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A2.2·folk·3:32

Cat's in the Cradle

Harry Chapin · 1974

Cat's in the Cradle by Harry Chapin (1974) — selected for the English-through-music catalog. Use the sing-along prompts and exercises to drill pronunciation, vocabulary, and listening comprehension.

💡 Click the CC button on the player for synced captions.

⏱ Timestamps may not be synchronized — edit them via Personalize on the Songs menu.

Lyrics + translation · letras.mus.br

🎤 Sing along

Sing with the chorus

  • 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

Echo the hook

  • 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
knowwe'lldon't

Definitions: Cambridge Dictionary · Translation: MyMemory

Exercises

Exercise 1

Fill the blank in this line:

Myarrived just the other day

Exercise 2

Fill the blank in this line:

Heto walk while I was away

Exercise 3

Fill the blank in this line:

I don't know when, but we'll getthen

Exercise 4

Fill the blank in this line:

And heaway but his smile never dimmed

Exercise 5

Fill the blank in this line:

See youcan I have them please"

Exercise 6

Fill the blank in this line:

Ihim up just the other day

Exercise 7

Translate this line to Portuguese:

He learned to walk while I was away

Exercise 8

Translate this line to Portuguese:

You know I'm gonna be like you"

Exercise 9

Translate this line to Portuguese:

You know we'll have a good time then

Exercise 10

Translate this line to Portuguese:

You know I'm gonna be like him"

Exercise 11

Translate this line to Portuguese:

When you comin' home son

Exercise 12

Choose the missing word:

My ? arrived just the other day

Exercise 13

Choose the missing word:

You ? I'm gonna be like you"

Exercise 14

Choose the missing word:

My son ? ten just the other day

Exercise 15

Choose the missing word:

You know we'll have a ? time then

Exercise 16

Choose the missing word:

I've ? since retired, my son's moved away

Exercise 17

Put the words in the right order:

Click the words below in the correct order…

Exercise 18

Put the words in the right order:

Click the words below in the correct order…

Exercise 19

Put the words in the right order:

Click the words below in the correct order…

Exercise 20

Put the words in the right order:

Click the words below in the correct order…

Exercise 21

Put the words in the right order:

Click the words below in the correct order…

Exercise 22

How many times do you hear the word "know" in the whole song?

"know"

Exercise 23

How many times do you hear the word "we'll" in the whole song?

"we'll"

Exercise 24

Put these three lines in the order they appear in the song:

  • And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah
  • I've long since retired, my son's moved away
  • My child arrived just the other day

Exercise 25

And these three — put them in the order they appear in the song:

  • He learned to walk while I was away
  • I called him up just the other day
  • You know we'll have a good time then

Exercise 26

Imagine you are making a short film with "Cat's in the Cradle" as the soundtrack. What scene would you show while the chorus plays?

knowwe'lldon'ttime

Exercise 27

The singer makes a claim or statement in this song. Do you agree with it? Use evidence from the lyrics to support your answer.

knowwe'lldon'ttime

Exercise 28

Which single word from this song do you think carries the most emotional weight, and why?

knowwe'lldon'ttime

Exercise 29

Write the full form of each contraction:

  • i'm→
  • gonna→
  • don't→
  • we'll→
  • let's→
  • that's→

Exercise 30

Rewrite the chorus of "Cat's in the Cradle" in your own words — keep the meaning but change the style (formal, slang, poetic, whatever you like).

knowwe'lldon'ttime