he was talking 'fore I knew it, and as he grew,
He'd say, "I'm gonna be like you, dad.
You know I'm gonna be like you."" in the context of "Cat's in the Cradle, written with his wife Sandy Chapin" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Harry Chapin" (Song lyrics, Verities & Balderdash (1974))
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Harry Chapin
Harold Forster Chapin (7 December 1942 – 16 July 1981) was an American singer, songwriter, and social activist.
About Harry Chapin
Harold Forster Chapin (7 December 1942 – 16 July 1981) was an American singer, songwriter, and social activist.
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