Your kids learn from you, they watch what you do , they will grow up and do as you taught them to do. The cats in the cradle , silver spoon, little boy blue and the man in the moon are all nursery rhymes we heard as a child ( old mother goose books ect ) . Its a true song for a lot of people. Ty for this one and keep diving in to great music .
Loved the reaction and I agree. The other side is simply how life seems to go. When you are a child you have unlimited free time, but the parents are super busy providing and doing all of the things necessary to raise you and your siblings. There is nobility and sacrifice in that. And then when parents retire they now have all of the free time, but your children are grown with a career and family of their own with very little free time. So one half is somewhat avoidable and the other is somewhat unavoidable. I think ultimately it is about making the most of those "thens" the song mentions. Finding the balance. Because if you keep putting off the "good time then", it never comes. It is very similar to how life goes on a personal level for almost everyone. The unfortunate way life is setup is that when you are young and active and truly able, you have no money to do the things you dream of; yet when you start to have the money you don't have the time while starting a family and advancing your career, and by the time you have the money AND the time at retirement you are less able to do those things you dreamed of. Makes me sad thinking about this as a 36 year old trying to advance our careers to give your children a better start in life than you had, home maintenance, and family time; but we do the best we can hoping we are doing a good job.
I was young when this song came out and my father always said it reminded him of our relationship and although we were close I never really felt the true meaning of the song. Now I am older and my Dad passed on and My Son Moved Away, I get all choked up every time I hear this beautiful song.
Another great singer songwriter & storyteller. I had his "Greatest Stories Live" double album. "Cat's In The Cradle" is his most famous piece. "Taxi" was another big hit for Harry Chapin. Ten years later he followed it up with "Sequel" showing what happened to the 2 people in the story. He had so many great songs such as "W·O·L·D", "Mr. Tanner", "Mail Order Annie", "They Call Her Easy", "I Wanna Learn A Love Song", "30,000 Pounds Of Bananas", "Shooting Star", "Halfway To Heaven", "Six String Orchestra", "Dreams Go By", "Remember When The Music", "Story Of A Life". We lost him too young in a car accident in 1981 at the age of 38. He left a great legacy of music.
This song is a classic. I remember, as a kid, being in the car with my parents listening to the oldies station, and hearing this song many times. As a father, whose son is 12, I can see parallels to this and my relationship with my son. It hits hard, especially now.
@@MugnifyRTS His mom and I are no longer together, so my absence is apparent. I provide financially, but that’s not enough. I have a daughter too, and the same could be said about her. I’m doing the absolute best I can, and I know there’s definitely time to get it right.
@@Lutefisk_Fettucciniit’s never to late to make changes! All children need (other than obvious food shelter etc) is to *feel* loved and accepted as they are and to not have to work for connection with their parent. You can still do this no matter how far away you are. Wishing you the best
The poetic tragedy here is that we always think there’s time. “Ohh we’ll make time next week”. Eventually tho we run out of weeks. My dad tried to tell me that for years but I never really listened. I always heard the song but I never listened to it. Until it was too late. Always make the time guys. It’s the one thing we don’t get back.
I was in the nightclub biz for many years , and back in the winter of 1981 Harry Chapin was across the street from our club staying at a hotel . The owner of the club got Mr. Chapin to come over the following night and give us a 2 hour private performance for staff and family only. He was the quintessential story teller . It was the most incredible music experience of my life. He died 4 months later in a car crash........and we all felt like we lost a good friend.
Harry had so much depth and the talent to put it out in musical form. Most of what he wrote never made it to the radio...too long. 40 years ago, he wrote "Bummer', based on a true story. It's not an easy listen but it's Harry at his finest. He can also break your heart with "A better place to be". Best concerts I ever attended were his...4 times in the 70s! More please!
I think yes he grew up like his dad, but it’s also about how that lack of connection between parent and child doesn’t magically appear as adults, you have to have it already. It’s not just spending time, it’s connection.
Harry Chapin was one of the best story tellers of the 1970s. This particular song he meant as a cautionary tale of what can and does happen when the work/ home life dynamic gets skewed.
I think this song reminded a lot of men to prioritize home time with family. Our parents generation were very different than society today. They loved us but we were separate from them. Hard to explain
It was nice how you reacted to the various events in the song. It's exactly about how your kids will turn out based on your interaction and support of them. The son never gets down or upset his lack opf time with dad.
If you are the Dad please talk to or play this to your son and tell him DON'T BE LIKE ME. I'm sorry you are going through it though. It's never to late to break the cycle.
I was so lucky to be able to be a stay at home dad until my son started school. I was self employed, so in the summers he was able to work with me as he got older. He's 28, and a truck driver now, he calls every couple of days when he's on the road, and comes to see his mom, and me every 2-3 weeks.
Love your reactions. Suggestion: Check out the song "Higher Power" by Boston. It is a banger and never gets reviewed by any reactors. It is a creepy song, but the lyrics aren't creepy it's the way they deliver them. The guitar riffs, the harmonica solo and the deep voices in the chorus make this one great.
I was guilty of this I worked some days as much As 18 hrs including my weekends to make sure to keep food on the table, get the new house near a better school, and pay the bills. Now they are out of the house my oldest son has adopted and little boy. Both of my sons have said they will not prioritize money and job over the family 😢😢😢 I’ve been medically retired since 2013 and they are at least a 3 hrs drive away in OKC and KC. I’ve tried to apologize but there’s nothing like having your dad there. Mine was physically abusive I guess not being there was also abusive. Harry Chaplin died at 38, basically he predicted his future with his children
The cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon, little boy blue and the man on the moon. When you coming home dad? I don't know when, but we'll have a good time then. The first part is part of a nursery rhyme. And you're right. The song is about not having time to spend with each other. Bring back family time! 💔
C'mon Dad lets have a catch. Sorry son I gotta have a cigarette and a beer. C'mon Dad, I got a wrestling match and I'm pretty good. Sorry Son, gotta have a cigarette and a beer. Not many good times with my Dad. He passed away a couple of years ago and this song always hits me hard, since it came out.
The most impactful song of all time bar none. What other song in recorded history has made Billions of grown men weep uncontrollably ? And will make Billion more weep for centuries to come ?
You're trying to overthink the song...the chorus is just cat's in the cradle is a game played with string, littke boy blue is from a nursery rhyme...things little boys like, but the dad misses out on doing them with his son😢
My father left when I was three years old. He never contacted me. He went on to marry 5 more times and had other children that I've never met. My mom married again when I was eight years old. He was an abusive, cheating alcoholic. She stayed with him until he drank himself to death. I have never married nor had children. And society wonders why?
I am one of those lucky men who grew up hearing this many times and actually listening to it. I credit it with making me a better father to my son.
Your kids learn from you, they watch what you do , they will grow up and do as you taught them to do. The cats in the cradle , silver spoon, little boy blue and the man in the moon are all nursery rhymes we heard as a child ( old mother goose books ect ) . Its a true song for a lot of people. Ty for this one and keep diving in to great music .
Loved the reaction and I agree. The other side is simply how life seems to go. When you are a child you have unlimited free time, but the parents are super busy providing and doing all of the things necessary to raise you and your siblings. There is nobility and sacrifice in that. And then when parents retire they now have all of the free time, but your children are grown with a career and family of their own with very little free time. So one half is somewhat avoidable and the other is somewhat unavoidable. I think ultimately it is about making the most of those "thens" the song mentions. Finding the balance. Because if you keep putting off the "good time then", it never comes. It is very similar to how life goes on a personal level for almost everyone. The unfortunate way life is setup is that when you are young and active and truly able, you have no money to do the things you dream of; yet when you start to have the money you don't have the time while starting a family and advancing your career, and by the time you have the money AND the time at retirement you are less able to do those things you dreamed of. Makes me sad thinking about this as a 36 year old trying to advance our careers to give your children a better start in life than you had, home maintenance, and family time; but we do the best we can hoping we are doing a good job.
"The whole thing is going to reverse now." You got it. There's such wisdom and beauty in the lyrics of this fifty year old song.
I'm 65 & I just got literal goose bumps watching you react to this amazing song💕
Beautiful Harry Chapin RIP
I was young when this song came out and my father always said it reminded him of our relationship and although we were close I never really felt the true meaning of the song. Now I am older and my Dad passed on and My Son Moved Away, I get all choked up every time I hear this beautiful song.
Another great singer songwriter & storyteller. I had his "Greatest Stories Live" double album. "Cat's In The Cradle" is his most famous piece. "Taxi" was another big hit for Harry Chapin. Ten years later he followed it up with "Sequel" showing what happened to the 2 people in the story. He had so many great songs such as "W·O·L·D", "Mr. Tanner", "Mail Order Annie", "They Call Her Easy", "I Wanna Learn A Love Song", "30,000 Pounds Of Bananas", "Shooting Star", "Halfway To Heaven", "Six String Orchestra", "Dreams Go By", "Remember When The Music", "Story Of A Life". We lost him too young in a car accident in 1981 at the age of 38. He left a great legacy of music.
Loved your reaction to this meaningful classic.
This song is a classic. I remember, as a kid, being in the car with my parents listening to the oldies station, and hearing this song many times. As a father, whose son is 12, I can see parallels to this and my relationship with my son. It hits hard, especially now.
It aint too late to change it!
@@MugnifyRTS His mom and I are no longer together, so my absence is apparent. I provide financially, but that’s not enough. I have a daughter too, and the same could be said about her. I’m doing the absolute best I can, and I know there’s definitely time to get it right.
As long as they know your making an effort it wont go without notice once they get older trust. Life will always have those full circle moments
@@MugnifyRTSbeautiful wisdom, Mugs! ❤
@@Lutefisk_Fettucciniit’s never to late to make changes! All children need (other than obvious food shelter etc) is to *feel* loved and accepted as they are and to not have to work for connection with their parent. You can still do this no matter how far away you are. Wishing you the best
The poetic tragedy here is that we always think there’s time. “Ohh we’ll make time next week”. Eventually tho we run out of weeks. My dad tried to tell me that for years but I never really listened. I always heard the song but I never listened to it. Until it was too late. Always make the time guys. It’s the one thing we don’t get back.
I was in the nightclub biz for many years , and back in the winter of 1981 Harry Chapin was across the street from our club staying at a hotel . The owner of the club got Mr. Chapin to come over the following night and give us a 2 hour private performance for staff and family only. He was the quintessential story teller . It was the most incredible music experience of my life. He died 4 months later in a car crash........and we all felt like we lost a good friend.
I am a trucker and we miss a lot of time and holidays with family. This is a truck driver song😢
Harry had so much depth and the talent to put it out in musical form. Most of what he wrote never made it to the radio...too long. 40 years ago, he wrote "Bummer', based on a true story. It's not an easy listen but it's Harry at his finest. He can also break your heart with "A better place to be". Best concerts I ever attended were his...4 times in the 70s! More please!
I think yes he grew up like his dad, but it’s also about how that lack of connection between parent and child doesn’t magically appear as adults, you have to have it already. It’s not just spending time, it’s connection.
Harry Chapin was one of the best story tellers of the 1970s. This particular song he meant as a cautionary tale of what can and does happen when the work/ home life dynamic gets skewed.
I think this song reminded a lot of men to prioritize home time with family. Our parents generation were very different than society today. They loved us but we were separate from them. Hard to explain
It reminded a lot of men and women.
Congratulations on a great reaction to a master classic that virtually shouts real life lessons! 👍👍👏👏🎉🎉
It was nice how you reacted to the various events in the song. It's exactly about how your kids will turn out based on your interaction and support of them. The son never gets down or upset his lack opf time with dad.
That song is a life lesson. It scared me and I never wanted to be like that for my kids.
Voted to be preserved in the Library of Congress
Nice reaction Mugs. Chapin only lived to 38 when he died in a car crash. He wrote this song two years after his son was born.
His wife wrote the song, and he wrote the music.
This song made me make sure I have and maintain a good relationship with my boys. This song can apply to mothers as well.
⏳⌛Portrait of Time - very good analogy
Great review/reaction, great interpretation. I agree, you get out of a parent child relationship what you put into it. Thx for this, was great!
Not the best Chapin song but the most famous
Try Taxi , his first hit
A Better place to be
and Mr Tanner
One of the best story tellers ever
Never foresake time with your son as a dad.
It is a cautionary tale for us all.
I’m living this in real time
If you are the Dad please talk to or play this to your son and tell him DON'T BE LIKE ME. I'm sorry you are going through it though. It's never to late to break the cycle.
A similar type song is "Father and Son" by Cat Stevens. I love both songs.
50+ years this song has made billions of men weep uncontrollably. Heed thy warning.
What I got from this song, is that children need fathers desperately.
I was so lucky to be able to be a stay at home dad until my son started school. I was self employed, so in the summers he was able to work with me as he got older. He's 28, and a truck driver now, he calls every couple of days when he's on the road, and comes to see his mom, and me every 2-3 weeks.
You reap what you sow
What goes around comes around. Or instant karma, as Lennon phrased it.
Taken from us way too early.
☮️💙💙💙🔥🔥😎
Love your reactions. Suggestion: Check out the song "Higher Power" by Boston. It is a banger and never gets reviewed by any reactors. It is a creepy song, but the lyrics aren't creepy it's the way they deliver them. The guitar riffs, the harmonica solo and the deep voices in the chorus make this one great.
I was guilty of this I worked some days as much As 18 hrs including my weekends to make sure to keep food on the table, get the new house near a better school, and pay the bills. Now they are out of the house my oldest son has adopted and little boy. Both of my sons have said they will not prioritize money and job over the family 😢😢😢 I’ve been medically retired since 2013 and they are at least a 3 hrs drive away in OKC and KC. I’ve tried to apologize but there’s nothing like having your dad there. Mine was physically abusive I guess not being there was also abusive. Harry Chaplin died at 38, basically he predicted his future with his children
Great Reaction 👍🙏💯😎
As a follow up you should do Ugly Jid Joe's version of this song
hey. now good one
Check out Trent Tomlinson One Wing in the Fire
The cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon, little boy blue and the man on the moon. When you coming home dad? I don't know when, but we'll have a good time then. The first part is part of a nursery rhyme.
And you're right. The song is about not having time to spend with each other.
Bring back family time! 💔
C'mon Dad lets have a catch. Sorry son I gotta have a cigarette and a beer. C'mon Dad, I got a wrestling match and I'm pretty good. Sorry Son, gotta have a cigarette and a beer. Not many good times with my Dad. He passed away a couple of years ago and this song always hits me hard, since it came out.
I thought Cat Stephens sung this originally.
@@margiwatson1760 Cat Stevens 🐈 covered it, so did Ugly Joe Kidd, but Harry Chapin wrote it
@@suemontague3151 & @margiwatson1760 Cat Steven's sang a similar song called "Father and Son."
@@CindyNavarro yep absolute 💯 classic song 🎵
Also Paul Kelly’s Deeper Waters, a classic but with a sadder ending 😊
Check out Taxi !!!!
He did already
:Chay-pin"
This song wrecks me every time.
The most impactful song of all time bar none. What other song in recorded history has made Billions of grown men weep uncontrollably ? And will make Billion more weep for centuries to come ?
You're trying to overthink the song...the chorus is just cat's in the cradle is a game played with string, littke boy blue is from a nursery rhyme...things little boys like, but the dad misses out on doing them with his son😢
My father left when I was three years old. He never contacted me. He went on to marry 5 more times and had other children that I've never met. My mom married again when I was eight years old. He was an abusive, cheating alcoholic. She stayed with him until he drank himself to death. I have never married nor had children. And society wonders why?
What he coulda shoulda done. All the things he miss in life. Regrets.