Cat's in the Cradle – English Lyrics

• By: Lung Tung Xeng Band (Cover)

Lyrics & Translation

The Lung Tung Xeng Band's live rendition of “Cat's in the Cradle” offers a powerful opportunity for language learners to engage with a universal narrative. The song tells a four-verse story in clear, accessible English, tracking a father-son relationship from birth to old age. Listeners can learn practical vocabulary related to family, regret, and the passage of time, while appreciating how a classic folk-rock narrative is reinterpreted through a modern band's live, classic-leaning style.

[English]

Every day my papa, go to work to help

to make ends meet

To see what we would eat,

keep the shoes upon my feet.

Every night my papa would take and

tuck me in my bed.

Kiss me on my head,

after all my prayers were said.

Growing up with him was easy,

just flew on by.

The years began to fly,

so we aged and so did I.

And I could tell,

that mama wasn't well.

Papa knew, and deep down so did she.

So did she.

When she died,

my papa broke down and cried.

And all he said was, why her take me.

Every night he sat there sleeping,

in his rocking chair.

He never went upstairs,

only because she wasn't there.

Then one day my papa, said, 'Son, out the way you've grown.'

Make it on your own,

oh, I'll be okay alone.

And I could tell,

that mama wasn't well.

Papa knew, and deep down so did she.

So did she.

When she died,

my papa broke down and cried.

And all he said was, why her, take me.

Every night he sat there sleeping,

in his rocking chair.

He never went upstairs,

only because she wasn't there.

Then one day my papa said, 'Son, out the way you've grown.'

Make it on your own,

oh, I'll be okay alone.

Every time I kiss my children,

papa's voice rings true.

Children live through you.

They'll grow and leave you too.

I remember every word

my papa used to say.

I'll leave them every day,

he taught me well that way.

Every night my papa would take and

talk to me in my bed.

Kiss me on my head,

after all my prayers were said.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
work /wɜːrk/ A1	verb - to do a job or activity, especially for money
meet /miːt/ A1	verb - to come together with someone
grow /ɡroʊ/ A1	verb - to increase in size or develop
kiss /kɪs/ A1	verb - to touch someone with one's lips as a sign of love
pray /preɪ/ A2	verb - to speak to a god or gods
fly /flaɪ/ A1	verb - to travel through the air
age /eɪdʒ/ A1	noun - the number of years someone has lived verb - to become older
well /wɛl/ A1	adjective - in good health
break /breɪk/ A1	verb - to separate into pieces
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears
sleep /sliːp/ A1	verb - to rest with closed eyes
rock /rɒk/ A2	verb - to move back and forth in a soothing way
chair /tʃɛər/ A1	noun - a piece of furniture to sit on
leave /liːv/ A1	verb - to go away from a place
remember /rɪˈmɛmbər/ A2	verb - to have something in one's memory
teach /tiːtʃ/ A1	verb - to show someone how to do something
live /lɪv/ A1	verb - to have life

Key Grammar Structures

• Every day my papa, go to work to help

  ➔ Simple Present

  ➔ The verb "go" should be "goes" because the subject "papa" is third‑person singular.

• to make ends meet

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose

  ➔ The infinitive "to make" expresses the purpose of going to work.

• Every night my papa would take and tuck me in my bed.

  ➔ Past habitual with "would"

  ➔ "Would" shows that the actions "take" and "tuck" were repeated regularly in the past.

• Kiss me on my head, after all my prayers were said.

  ➔ Passive voice (past simple)

  ➔ "were said" is a passive construction; the subject "prayers" receives the action.

• The years began to fly, so we aged and so did I.

  ➔ Inversion with "so did I"

  ➔ "so did I" mirrors the previous clause; the auxiliary verb "did" is placed before the subject for emphasis.

• When she died, my papa broke down and cried.

  ➔ Simple past with a "when" clause

  ➔ "When" introduces a time clause; both verbs "broke" and "cried" are in the simple past.

• He never went upstairs, only because she wasn't there.

  ➔ Causal clause with "because"

  ➔ "because" introduces the reason for his not going upstairs; the verb "wasn't" is the contracted past of "was not".

• Then one day my papa said, "Son, out the way you've grown."

  ➔ Present perfect

  ➔ "you've grown" is the present perfect, showing a result that extends to the present moment.

• I remember every word my papa used to say.

  ➔ "used to" for past habits

  ➔ "used to" + infinitive indicates that papa regularly said something in the past, but no longer does.