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Harry Chapin - Cat’s In The Cradle Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsG, Bb, C, F, Dm
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to A key to play this song with easier chords.

  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram
  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram

[Opening]
[G]My child arrived just the [Bb]other day
He [C]came to the world in the [G]usual way
But there were [G]planes to catch and [Bb]bills to pay
He [C]learned to walk while I [G]was away
And he was [F]talkin’ ‘fore I knew it and [Dm]as he grew
He’d say [Bb]I’m gonna [Dm]be like [G]you dad
You [Bb]know I’m gonna [Dm]be like [G]you

[chorus]
And the [G]cat’s in the cradle and the [F]silver spoon
[Bb]Little boy blue and the [C]man in the moon
[G]When you comin’ home dad I [F]don’t know when
But [Bb]we’ll get to[Dm]gether [G]then son
You [Bb]know we’ll have a [Dm]good time [G]then

[verse 2]
[G]My son turned ten just the [Bb]other day
He said [C]Thanks for the ball Dad come [G]on let’s play
[G]Can you teach me to throw I said [Bb]not today
I got a [C]lot to do he said [G]that’s OK
And he [F]walked away but his [Dm]smile never dimmed
And said [Bb]I’m gonna [Dm]be like [G]him yeah
You [Bb]know I’m gonna [Dm]be like [G]him

[chorus]
And the [G]cat’s in the cradle and the [F]silver spoon
[Bb]Little boy blue and the [C]man in the moon
[G]When you comin’ home dad I [F]don’t know when
But [Bb]we’ll get to[Dm]gether [G]then son
You [Bb]know we’ll have a [Dm]good time [G]then

[verse 3]
[G]Well he came from college just the [Bb]other day
So [C]much like a man I just [G]had to say
[G]Son I’m proud of you can you [Bb]sit for a while
He [C]shook his head and [G]he said with a smile
What I’d [F]really like Dad is to [Dm]borrow the car keys
[Bb]See you [Dm]later can I [G]have them please

[chorus]
And the [G]cat’s in the cradle and the [F]silver spoon
[Bb]Little boy blue and the [C]man in the moon
[G]When you comin’ home dad I [F]don’t know when
But [Bb]we’ll get to[Dm]gether [G]then son
You [Bb]know we’ll have a [Dm]good time [G]then

[verse 4]
[G]I’ve long since retired my [Bb]son’s moved away
I [C]called him up just the [G]other day
I said I’d [G]like to see you if [Bb]you don’t mind
He said I’d [C]love to Dad if I could [G]find the time
You see my [F]new job’s a hassle and the [Dm]kids have the flu
But it’s [Bb]sure nice [Dm]talking to [G]you Dad
It’s been [Bb]sure nice [Dm]talking to [G]you

[Closing]
And as I [F]hung up the phone it o[Dm]ccurred to me
He’d [Bb]grown up [Dm]just like [G]me my [Bb]boy was [Dm]just like [G]me

[chorus]
And the [G]cat’s in the cradle and the [F]silver spoon
[Bb]Little boy blue and the [C]man in the moon
[G]When you comin’ home son I [F]don’t know when
But [Bb]we’ll get to[Dm]gether [G]then Dad
You [Bb]know we’ll have a [Dm]good time [G]then

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SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistHarry Chapin
AlbumVerities & Balderdash
GenresFolk, Folk Rock, Rock, Soft Rock
Year1974
KeyG

How to play Cat's In The Cradle on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Harry Chapin - Cat's In The Cradle on guitar requires 5 chords and 8 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

Cat's In The Cradle uses these transitions most often: Bb → Dm (17), Dm → G (17), and G → Bb (16). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with G - Bb chord transition.

1. G → Bb chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram

To move from G to Bb;

  1. Slide your index finger on A string from fret 2 to fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on B string fret 3.
G to Bb

2. Bb → C chord transition

Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram Fingering: x-1-3-3-3-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram

To move from Bb to C;

  1. While playing Bb, lift your pinky from B string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger on D string from fret 3 to fret 2.
  4. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
Bb to C

3. C → G chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram

To move from C to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
C to G

4. G → F chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram

To move from G to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.
G to F

5. F → Dm chord transition

To move from F to Dm;

  1. While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
  4. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to B string fret 3.

6. Dm → Bb chord transition

To move from Dm to Bb;

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on B string fret 3.

7. Dm → G chord transition

To move from Dm to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

8. F → Bb chord transition

To move from F to Bb;

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 3.
  4. Slide your pinky from D string fret 3 to B string fret 3.

Cat's In The Cradle chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Cat's In The Cradle.

  • Cat's In The Cradle includes 105 chord transitions, 8 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Cat's In The Cradle contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Cat's In The Cradle connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → F: 9%
    • G → Bb: 0%
    After Bb, the most likely next chords across Chordier are F (34%), C (20%), and Dm (9%).
    • Bb → C: 20%
    • Bb → Dm: 9%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.