My Gen X Life: Cats in the Cradle – Harry Chapin

What podcasts are you listening to?

I listen to a few different types of podcasts. Personal finance, news and politics are the regular go tos. To balance these, I also listen to storytelling podcasts that touch on human experiences. The storytelling podcasts are probably my favorites – real life stories from and about real life people. Here are the podcasts that I listen to on a regular basis. I cut and pasted a description of each.

This American Life – This American Life is a weekly public radio program and podcast. Each week we choose a theme and put together different kinds of stories on that theme. 

The Moth – The Moth is a nonprofit group based in New York City, dedicated to the craft of storytelling. Founded in 1997, the organization presents a wide range of theme-based storytelling events across the United States and abroad, often featuring prominent literary and cultural personalities alongside everyday people like veterans, astronauts, school teachers, and parents.

Heavyweight – Heavyweight is a Gimlet Media podcast created and produced by American-Canadian humorist Jonathan Goldstein where he helps people try to resolve a moment from their past that they wish they could change.

All are pretty good. I lost touch with Heavyweight for awhile and recently am catching up. It’s a unique concept. Goldstein tries to help people resolve something from their past and it’s an interesting journey to follow along. Sometimes he has nothing to go on and figure out how to track down clues from forever ago. Ultimately he finds resolution, sometimes through humor, acceptance or an emotional journey. It’s unique and it makes me understand how we all hold onto stuff from our past. I’m glad I discovered it.

There was a similar podcast by Starlee Kine called Mystery Show where she solved people’s obscure mysteries. Unfortunately, she only created six episodes. I wish that would make a come back. I believe Goldstein and Kine both worked on This American Life in the past. That’s probably why I connect with these shows. If you haven’t heard of them, give them a try.

I researched top storytelling songs and Harry Chopin’s Cats in the Cradle came up in a number of different lists. This brings back memories. I used to hear this song a lot on my mom’s radio station in the car when I was a kid. I remember my siblings and I all singing along. It tells a story of a father being too busy to spend quality time with his young son.

“I’m gonna be like you Dad, you know I’m gonna be like you…”

Over time, both father and son grow into a switching of life roles. Although the father wants to spend more time with his son, the son is too busy with life to make time. A sad story. The origin of the song is interesting, though.

It took the birth of his son for Harry Chapin to decide to turn the poem his wife wrote into a song. Sandy Chapin explained in her Songfacts interview: “Harry and I would exchange writing of all kinds. We were always working on each other’s writing. Some of my writing at a certain period were 20-page papers for a doctoral program at Columbia. So it wasn’t always that poetic. But we both looked at each other’s stuff. And then one time he came home and he said, ‘What have you been doing?’ I showed him ‘Cat’s In The Cradle,’ and he said, ‘Well, that’s interesting.’

You know, sometimes he’d pick up something and put music to it. And that didn’t really grab him at all. And then after Josh was born, it did. He picked it up and he wrote music to it.”

– songfacts

A story about the song telling a story. I can imagine either story being told on one of the podcasts.

–

For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

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 talkin' '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"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home, Dad
I don't know when, but we'll get together then
You know we'll have a good time then

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play
Can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today
I got a lot to do", he said, "That's okay"
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah
You know I'm gonna be like him"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home, Dad
I don't know when, but we'll get together then
You know we'll have a good time then

Well, he came 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 shook his head and then said with a smile
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son
I don't know when, but we'll get together then, Dad
You know we'll have a good time then

I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and the kid's got the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad
It's been sure nice talking to you"
And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son
I don't know when, but we'll get together then, Dad
We're gonna have a good time then