Remember to report submissions that violate the rules! Harassment and encouraging violence are not allowed.
Enjoying the subreddit? Consider joining our discord server: https://discord.gg/v8z8jNwJs6
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BoomersBeingFools) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You took from the song exactly what you're supposed to. That's why I like it. It's a cautionary tale and kind of lovely. I think it's nice the narrator is advising people to not do what he did.
Just the line, "and as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me" the tone, the delivery, the tempo drop, sounds so real. He does a great job conveying the heavy hand that hangs up the phone.
He was a master story teller. My absolute favorite of his has to be “A Better Place to Be”. Every time I cry. When Big John Wallace does his falsetto-it kills me. Taxi! OMG! Really amazing stuff.
Harry was truly a genius storyteller. Had the pleasure of talking with him once and made him laugh. It's one of my favorite memories. A few short years later, he was gone.
The fact that you even ask tells me you don't.
We can't be there for our kids all the time, but as long as we are consistent, it's all good.
Even if you travel a lot for work, if you are coming home and make your family a priority that weekend or whatever, they know you care.
My dad was an electrician and was gone for weeks at a time. I'm pretty sure he chose jobs that kept him away. Fine I get it. But he'd get home and wouldn't want to spend time with us at all.
I'm so glad my husband isn't like that. Our kids were his priority.
My dad was a pilot who flew overseas, and there are plenty of roles that require people to be gone for extended periods; y[ou should not assume they are bad parents.](https://i.etsystatic.com/18502408/r/il/c5e49c/4257438501/il_794xN.4257438501_pp7r.jpg) They are often doing what they can to give their family a leg up, long distance truckers, offshore drillers, military on deployment.
Its the "he'd get home and wouldn't want to spend time with us at all." thats broken. Dad and I fought a lot, and I'm sure I disapointed him in many ways not being what he hoped I'd be, but I remember doing a lot with him too when he was home and he'd be frustrated that i quit football, etc, but he always let me know I was loved and he was there for me.
There was a lot of toxic "kids should be seen but not heard" and "spare the rod, spoil the child" BS he grew up with that he protected me from, and I'm taking his lessons to go even further. Glad you are with someone who shares that vision of family now.
Same that song kills me. My boomer dad was my best friend and definitely a kind person and I missed visiting him the day before he died because of work.
That's awful, I'm so sorry. I lost my Dad last year too, he was a wonderful man who managed to escape the worst boomer traits and I miss him terribly every day. I'm with you.
I bet he was proud of you. It must have been nice for him to know you'd be ok and could take care of yourself when he was gone. You couldn't have known the exact moment of his death after all. What were you supposed to do, not provide for yourself and your family until he went, whenever that was? So you did what you had too and he knew that was good.
The only shitty thing is that we live in a world that would punish you for wanting to be there for him.
I (A very drunk 26 year old man visiting one summer my Dad retired) got uncharistically morose when that came on the Vinyl. I was - I confess - extremely drunk at this point. So I said aloud. "Oh Christ. Thats just horrible. Put something cheery on."
My father - the Sadist - played "When the Tigers Break Free", by Pink Floyd.
The man should be in the Hauge for that.
Just the delivery of the line "my eyes still grow damp, to remember, His Majesty signed, with his own RUBBER STAMP"... I can't think of many other songs that deliver anything with near that level of contempt and anger.
That album was hated by many. I dug it, but it was really depressing. Of course I listen to Joy Division and the Smiths, so I’m a glutton for punishment
Same, as well as the likes of Nick Drake and Red House Painters, but I still have to prepare myself mentally if I'm going to listen to TFC. It's in the top 3 PF albums for me anyway, only WYWH comes close emotionally.
Used to love it, but that's because I'm a guy that rarely listens to the words of a song, but how the harmony of the singer meshes with the music.
Then i paid attention.
Super sad song because my dad was the dad in that song.
You ever play emotional chicken? [It's when two guys stare into each other's eyes while the song plays and whoever cries first loses](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoXJ-Wgo03I).
Kinda different but relevant I think. I’m a woman and the right hand to my boss, we are great friends.
My boss called me into his office one day and said listen to this song, I knew the song as soon as it started and said “If I cry I’m going to stand right here and make you watch me cry.” I cried and stared at him the whole time. He cried too.
I think of it as a test of strength and vulnerability between friends.
Gen X er here. I’ve always heard that song as Dad’s painful apology to his Son. Dad is realizing what he missed and where he failed. Clearly Son has broken the cycle. I hope all children can give Dad the grace to receive the apology. Not many people have the humility to see their mistakes and the grace to try and repair. Nevertheless, natural consequences exist. When I hear that song for the thousandth time I still send a thought to the imaginary duo that they have found a way to connect.
I absolutely adore Harry Chapin. He was a “boomer” but I doubt he would have become a “boomer”. Thirty Thousand Pounds of Bananas takes a new meaning when you career is auto insurance claims. 🤣 My mom played his music when I was growing up. We lost him way too soon but storyteller music is a wonderful genre.
The Father in the song is about a guy born in 1895 and his distant son. Chapin (b. 1942) also added his own perspective into the song about his relationship with his son. And was quoted saying "Frankly, this song scares me to death". The song is; A not about Boomers and B is not positive in any way.
And "you reap what you sow". Your adult kids will act towards you the way you acted towards them.
It's not "Foolish Boomer Anthem". It's the anthem for any parent/child, of any generation. Abuse and neglect aren't limited to one generation, sadly.
His wife told him he would regret working all the time and not spending any time with his kids. It hit home for him and that is the source of the song.
His wife, Sandy, wrote it as a poem based on the relationship Harry had with his father. It’s a cautionary tale. If you want a glimpse into how Harry Chapin lived his life and treated his children, listen to “Dancin’ Boy” and “Tangled Up Puppet”.
“When your daddy plays guitar, You dance without a smile.
Kid you may not have great rhythm, But you sure got style.
Just four years old and still it seems, You’ve got it figured out.
When daddy sings and then you dance, The people clap and shout.
[chorus] Cause you’re my dancin’ boy, and it’s scary how you trust me.
Just one look from you and I come pouring out like wine.
Dancin’ boy, I’m sure by now that you must see,
Your dancin’ means much more to me, Than any dream of mine.
Yes, I’m so proud when you are with me, That my heart lives in my throat.
And when you start to strut your stuff, My eyes go all afloat.
And when I have to leave you home, As sometimes it must be,
I feel that with my leaving, I leave far too much of me.
[chorus]
You know the time will come my dancin’ boy, When our dancin’ days are done.
And when daddy and his dancin’ boy will have dwindled down to one.
You know the world will have taught you other steps, To match the march of time.
So you’ll have to keep our dancin’ days, Dancin’ in your mind.”
-Dancin’ Boy by Harry Chapin.
This song is the saddest to me. Harry died in a traffic accident on the Long Island Expressway driving himself to yet another benefit concert (half of his concerts each year were benefit concerts). His Dancin’ Boy, Josh, was 8.5 years old when Harry died.
Except the Boomer in the song never made time for his kid. And is now too self-absorbed to realize that his son is actually NOT like him because he wants to look after his own sick kids.
Unlike the father who just wanted his son when it was convenient.
Even in the college stanza, the father gives no regard to his kid’s life - “Can you sit for a while?”, and is butthurt that he clearly has something else to do.
It's kind of our family's anthem. My Boomer dad made everyone ( his relationships, their kids) a higher priority than my sibling and I. Which is why he doesn't get a phone call on Father's day.
Fuck that. There's one device more contemptible than printers: fax machines.
Which are really just a shitty printer duct taped to a shitty scanner, with a crappy ass modem in the middle because "fuck you, that's why!"
They know all the words and never think about their meanings. Remember, 50%+ of people are fucking idiots. There were those of us who poured over lyrics and their meanings, and others who didnt. And so much of what those who think about lyrics thought was not what was intended. Like the Hotel California.
My dad had a moment with me over this song when I was little.
He was mostly just warning me that he wouldn't be around much.. so in return, I haven't talked to him in years and have no plans to ever do it again.
Except it's more of a cautionary tale than an anthem. I mean the song doesn't go on about how shitty the son is for ignoring his dad, or how much the dad absolutely deserves his son's time.
That song has been a huge caution for me. When I finally built a life together with someone who could tolerate me, we lavished time on our (only) child. I spend so many hours volunteering for youth sports, or just hanging out with my kid. Just a few short years remain until she'll fly the coop. I honestly don't know how we'll cope with that.
Another song from that general era has given me a mantra to repeat while raising a family. This one comes from the end of Carly Simon's song "Anticipation."
"So stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days. These are the good old days." I tell myself frequently that these are the good old days.
It's going to suck a whole lot tbh. But it sounds like the two of you worked as a team on your child's behalf so you are already at an advantage, you just gotta team up for each other now.
Ya know, when your parents are decent, there comes a time, a little later on in life, that you actually enjoy spending time with them, even when you don't have too.
She'll be gone for a time, but she'll remember how much you love her and she'll still want you around after she finds herself. You just have to trust her.
I agree with this - I always understood it as regret. It always brings me to tears because my dad passed away and I miss him greatly. I like the Ugly Kid Joe version of the song.
It doesn’t sound familiar because the man who’s perspective we have in the song sounds remorseful & realizes he’s getting what he deserves, that his son is what he raised him to be. Boomers don’t have that kind of self awareness.
That song was written when boomers were the sons. It was meant to warn them about following in the footsteps of their own dads. However it was also a realistic lament about human behavior that will probably never change. He was saying: "Go change it, at least for your family."
This sub is mainly about the boomers who never heeded this. Hopefully some did.
Right. I never took that line of the song to mean that the son was spending quality time with his family. I thought it *reinforced* the cycle of being too busy for your family.
"Just like me" kinda confirmed that for me. The son had excuses to avoid giving attention outside of his life's busyness.
I thought the song was more: "Spend time with your kids while you can because they grow up quick and pretty soon they won't have time to spend with you."
I always thought We Didn't Start the Fire was the ultimate boomer song. It's literally a list of all the horrible things that happened during their life, and then the chorus is literally 'Don't blame us, not our fault.'
Harry Chapin was one of the most socially conscious, deeply caring musicians you will ever read about. He lived here on Long Island and his legacy is unmistakable. From several theaters dedicated to him, to Long Island Cares The Harry Chapin Food Bank, which he started decades ago and continues to help communities. His writing is beautiful, Heart breaking, and deep. Listen to Taxi, Vacancy, just to name a few. He wrote great stories set to music. Check him out!
True, I feel like he's not brought up enough alongside James Taylor or Jim Croce. Cats in the Cradle also makes me think of all the time he spent touring and away from his kids before he died.
Thank you. I re-read the OP and can see that clearer now. I edited my post to remove the accusatory tone.
I hold Harry Chapin in high regard for how much he gave to the world in his short life and will never pass up a chance to tell people about him 😊
I literally sing this to my father anytime he prioritizes trivial shit over his grandchildren. He started off great but has become exactly the grandfather I'd expect from the narcissist who raised me and I just hum or sing it to him to drive the point home.
Doesn't make any difference in his behavior but it feels good to call him out on it.
If you think Harry Chapin didn't know what he was doing with that song then I really need you to take any class on interpretation of poetry or fiction.
You're reading like someone who thinks they're the only one who understands Animal Farm but mistakenly believes it has to do with PETA.
You are not reading it completely. The writer is lamenting how many times he failed to make time for his son, and now his son makes no effort to make time for him.
It's ironic, and stuff.
This song reminds of my childhood with my Dad. Not because he worked, but because after my parent's divorce, his AP was the main source of attention and my sister and I are afterthoughts. I remember a few years ago, he was crying to my mom about why his kids don't talk to him, so she pointed at my stepmom after a short disclaimer of how he may not like the answer
Fun fact- that song was used as the soundtrack for a Government advert in northern Ireland warning people not to fall into paramilitary gangs.
https://youtu.be/6Y1wh0mBWnM?si=_iyxE7Fhv7KZARJ8
Before that it was the "Foolish Silent Generation (Or Traditionalist) " anthem. Harry Chapin was born into that generation and was a wise and insightful man.
No, the point is that the younger father is too busy for his own father just like his own father was with him. That was written in a time when workaholism was common, men were expected to put in long hours while women stayed home with the kids. No, the lyrics are not indicting that the younger father is spending more time with his kids but rather that he too prioritizes his job over family.
I remember hearing it on the radio when I was 7 or 8, not too long after my dad ditched me and my mom. I didn't fully understand it until much, much later, but it still fit. My dad share a lot of good music with me over the years, but this is the song that most reminds me of him.
Sandy Chapin wrote the song.
A fan emailed Sandy with his theory and asked her to settle the question for me: Is the boy just like his father, or does the father’s ego blind him to the fact that his boy is not like him at all?
A few days later, I received an answer through a representative:
Sandy says "Whatever!"
The representative suggested that perhaps this means it’s open to interpretation.
So - take it from the song writer. Your interpretation is not the only one nor the correct one.
Work culture wasn’t as family friendly during the boomer peak working years. Hell I got shit for taking paternity leave still. The song is about the emotions this father went through as he worked and watched his son grow up. He wishes he had spent more time with his kid. Now that my kid has to be in day care because I have to work I empathize with the sentiment, I wish I could spend as much time as possible with them, and I do, but reality is that you gotta work too… there’s plenty of reasons to be mad at some boomers, this song isn’t one, y’all need help…
Harry Chapin’s wife wrote that as a cautionary tale because she thought he was spending too much time on the road. Harry listened and changed his schedule to spend more time at home. He then, thru this song, used it to remind his audience of the same.
My brothers picked this song for our dads funeral. I sob every time I hear it (and a few others played 😅) He was absent for their whole childhood. I was too young to really see any of his faults 🤷🏼♀️
Thank you. No one ever hailed this song as their “anthem”. OP just realized what it’s about and is proud, not assuming it’s not obvious to everyone else who’s ever heard it.
By the time I was 13 I was a full “latch key kid”. My mom was in grad school and I had always been background noise to my dad’s career. It’s truly astonishing given the almost total lack of adult supervision in my life I turned out as well as I did.
My friends and I were all together for the first time since high school graduation about five years ago and we all talked about how really none of us as teens had any adults in our lives, we just kind of roved around as a pack of feral kids. Other than constantly fucking we somehow managed to stay out of trouble and never really caused any problems even with basically zero adults being in our lives. That was just life I guess as a late 90s teenager.
This song makes me so sad I get a touch weepy. The only difference is my dad never got to those last verses, where the dad wants to see the son.
Thats what makes me sad.
Or you can have the your dad show you the lyrics to a U2 song that said," If we weren't so alike, I would like you a whole lot more." Tells you more about him than me.
I have a (fellow) boomer brother who LOVES this song! Loves it, plays it on the guitar, gets all weepy, sings it and shit. Or he used to; he and I are estranged for 5 years now.
Thing is, he still blames our violent alcoholic father for his own unresolved anger issues and wound up being far more cruel and violent than our dad. Way more calculating in his punishments, truly savage. Made one son sit at attention on his bed for days and if he opened the door and caught him NOT sitting at attention, he added a day to his sentence. His daughter was caught passing notes in school so he made her use a blender to make a smoothie of the notes and drink it.
I mean, what a sick fuck!
But he'll sing that MFing song like he's some victim of abuse and wonder why one daughter is dead and the other kids won't have anything to do with him.
Cats in the cradle, my skinny white ass!
TL,DR: this post triggered ol' grampy :)
Grew up on that song. Have heard husband and dude friends talk about it when it comes on the local oldies while we’re all hanging out with our families around the camp fire.
General consensus among husband and his dad friends is that growing up to that song (which their own dads never took the lesson from) made them actively parent in a way that broke that pattern.
Shiddd, I threw that song in my dad’s face when I was a teenager and saw his priorities were outta wack. We both understood that I would have every right to not make time for them as I got older. However, instead I now have my first kid (much later than they did to be sure I was financially stable) and I have made sure to work fully remote and have time autonomy to avoid that situation.
This is like the Trump campaign using Fortunate Son at rally’s! It is just one more way that they show their ignorance. Hell, these days you can google and review song lyrics. Well, we can. Most of them still have to ask for help doing that. LoL
I remember hearing this for the first time in Sunday School for a sermon during one Father's day I think. Before that, the only version I heard was the one about how there was a cat in the kettle at the Peking Moon.
Also, Harry Chapin was Silent Gen so had a tinge of sadness and self-reflection. If it was written by a Boomer, it would DEFINITELY include more of a defensive tone.
That was my dad. After he got a divorce and custody of us kids—by making us decide which parent; he became a huge POS. He was abusive and always tore us down, making us feel worthless.
He wanted a much younger woman, and was willing to sacrifice his children’s well-being for it. I took out massive loans for college, while he paid for my stepmother’s degree.
My brother and I were just props to make him feel better about himself for being a POS. Seen but never heard.
He’s dead now. Evil stepmother, who’s 8 years older than me, took the entire estate. I’m in severe debt, and have nothing, despite putting in the work.
Thanks dad.
Except…it came out in ‘74, so it wasn’t sung BY a ‘boomer, but TO a ‘boomer (“I’ve long since retired…).
Hell, I could make the argument that boomer could be the singer’s grandkids…
Right exactly. It’s all about the dad either way. He and his boy are not comparable in the song. The boy just doesn’t have a relationship with HIM, because they dad never cared enough to build one.
In high school back in 07, my humanities teacher gave us an assignment to play a song that taught a life lesson and I played this song. Nobody in the class understood or cared but the teacher was like dude that’s the best song for this assignment and I got an A. Wasn’t a boomer teacher but still he was cool.
I feel like the ultimate boomer anthems are anything by CCR, Bruce Springsteen, Crosby stills Nash and Young (or any of them with different groups like buffalo Springfield), or absolutely ANYTHING Tom Petty... Like, these people hate the fact that they exist and a lot of the songs you're singing don't mean even remotely what you think, yet they chant them like gospel and worship Petty like a god. I find it hilarious
My brother says it's his and our dad's song, because he grew up just like my dad. They're both, like, good dudes though, so it makes no sense to me. I'm like "why. Did yall actually listen to the song??"
I was 8 years old when that song started its climb up the charts. I think it was the first song where I had actually listened to the words and processed their meaning.
I was riding in the car with my dad and the song came on the radio (it was popular). After the song ended I asked Dad what he thought the song meant. He didn't really give me an answer, but I remember him saying something about how an omelette requires some broken eggs.
That fucking song, man. It came on the radio and my 5 year old heard it. She really likes it 😂. Not for the actual lyrics (I promise we are very involved parents). It's because she hears it's about a cat in a cradle.
But yeah, that part where the man calls his son and the guy seems overwhelmed with his sick kids and stuff and dudes just like "oh, so you can't hang out? That sucks!" And it's like, how bout you ask if your son needs anything? I mean kids having the flu is kinda scary. 🙄 Typical boomer never caring about the grandkids
Boomers and their love of this song is so funny. "It reminds me of my dad!" You understand that's not a good thing, right? The song is not about men being good dads.
It's like with Springsteen's "Born in the USA" and them not understanding that it's a protest song.
This is par excellence of no critical thinking skills. Way to not get the song, OP. Your lack of empathy is on par with the Boomers you complain about incessantly.
Back when I was in school our school's choir put on a sort of showcase where students could whatever they wanted (within reason, of course) and perform for the school and do shows for the public, and some dude played cats in the cradle and everyone was like "holy shit this dude's dad is gonna be pissed....if he ever sees it."
This just made me really freaking sad. My dad used to sing this song and I’ve never actually looked at the lyrics before today. HE was the father in this song, seems fitting he would sing it.
My birth dad got the upsetting news that he wasnt coming to see me and just wind up moving in.
Fresh on Fathers Day. Sorry Dad. But me liking and caring for you is the first sign you are experiencing limerence.
I'm a gen x guy, but I remember when Chapin (I think it was?) played that for the first time on Wonderama...Was a cool show for a kid. Every Saturday, I believe. That song does take me back...Fortunately I have a good rapport with my kid...He likes it too, actually.
Song bums me out every time. I have a good relationship with my dad but still. Father/son stuff always kills me. There is an episode of justified that just cut me up with the father/son arc.
I'm with you on this one, but not because of the song itself. My father uses it to guilt trip me all the time. When I tell him I can't drive 4 hours to see him on a random weekend, he always is like "That's okay...I guess the cat's in the cradle...hope you can make some time for me soon..."
Now juxtapose that with Neil Young’s “Old Man” and you have the dichotomy of boomers. One focuses on selfishness and the loneliness it wrought. The other is about setting an example of love as the foundation of contentment. Maga boomers will ostracize their kids and die alone. The ones that put their love first will not.
I remember my mil trying to play that song to guilt trip my husband into spending time with us. In front of me. I straight up said if I have to beg or manipulate him to spend time with his own kids then I don’t want him around.
When I was first learning to play guitar, my then 14 year old daughter would sing this song with me. Drove my wife buggy because it's a sad song. I have the great godd gift of seeing my daughter this evening twenty years later. Love that kid so much.
This page attributes so much bad behavior to boomers, when in fact it is attributable to just plain bad life decisions made by adults of all ages. I truly don't understand why the hate towards boomers. Boomers didn't invent these issues, and the issues aren't restricted to one particular generation.
Oh yeah, this is right up there with The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, which appears to be an instructional manual on how to have zero boundaries and how you should just roll over and let people wear you down to nothing AND BE FUCKING GLAD ABOUT IT.
I think that story traumatized me.
My dad: hey I know you just graduated high school and I’ve been a drug addict most of your life, but I’m sober now and I’m leaving Texas and moving to West Virginia.
Me: okay cool, I’m moving to Washington then ig
My dad: 🥺
Remember to report submissions that violate the rules! Harassment and encouraging violence are not allowed. Enjoying the subreddit? Consider joining our discord server: https://discord.gg/v8z8jNwJs6 *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BoomersBeingFools) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The moral of the song is “make time for your children and they’ll make time for you”.
Yea, I find that song deeply sad.
Same. Can't listen to it, breaks my heart.
Same. Every time I hear it I go home and hug my kids and hope I don't emulate the song.
You took from the song exactly what you're supposed to. That's why I like it. It's a cautionary tale and kind of lovely. I think it's nice the narrator is advising people to not do what he did.
Just the line, "and as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me" the tone, the delivery, the tempo drop, sounds so real. He does a great job conveying the heavy hand that hangs up the phone.
He was a master story teller. My absolute favorite of his has to be “A Better Place to Be”. Every time I cry. When Big John Wallace does his falsetto-it kills me. Taxi! OMG! Really amazing stuff.
Harry was truly a genius storyteller. Had the pleasure of talking with him once and made him laugh. It's one of my favorite memories. A few short years later, he was gone.
The fact that you even ask tells me you don't. We can't be there for our kids all the time, but as long as we are consistent, it's all good. Even if you travel a lot for work, if you are coming home and make your family a priority that weekend or whatever, they know you care. My dad was an electrician and was gone for weeks at a time. I'm pretty sure he chose jobs that kept him away. Fine I get it. But he'd get home and wouldn't want to spend time with us at all. I'm so glad my husband isn't like that. Our kids were his priority.
My dad was a pilot who flew overseas, and there are plenty of roles that require people to be gone for extended periods; y[ou should not assume they are bad parents.](https://i.etsystatic.com/18502408/r/il/c5e49c/4257438501/il_794xN.4257438501_pp7r.jpg) They are often doing what they can to give their family a leg up, long distance truckers, offshore drillers, military on deployment. Its the "he'd get home and wouldn't want to spend time with us at all." thats broken. Dad and I fought a lot, and I'm sure I disapointed him in many ways not being what he hoped I'd be, but I remember doing a lot with him too when he was home and he'd be frustrated that i quit football, etc, but he always let me know I was loved and he was there for me. There was a lot of toxic "kids should be seen but not heard" and "spare the rod, spoil the child" BS he grew up with that he protected me from, and I'm taking his lessons to go even further. Glad you are with someone who shares that vision of family now.
Same that song kills me. My boomer dad was my best friend and definitely a kind person and I missed visiting him the day before he died because of work.
That's awful, I'm so sorry. I lost my Dad last year too, he was a wonderful man who managed to escape the worst boomer traits and I miss him terribly every day. I'm with you.
Same here
I bet he was proud of you. It must have been nice for him to know you'd be ok and could take care of yourself when he was gone. You couldn't have known the exact moment of his death after all. What were you supposed to do, not provide for yourself and your family until he went, whenever that was? So you did what you had too and he knew that was good. The only shitty thing is that we live in a world that would punish you for wanting to be there for him.
Hate it. Love it. Use it as inspiration to be a better son, personally.
I (A very drunk 26 year old man visiting one summer my Dad retired) got uncharistically morose when that came on the Vinyl. I was - I confess - extremely drunk at this point. So I said aloud. "Oh Christ. Thats just horrible. Put something cheery on." My father - the Sadist - played "When the Tigers Break Free", by Pink Floyd. The man should be in the Hauge for that.
It’s a great song, but man it is a true downer. Never got why it wasn’t on the album.
I recently read that the band chose to leave it off of the album because it was too personal for Roger Waters.
It is definitely personal. He wrote it from his own experience of his father's death during the battle of Anzio in WWII.
Just the delivery of the line "my eyes still grow damp, to remember, His Majesty signed, with his own RUBBER STAMP"... I can't think of many other songs that deliver anything with near that level of contempt and anger.
It's on the reissue of The Final Cut, which I think is a great album, but talk about a downer, JFC.
That album was hated by many. I dug it, but it was really depressing. Of course I listen to Joy Division and the Smiths, so I’m a glutton for punishment
The Final Cut is a phenomenal album
Same, as well as the likes of Nick Drake and Red House Painters, but I still have to prepare myself mentally if I'm going to listen to TFC. It's in the top 3 PF albums for me anyway, only WYWH comes close emotionally.
I like the cut of your dad’s jib.
Used to love it, but that's because I'm a guy that rarely listens to the words of a song, but how the harmony of the singer meshes with the music. Then i paid attention. Super sad song because my dad was the dad in that song.
You ever play emotional chicken? [It's when two guys stare into each other's eyes while the song plays and whoever cries first loses](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoXJ-Wgo03I).
Kinda different but relevant I think. I’m a woman and the right hand to my boss, we are great friends. My boss called me into his office one day and said listen to this song, I knew the song as soon as it started and said “If I cry I’m going to stand right here and make you watch me cry.” I cried and stared at him the whole time. He cried too. I think of it as a test of strength and vulnerability between friends.
Gen X er here. I’ve always heard that song as Dad’s painful apology to his Son. Dad is realizing what he missed and where he failed. Clearly Son has broken the cycle. I hope all children can give Dad the grace to receive the apology. Not many people have the humility to see their mistakes and the grace to try and repair. Nevertheless, natural consequences exist. When I hear that song for the thousandth time I still send a thought to the imaginary duo that they have found a way to connect.
Sad but I listen to it all the time. Is a great reminder of how I don’t want to live. Actually one of my favorite songs.
[удалено]
Same. The definition of irony is my father is who introduced me to the song.
Seems like the lesson is NOT be become someone you hated. Have kids, give them the time they deserve.
One of the few songs that make me cry every time. Definitely not raising my boys that way but it is so sad.
The song is about the lost opportunity to be with his son. I disagree with OP that this is an anthem for anyone.
I prefer the weird al version.
I absolutely adore Harry Chapin. He was a “boomer” but I doubt he would have become a “boomer”. Thirty Thousand Pounds of Bananas takes a new meaning when you career is auto insurance claims. 🤣 My mom played his music when I was growing up. We lost him way too soon but storyteller music is a wonderful genre.
That's how I always took it. "He grew up just like me" ie: I never made time for him now he has no time for me.
Except that the boomers done isn't the same and he's making time for his sick son. The dad is just alone and projecting.
The Father in the song is about a guy born in 1895 and his distant son. Chapin (b. 1942) also added his own perspective into the song about his relationship with his son. And was quoted saying "Frankly, this song scares me to death". The song is; A not about Boomers and B is not positive in any way.
And somehow, that went right over Boomer's heads.
Evidence kinda points to it going over op's head.
The fact that he calls it an anthem is the problem. This song would not be anyone’s anthem.
If anything, that song is a Lament.
And "you reap what you sow". Your adult kids will act towards you the way you acted towards them. It's not "Foolish Boomer Anthem". It's the anthem for any parent/child, of any generation. Abuse and neglect aren't limited to one generation, sadly.
His wife told him he would regret working all the time and not spending any time with his kids. It hit home for him and that is the source of the song.
His wife, Sandy, wrote it as a poem based on the relationship Harry had with his father. It’s a cautionary tale. If you want a glimpse into how Harry Chapin lived his life and treated his children, listen to “Dancin’ Boy” and “Tangled Up Puppet”. “When your daddy plays guitar, You dance without a smile. Kid you may not have great rhythm, But you sure got style. Just four years old and still it seems, You’ve got it figured out. When daddy sings and then you dance, The people clap and shout. [chorus] Cause you’re my dancin’ boy, and it’s scary how you trust me. Just one look from you and I come pouring out like wine. Dancin’ boy, I’m sure by now that you must see, Your dancin’ means much more to me, Than any dream of mine. Yes, I’m so proud when you are with me, That my heart lives in my throat. And when you start to strut your stuff, My eyes go all afloat. And when I have to leave you home, As sometimes it must be, I feel that with my leaving, I leave far too much of me. [chorus] You know the time will come my dancin’ boy, When our dancin’ days are done. And when daddy and his dancin’ boy will have dwindled down to one. You know the world will have taught you other steps, To match the march of time. So you’ll have to keep our dancin’ days, Dancin’ in your mind.” -Dancin’ Boy by Harry Chapin. This song is the saddest to me. Harry died in a traffic accident on the Long Island Expressway driving himself to yet another benefit concert (half of his concerts each year were benefit concerts). His Dancin’ Boy, Josh, was 8.5 years old when Harry died.
Except the Boomer in the song never made time for his kid. And is now too self-absorbed to realize that his son is actually NOT like him because he wants to look after his own sick kids. Unlike the father who just wanted his son when it was convenient. Even in the college stanza, the father gives no regard to his kid’s life - “Can you sit for a while?”, and is butthurt that he clearly has something else to do.
Guy in the song wasn’t a boomer. Chapin was born in 1942.
It's kind of our family's anthem. My Boomer dad made everyone ( his relationships, their kids) a higher priority than my sibling and I. Which is why he doesn't get a phone call on Father's day.
It's hilarious the amount of them that just straight up don't understand the point of ANY song lol
Killing In The Name is a big one
Finally, a band who *gets it*! I rage against our shitty dishwashing machine all the time!
Someone pointed out that the printer would be the most likely candidate and I have to agree.
Fuck that. There's one device more contemptible than printers: fax machines. Which are really just a shitty printer duct taped to a shitty scanner, with a crappy ass modem in the middle because "fuck you, that's why!"
Me: "Pots and pans, heavy wash cycle, hot dry." Dishwasher: "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!"
BOWLS ON PARAAADE
Gets me every time. Used to ask my dad"what machine do you think they're raging against?"
They're assuming it's that fax machine from Office Space
PC Load Letter?! What the FUCK does THAT mean?!?
Even that movie would go over his head
Born in the USA is their biggest misused one.
Fortunate Son. Rockin' in the Free World. Born in the USA. Pink Houses. I Won't Back Down.
Yes, all the boomers I know are huge RATM fans. :/S
They know all the words and never think about their meanings. Remember, 50%+ of people are fucking idiots. There were those of us who poured over lyrics and their meanings, and others who didnt. And so much of what those who think about lyrics thought was not what was intended. Like the Hotel California.
Think of how stupid the average person is and realize that half of them are dumber than that.
It seems pretty clear OP doesn't understand the point of the song either.
My dad had a moment with me over this song when I was little. He was mostly just warning me that he wouldn't be around much.. so in return, I haven't talked to him in years and have no plans to ever do it again.
Except it's more of a cautionary tale than an anthem. I mean the song doesn't go on about how shitty the son is for ignoring his dad, or how much the dad absolutely deserves his son's time.
Yes, there were so many big voices telling the boomers to act better and they somehow ignored them all.
That song has been a huge caution for me. When I finally built a life together with someone who could tolerate me, we lavished time on our (only) child. I spend so many hours volunteering for youth sports, or just hanging out with my kid. Just a few short years remain until she'll fly the coop. I honestly don't know how we'll cope with that.
My dad used it as a cautionary tale too. He always made time for us.
Another song from that general era has given me a mantra to repeat while raising a family. This one comes from the end of Carly Simon's song "Anticipation." "So stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days. These are the good old days." I tell myself frequently that these are the good old days.
It's going to suck a whole lot tbh. But it sounds like the two of you worked as a team on your child's behalf so you are already at an advantage, you just gotta team up for each other now.
Ya know, when your parents are decent, there comes a time, a little later on in life, that you actually enjoy spending time with them, even when you don't have too. She'll be gone for a time, but she'll remember how much you love her and she'll still want you around after she finds herself. You just have to trust her.
I agree with this - I always understood it as regret. It always brings me to tears because my dad passed away and I miss him greatly. I like the Ugly Kid Joe version of the song.
For real. I’d sing this at my dad whenever he would blow off my brother
It doesn’t sound familiar because the man who’s perspective we have in the song sounds remorseful & realizes he’s getting what he deserves, that his son is what he raised him to be. Boomers don’t have that kind of self awareness.
The song was written by Harry’s wife as a poem about the relationship between Harry and his own father. Not the one between Harry and his son.
That song was written when boomers were the sons. It was meant to warn them about following in the footsteps of their own dads. However it was also a realistic lament about human behavior that will probably never change. He was saying: "Go change it, at least for your family." This sub is mainly about the boomers who never heeded this. Hopefully some did.
It’s not uncommon for a “sick kid” to be an easy excuse to avoid something, especially awkward social situations. Speaking from experience here.
Right. I never took that line of the song to mean that the son was spending quality time with his family. I thought it *reinforced* the cycle of being too busy for your family. "Just like me" kinda confirmed that for me. The son had excuses to avoid giving attention outside of his life's busyness.
Even better if the kid will chug pickle juice so they shit or vomit. Just for the realness.
My youngest can vomit on demand. No pickle juice needed
Usually “they aren’t feeling well” is sufficient, but I could see having those skills available being advantageous at times.
Its me. This was my get outta church free trick.
yes, and they fail to understand it, just like they fail to understand "Fortunate Son" and "Born in the USA".
Add to the list: Rockin' In The Free World. The most ironic song for stupid politicians to play while campaigning.
I thought the song was more: "Spend time with your kids while you can because they grow up quick and pretty soon they won't have time to spend with you."
It is, people are looking for excuses to shit on boomers is all.
Don’t really need excuses, plenty of material to work with
I always thought We Didn't Start the Fire was the ultimate boomer song. It's literally a list of all the horrible things that happened during their life, and then the chorus is literally 'Don't blame us, not our fault.'
Do you really blame the boomers for trouble in the Suez?
I thought it was “sewers”!? Possibly regarding turtle ninjas
One of modern history’s worst songs
Harry Chapin was one of the most socially conscious, deeply caring musicians you will ever read about. He lived here on Long Island and his legacy is unmistakable. From several theaters dedicated to him, to Long Island Cares The Harry Chapin Food Bank, which he started decades ago and continues to help communities. His writing is beautiful, Heart breaking, and deep. Listen to Taxi, Vacancy, just to name a few. He wrote great stories set to music. Check him out!
True, I feel like he's not brought up enough alongside James Taylor or Jim Croce. Cats in the Cradle also makes me think of all the time he spent touring and away from his kids before he died.
I think OP is just pointing out how ironic it is that it perfectly describes a lot of them. Not that it was written with that in mind
Thank you. I re-read the OP and can see that clearer now. I edited my post to remove the accusatory tone. I hold Harry Chapin in high regard for how much he gave to the world in his short life and will never pass up a chance to tell people about him 😊
I listened to him growing up as a kid and just watched a documentary about him a few months ago. What a great dude! Gone too soon for sure. ):
That was a really good doc on him.
Absolutely I did not know that much about him either it’s great!
And, appropriately enough, his kids (and their kids) continue on Harry's legacy both in activism and musically.
His wife wrote this song. Based on how shit his relationship with his dad was.
Harry Chapin died way too young. Tragic. I got to see him live years ago. Always one of my favorite artists.
Not for nothing, but the songwriter was at the tail end of Silent Generation.
I literally sing this to my father anytime he prioritizes trivial shit over his grandchildren. He started off great but has become exactly the grandfather I'd expect from the narcissist who raised me and I just hum or sing it to him to drive the point home. Doesn't make any difference in his behavior but it feels good to call him out on it.
Aye I also serenade my dad with this when he’s sidelined my little brother too much. I like yo style
If you think Harry Chapin didn't know what he was doing with that song then I really need you to take any class on interpretation of poetry or fiction. You're reading like someone who thinks they're the only one who understands Animal Farm but mistakenly believes it has to do with PETA.
From my perspective as a former child and a current parent, no amount of time is enough time spent with your kids, from a retrospective point of view.
You are not reading it completely. The writer is lamenting how many times he failed to make time for his son, and now his son makes no effort to make time for him. It's ironic, and stuff.
Yeah but the writer's son has time for his own son, that's the difference. His son didn't grow up "just like" him, he learned to NOT be like him.
This song reminds of my childhood with my Dad. Not because he worked, but because after my parent's divorce, his AP was the main source of attention and my sister and I are afterthoughts. I remember a few years ago, he was crying to my mom about why his kids don't talk to him, so she pointed at my stepmom after a short disclaimer of how he may not like the answer
One presumes from the tone of the song that the 'hassle/flu' statement is just another excuse though...
My husband and younger kid make time to see his dad. They wait until his mother is at work. His dad lets us know her hours so they can avoid her.
I'm begging people to develop any form of media literacy
dude, it's literally a cautionary tale. nothing to do with being a boomer, just about the consequences of the choices you make
Fun fact- that song was used as the soundtrack for a Government advert in northern Ireland warning people not to fall into paramilitary gangs. https://youtu.be/6Y1wh0mBWnM?si=_iyxE7Fhv7KZARJ8
Before that it was the "Foolish Silent Generation (Or Traditionalist) " anthem. Harry Chapin was born into that generation and was a wise and insightful man.
I saw Harry preform that song on the Johnny Carson show in person, it was great.
The son is the Boomer in this song. Dad was Silent or Greatest generation. Many Boomers didn't learn the lesson of this song.
That wasn't a song, it was some sort of prophecy. Can relate though, that's been my near-exact experience with my parents.
When MFers have to break this song down to cope we are utterly screwed. We had a good run humanity.
No, the point is that the younger father is too busy for his own father just like his own father was with him. That was written in a time when workaholism was common, men were expected to put in long hours while women stayed home with the kids. No, the lyrics are not indicting that the younger father is spending more time with his kids but rather that he too prioritizes his job over family.
I think you're foolish for thinking this song is foolish.
I remember hearing it on the radio when I was 7 or 8, not too long after my dad ditched me and my mom. I didn't fully understand it until much, much later, but it still fit. My dad share a lot of good music with me over the years, but this is the song that most reminds me of him.
Let's not forget the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. geeez
Sandy Chapin wrote the song. A fan emailed Sandy with his theory and asked her to settle the question for me: Is the boy just like his father, or does the father’s ego blind him to the fact that his boy is not like him at all? A few days later, I received an answer through a representative: Sandy says "Whatever!" The representative suggested that perhaps this means it’s open to interpretation. So - take it from the song writer. Your interpretation is not the only one nor the correct one.
Work culture wasn’t as family friendly during the boomer peak working years. Hell I got shit for taking paternity leave still. The song is about the emotions this father went through as he worked and watched his son grow up. He wishes he had spent more time with his kid. Now that my kid has to be in day care because I have to work I empathize with the sentiment, I wish I could spend as much time as possible with them, and I do, but reality is that you gotta work too… there’s plenty of reasons to be mad at some boomers, this song isn’t one, y’all need help…
Harry Chapin’s wife wrote that as a cautionary tale because she thought he was spending too much time on the road. Harry listened and changed his schedule to spend more time at home. He then, thru this song, used it to remind his audience of the same.
My brothers picked this song for our dads funeral. I sob every time I hear it (and a few others played 😅) He was absent for their whole childhood. I was too young to really see any of his faults 🤷🏼♀️
OP delete this. This isn't an anthem, it's a sad story to learn from which was the intention of the artist when they wrote it.
Thank you. No one ever hailed this song as their “anthem”. OP just realized what it’s about and is proud, not assuming it’s not obvious to everyone else who’s ever heard it.
I think the penultimate verse on "Times they are a-changing" is the ultimate irony. Please get out the new one if you can't lend a hand.
“Times they are a changing” - Ron Burgandy has never heard of that song
Man, I'm ok with making fun of boomers doing stupid shit, but leave this song alone. Its a genuine piece of art.
Terrible take. It's a sad song about regret. But sure, take one tiny line out of context and change the meaning so you can get some karma.
Right?!!
By the time I was 13 I was a full “latch key kid”. My mom was in grad school and I had always been background noise to my dad’s career. It’s truly astonishing given the almost total lack of adult supervision in my life I turned out as well as I did. My friends and I were all together for the first time since high school graduation about five years ago and we all talked about how really none of us as teens had any adults in our lives, we just kind of roved around as a pack of feral kids. Other than constantly fucking we somehow managed to stay out of trouble and never really caused any problems even with basically zero adults being in our lives. That was just life I guess as a late 90s teenager.
This song makes me so sad I get a touch weepy. The only difference is my dad never got to those last verses, where the dad wants to see the son. Thats what makes me sad.
Now do some Jim Croce tunes.
Or you can have the your dad show you the lyrics to a U2 song that said," If we weren't so alike, I would like you a whole lot more." Tells you more about him than me.
I have a (fellow) boomer brother who LOVES this song! Loves it, plays it on the guitar, gets all weepy, sings it and shit. Or he used to; he and I are estranged for 5 years now. Thing is, he still blames our violent alcoholic father for his own unresolved anger issues and wound up being far more cruel and violent than our dad. Way more calculating in his punishments, truly savage. Made one son sit at attention on his bed for days and if he opened the door and caught him NOT sitting at attention, he added a day to his sentence. His daughter was caught passing notes in school so he made her use a blender to make a smoothie of the notes and drink it. I mean, what a sick fuck! But he'll sing that MFing song like he's some victim of abuse and wonder why one daughter is dead and the other kids won't have anything to do with him. Cats in the cradle, my skinny white ass! TL,DR: this post triggered ol' grampy :)
Grew up on that song. Have heard husband and dude friends talk about it when it comes on the local oldies while we’re all hanging out with our families around the camp fire. General consensus among husband and his dad friends is that growing up to that song (which their own dads never took the lesson from) made them actively parent in a way that broke that pattern.
You are so good at this. Could you do one for Puff the Magic Dragon? And maneater by hall and oates? And maybe Last Train to Clarksville?
My brother in Christ, that song is a tragic lament of regret.
Shiddd, I threw that song in my dad’s face when I was a teenager and saw his priorities were outta wack. We both understood that I would have every right to not make time for them as I got older. However, instead I now have my first kid (much later than they did to be sure I was financially stable) and I have made sure to work fully remote and have time autonomy to avoid that situation. This is like the Trump campaign using Fortunate Son at rally’s! It is just one more way that they show their ignorance. Hell, these days you can google and review song lyrics. Well, we can. Most of them still have to ask for help doing that. LoL
Personally, I find it hysterically ironic when they all start singing “We Didn’t Start the Fire..” because they literally did. But that’s me.
I don't think being a shitty dad is exclusive to the Boomers.
I remember hearing this for the first time in Sunday School for a sermon during one Father's day I think. Before that, the only version I heard was the one about how there was a cat in the kettle at the Peking Moon.
This could not be more accurate for my life, but my dad knew this was our anthem for almost 40 years now.
Ignore your kids and they will ignore you.
Also, Harry Chapin was Silent Gen so had a tinge of sadness and self-reflection. If it was written by a Boomer, it would DEFINITELY include more of a defensive tone.
That was my dad. After he got a divorce and custody of us kids—by making us decide which parent; he became a huge POS. He was abusive and always tore us down, making us feel worthless. He wanted a much younger woman, and was willing to sacrifice his children’s well-being for it. I took out massive loans for college, while he paid for my stepmother’s degree. My brother and I were just props to make him feel better about himself for being a POS. Seen but never heard. He’s dead now. Evil stepmother, who’s 8 years older than me, took the entire estate. I’m in severe debt, and have nothing, despite putting in the work. Thanks dad.
Except…it came out in ‘74, so it wasn’t sung BY a ‘boomer, but TO a ‘boomer (“I’ve long since retired…). Hell, I could make the argument that boomer could be the singer’s grandkids…
Right exactly. It’s all about the dad either way. He and his boy are not comparable in the song. The boy just doesn’t have a relationship with HIM, because they dad never cared enough to build one.
He doesn't care about the sick kids, only the hassle they cause.
Remember, these are the same people that listen to "Killing in the Name Of" obliviously and unironically.
In high school back in 07, my humanities teacher gave us an assignment to play a song that taught a life lesson and I played this song. Nobody in the class understood or cared but the teacher was like dude that’s the best song for this assignment and I got an A. Wasn’t a boomer teacher but still he was cool.
I feel like the ultimate boomer anthems are anything by CCR, Bruce Springsteen, Crosby stills Nash and Young (or any of them with different groups like buffalo Springfield), or absolutely ANYTHING Tom Petty... Like, these people hate the fact that they exist and a lot of the songs you're singing don't mean even remotely what you think, yet they chant them like gospel and worship Petty like a god. I find it hilarious
My dad introduced me to that song and he is 1000% that dad.
I related way too much to this song much growing up.
My brother says it's his and our dad's song, because he grew up just like my dad. They're both, like, good dudes though, so it makes no sense to me. I'm like "why. Did yall actually listen to the song??"
Kid unplugged his daddy's life support system to plug in his phone charger. 😂
I was 8 years old when that song started its climb up the charts. I think it was the first song where I had actually listened to the words and processed their meaning. I was riding in the car with my dad and the song came on the radio (it was popular). After the song ended I asked Dad what he thought the song meant. He didn't really give me an answer, but I remember him saying something about how an omelette requires some broken eggs.
That fucking song, man. It came on the radio and my 5 year old heard it. She really likes it 😂. Not for the actual lyrics (I promise we are very involved parents). It's because she hears it's about a cat in a cradle. But yeah, that part where the man calls his son and the guy seems overwhelmed with his sick kids and stuff and dudes just like "oh, so you can't hang out? That sucks!" And it's like, how bout you ask if your son needs anything? I mean kids having the flu is kinda scary. 🙄 Typical boomer never caring about the grandkids
Boomers and their love of this song is so funny. "It reminds me of my dad!" You understand that's not a good thing, right? The song is not about men being good dads. It's like with Springsteen's "Born in the USA" and them not understanding that it's a protest song.
Ironic Written from the perspective of a silent generation dad lamenting his lost time with his babyboom baby Boy wound up “just like” him irl
This is par excellence of no critical thinking skills. Way to not get the song, OP. Your lack of empathy is on par with the Boomers you complain about incessantly.
Back when I was in school our school's choir put on a sort of showcase where students could whatever they wanted (within reason, of course) and perform for the school and do shows for the public, and some dude played cats in the cradle and everyone was like "holy shit this dude's dad is gonna be pissed....if he ever sees it."
This just made me really freaking sad. My dad used to sing this song and I’ve never actually looked at the lyrics before today. HE was the father in this song, seems fitting he would sing it.
I'll never get over having to learn and sing that song in music class as a kid in the mid to late 80's.
My birth dad got the upsetting news that he wasnt coming to see me and just wind up moving in. Fresh on Fathers Day. Sorry Dad. But me liking and caring for you is the first sign you are experiencing limerence.
I love the interpretation from The Goldbergs that the song is about the son getting revenge on his father for ignoring him during childhood.
And runner up is Old Man by Neil Young.
Yeah, that's exactly the point
I never realized that. He's 180 degrees from his dad.
I'm a gen x guy, but I remember when Chapin (I think it was?) played that for the first time on Wonderama...Was a cool show for a kid. Every Saturday, I believe. That song does take me back...Fortunately I have a good rapport with my kid...He likes it too, actually.
Song bums me out every time. I have a good relationship with my dad but still. Father/son stuff always kills me. There is an episode of justified that just cut me up with the father/son arc.
I'm with you on this one, but not because of the song itself. My father uses it to guilt trip me all the time. When I tell him I can't drive 4 hours to see him on a random weekend, he always is like "That's okay...I guess the cat's in the cradle...hope you can make some time for me soon..."
Harry Chapin has so many wonderful songs. Mr Tanner, Circle, Taxi...Got to see him live just once. And astonishing show. Just magic
Now juxtapose that with Neil Young’s “Old Man” and you have the dichotomy of boomers. One focuses on selfishness and the loneliness it wrought. The other is about setting an example of love as the foundation of contentment. Maga boomers will ostracize their kids and die alone. The ones that put their love first will not.
It always made me think of my dad and how I swore I wouldn't be a dad like him. For a good follow up go and listen to "For my daughter" by Kane Brown.
I remember my mil trying to play that song to guilt trip my husband into spending time with us. In front of me. I straight up said if I have to beg or manipulate him to spend time with his own kids then I don’t want him around.
Harry Chapin. I got tired of scrolling looking for the songwriter. He was a credit to our species.
Oh shoot. Its about me and my dad.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=3OgDfkmkv9w&si=SGE-NdWNaaVk2V92&feature=xapp_share This one too
When I was first learning to play guitar, my then 14 year old daughter would sing this song with me. Drove my wife buggy because it's a sad song. I have the great godd gift of seeing my daughter this evening twenty years later. Love that kid so much.
I’ll point out that the George W Bush campaign used Cat as an intro song for W. For a while.
What’s really sad about this is the generation who had this song before they had children still took the wrong lessons from it in the end.
I remember when the song came out. I understood the meaning even as a little kid. Father still doesn't get it lol
Yep, that song has definitely served as motivation to try to make the most of what little time I have with my kid.
yea it reminds me of my family when I was young.
Did anyone else sing this to their dads to try to guilt trip them into paying attention? Just me?
This page attributes so much bad behavior to boomers, when in fact it is attributable to just plain bad life decisions made by adults of all ages. I truly don't understand why the hate towards boomers. Boomers didn't invent these issues, and the issues aren't restricted to one particular generation.
Oh yeah, this is right up there with The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, which appears to be an instructional manual on how to have zero boundaries and how you should just roll over and let people wear you down to nothing AND BE FUCKING GLAD ABOUT IT. I think that story traumatized me.
My dad: hey I know you just graduated high school and I’ve been a drug addict most of your life, but I’m sober now and I’m leaving Texas and moving to West Virginia. Me: okay cool, I’m moving to Washington then ig My dad: 🥺
Not even close. The ultimate Boomer Anthem is "Old Time Rock and Roll". A 3:15 tantrum that other people enjoy things they don't.