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Cat's In The Cradle (chromatic)

by Harry Chapin · posted by WaltP

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How to read this tab — notation key
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Blow note
−
Draw note
b or '
Half-step bend
bb or ''
Two half-step bend
bbb or '''
Three half-step bend
(###)
Chord — relevant hole numbers in parentheses
< or *
Push the button in (chromatic harmonica)

Full reference and posting tips in the tab guide.

Tab
CAT’S IN THE CRADLE
By: Harry & Sandy Chapin
Key: F


-6   -6  8    8    8    7* -7* 8   8
My child ar-rived just the oth-er day,
7*  -7* -7* 7   -7*  -7* 7  8 -6 -6 -6
He came to the world in the u-su-al way.
-6    -6   -6    -6   -6   8
But there were planes to catch, 
 7*  -7*  8   8
and bills to pay,
7    -7*   7   -7*   7  -7* 8 -6 -6
He learned to walk while I was a-way.
-6  7  -6   7   -6  7  -6  7   7
And he was talk-in fore I knew it, 
-6  7  -6  -5*
and as he grew,
  5  -5* -5* -5* 5  7   -5* -6    5
He’d say I’m gon-na be like you, dad, 
 5   -5* -5* -5* -5* 7  -5* -6
You know I’m gon-na be like you.

-6  -6   -6  -6 -6  -6  -6
And the cats in the cra-dle 
-6  -6   7  -6   -5*
and the sil-ver spoon,
-5* -5* -5*  -5*  5  -5* -6  -6 -6   -6
Lit-tle Boy Blue and The Man In The Moon.
 -6  -6 -6  -6  -6  -6
When ya com-in home Dad?
-6  7    -6   -5*
I don’t know when, 
 5   -5*  -5*  5  7  -5*  -6  
But we’ll get to-geth-er then,
5   -5*   5    -5* 5   7   -5*  -6 
ya know we’ll have a good time then.


-6 -6     8    8    8   7* -7*  8  8 
My son turned ten just the oth-er day, 
7*  7*   -7*   -7*  7  -7*  -7*
He said thanks for the ball Dad, 
  7  8-6 -6    -6
come on let’s play.
-6  -6   -6  -6 -6   8
Can ya teach me to throw? 
7* 7*  -7* 8   8
I said not to-day, 
8  8  8  8  7  -7*  7  -7*   8   -6-6
I got a lot to do. He said that’s o-k.
 7   -6   -6   7   -6  7
And then, he walked a-way 
-6  -6    7   -5* -5*  -5*
but his smile nev-er dimmed,
5   -5* -5* -5* 5  7   -5* -6    5 
it said I’m gon-na be like him, yeah,
5   -5* -5* -5* -5* 7  -5* -6
Ya know I’m gon-na be like him.

-6  -6   -6  -6 -6  -6  -6
And the cats in the cra-dle 
-6  -6   7  -6   -5*
and the sil-ver spoon,
-5* -5* -5*  -5*  5  -5* -6  -6 -6   -6
Lit-tle Boy Blue and The Man In The Moon.
 -6  -6 -6  -6  -6  -6
When ya com-in home Dad?
-6  7    -6   -5*
I don’t know when, 
 5   -5*  -5*  5  7  -5*  -6  
But we’ll get to-geth-er then,
5   -5*   5    -5* 5   7   -5*  -6 
ya know we’ll have a good time then.


 -6  -6  -6   8    8    8    8   7* -7* 8   8
Well he came from col-lege just the oth-er day,
7*  -7*  -7* 7 -7*-7*  7  8-6 -6 -6 
So much like a man I just had to say 
-6  -6    -6  -6  8    7* 7* -7* -7* 8   8
Son I’m proud of you, can ya sit for a while?
7   -7*   7   -7*   7  -7*  8   -6 -6  -6
He shook his head, and he said with a smile
  7  -6    7  -6   7   7
What I’d real-ly like Dad, 
7  -6  7  -6  -5* -5*   5
is to bor-row the car keys.
-5* -6  7  7   -5*-5* -6   -6    5 
See ya la-ter, can I have them please?

-6  -6   -6  -6 -6  -6  -6
And the cats in the cra-dle 
-6  -6   7  -6   -5*
and the sil-ver spoon,
-5* -5* -5*  -5*  5  -5* -6  -6 -6   -6
Lit-tle Boy Blue and The Man In The Moon.
 -6  -6 -6  -6  -6  -6
When ya com-in home Dad?
-6  7    -6   -5*
I don’t know when, 
 5   -5*  -5*  5  7  -5*  -6  
But we’ll get to-geth-er then,
5   -5*   5    -5* 5   7   -5*  -6 
ya know we’ll have a good time then.


 -6   -6    -6  -6   8 
I’ve long since re-tired, 
8   -7*    8   8  8
my son’s moved a-way,
7   -7*   7  -7*  7  -7*  8  -6 -6
I called him up just the oth-er day.
-6 -6  -6   -6  -6  8   8   7* -7*  8     8
I said I’d like to see you, if you don’t mind.
7*  -7* -7*  -7* 7  -7*
He said I’d love to Dad, 
7  7 -7*   8  -6   -6
if I can find the time.
-6  -6  -6  7    7 -6  7  -6
You see my new jobs a has-sle 
 7  -6   7    -6  -5* -5*
and the kids have the flu, 
 5    5   -5*  -5*   7  -5* 7  -6   5
But it’s sure nice talk-ing to you Dad, 
 -5*  -5*  -5*  -5*   7  -5* 7  -6 
It’s been sure nice talk-ing to you.
-6  -6 -6  7  7  -6    7
And as I hung up the phone 
7  -6    7   -6 -5*
it oc-curred to me,
  5   -5*  5    7   -5* -6
He’d grown up just like me, 
5  -5*   5    7   -5* -6
my boy, was just like me.

-6  -6   -6  -6 -6  -6  -6
And the cats in the cra-dle 
-6  -6   7  -6   -5*
and the sil-ver spoon,
-5* -5* -5*  -5*  5  -5* -6  -6 -6   -6
Lit-tle Boy Blue and The Man In The Moon.
 -6  -6 -6  -6  -6  -6
When ya com-in home Dad?
-6  7    -6   -5*
I don’t know when, 
 5   -5*  -5*  5  7  -5*  -6  
But we’ll get to-geth-er then,
5   -5*   5    -5* 5   7   -5*  -6 
ya know we’ll have a good time then.



Play on a harmonica— watch which holes to blow & draw, with sound

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