Nothing more to add, but this thread is making me incredibly sad today. My little girl is 16 months old today, and I had a hard time coming to work this morning. 
Lawoot,
I see what you mean, but I think that a “good Father” is someone that manages to get over these problems.
But the definition is personal and unless you’re Snake from the Simpsons, if the cap fits…
Forgot to mention this – note the regret the singer expresses, the sense of lost time, at the beginning of each section in the song. He continually says “just the other day” – his son was born, turned 10, came home from college. All these things seem to have happened in the recent past to him, and yet they encompass a man’s lifetime. By contrast, he’s “long since retired.” He realizes the time he could’ve spent bonding with his child, he spent doing other things.
So, Fenris, when do we find out your take on the song?
[cathartic defensive belated hijack] This topic hits very close to home. Lawoot and I are brothers. At Dad’s eulogy, I noted how Dad had taken the song very personally. My point was meant to illustrate Dad’s regrets, as opposed to that he was a bad parent. He was a wonderful parent. I agree with Lawoot regarding the way Dad’s generation was the first to be on the road.
But there was another side to this: the males in his generation weren’t very good at expressing themselves emotionally, nor at making life choices influenced by emotion. Dad became a marvelous grandparent, and was able to spend his retirement as a volunteer, helping his grandson’s soccer league. They now have trophies and plaques in Dad’s honor in Tucson, and Sandy Chapin can take some comfort in the fact that, at least for a while, she helped. [/cdbh]
Hey Fenris, did you win or lose?
Haj
Yeah, you can’t get much later in the week than this!
My friend’s POV was similar to Lawoot’s, with the added interpretation that dad was proud that the son had grown up with a sense of responsiblity, just like he’d had: the son is providing and caring for his own son.
Mine is much more the traditional interpretation, and I’m gonna win (we’ll be getting together on Sunday), in large part because of Rocking Chair’s info about the background of the song. If the songwriter intended it to be cautionary, not complimentary, it should be a slam-dunk.
and HappyHeathen: After quibbling for 2 hours over the wording of that post, using words like “bittersweet”, “sad”, “tragic”, we decided to draw a line in the sand with “good” on one side and “bad” on the other. :: shrug ::
Thanks everyone!!
Fenris
We know you’ll have a good time then…
fenris, i’m glad my sick day from school could help you out. i was home sick one day, my mum would let me watch tv from the couch when i was sick. harry had a new album out and he was zipping around the country doing talk shows. he sang two songs live on the show. flowers are red and little girls grow crooked. i was amazed by them. he had written them after his kids had told him what they were learning in school. which lead to a discussion on his kids, and cat’s in the cradle.
mrs chapin wrote the main part of the song after the birth of their son josh in '74. mr chapin added the chorus and music. the song hit #1 in dec of that year. i remember him saying he always had at least one of his kids with him when he toured. the reason the memory is so vivid is that i thought his kids were such lucky ducks to be able to travel with their dad and best of all: get out of school!!!
have you tried www.harrychapinmusic.com and www.harrychapin.com?
Bwah-ha-ha!
AAAK! I didn’t refresh before posting! That “Bwah-ha-ha” was for Rilch’s witty comment! I wasn’t laughing at your post, rocking chair!!!
Fenris
i figured. although it could be interpreted as an “i’ve got him now, dinner is mine!” laugh.
Thank you, Fenris!