Other arrangements of Cat's In The Cradle
Pick a learning view.
My child ar rived lege just the (Ab)oth er day.
He (Bb)came to the world in the (F)u su al way, but there were planes to catch I and (Ab)bills to pay.
I He learned to walk while I (F)was a way.
And he was (Eb)talk ing ’fore I (Eb)knew it, and (Cm)as he grew (Eb)dimmed.
he says, (Cm)“I’m gon na be er.
like I (F)you, Dad.
You (Ab)know I’m gon na (Cm)be like (F)you.”
And the cat’s in the cra dle and the (Eb)sil ver spoon, (Ab)lit tle boy blue and the man in the moon.
(F)“When you com ing home, Dad?” “I (Eb)don’t know when, but (Ab)we’ll get to (Cm)geth er then.
You (Ab)know we’ll have a (Cm)good time (F)then.”
Well, My son turned ten lege just the (Ab)oth er day.
He (Bb)“Thanks for the ball, Dad.
Come (F)on, su let’s play.
but Can you teach me throw?” can said, (Ab)“Not to day.
I He lot to do.” He said, (F)“That’s o kay.” And And he, (Eb)real he walked a (Eb)way but his (Cm)smile nev er (Eb)car It said, (Cm)“I’m gon na be er.
like I (F)him, yeah.
You (Ab)know I’m gon na (Cm)be like (F)him.”
And the cat’s in the cra dle and the (Eb)sil ver spoon, (Ab)lit tle boy blue and the man in the moon.
(F)“When you com ing home, Dad?” “I (Eb)don’t know when, but (Ab)we’ll get to (Cm)geth er then.
You (Ab)know we’ll have a (Cm)good time (F)then.”
Well, he
I’ve long since re tired, my (Ab)son’s moved a way.
I called him up just the (F)oth er day.
I said, “I’d like to see you if (Ab)you don’t mind.” He said, “I’d (Bb)love to, Dad, if I can (F)find the time.
You see, my (Eb)new job’s a (Eb)has sle and the (Cm)kids have the flu, but it’s (Ab)sure nice (Cm)talk ing to (F)you, Dad.
It’s been (Ab)sure nice (Cm)talk ing to (F)you.”
And as I (Eb)hung up the (Eb)phone, it oc (Cm)cured to me, he’d (Ab)grown up (Cm)just like (F)me;
my (Ab)boy was (Cm)just like (F)me.
And the cat’s in the cra dle and the (Eb)sil ver spoon, (Ab)lit tle boy blue and the man in the moon.
(F)“When you com ing home, son?” “I (Eb)don’t know when, but (Ab)we’ll get to (Cm)geth er then, Dad.
You (Ab)know we’ll have a (Cm)good time (F)then.”
Cat's In The Cradle — Classic Piano Sheet Music
Read "Cat's In The Cradle" by Harry Chapin in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of Bb. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 160 BPM.
Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.
Try other practice modes:
About “Cat's In The Cradle”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Cat's In The Cradle"?
- Yes — the score is rendered server-side from the publisher MusicXML using Verovio (the same engine RISM and OpenScore use). Standard piano notation, treble + bass staves, real chord symbols, key signature Bb. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "Cat's In The Cradle" by Harry Chapin played in?
- Cat's In The Cradle is arranged in the key of Bb on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Cat's In The Cradle"?
- The arrangement plays at 160 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Cat's In The Cradle" easy to play on piano?
- Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
- Can I download sheet music for "Cat's In The Cradle"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Cat's In The Cradle"?
- "Cat's In The Cradle" was originally performed by Harry Chapin. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What other songs by Harry Chapin can I play here?
- Try "CAT'S IN THE CRADLE", "Cat's In The Cradle". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is this the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
- Yes — "Cat's In The Cradle" is rendered at engraver quality (the Verovio engine, the same toolkit RISM and OpenScore editions use) from the original publisher MusicXML. You get standard piano notation: treble + bass clefs, key signature Bb, time signature, beams, dynamics — everything a printed sheet music book would have. Great for piano students learning to read music properly.
- What's the difference between Sheet Music and the other modes here?
- Sheet Music is the "classic" view — the one your piano teacher uses. Other modes (Beginner, Fall Down, Simple Sheet, Lead Sheet) trade real notation for color-coded notes and falling shapes to help absolute beginners. Use Sheet Music once you're ready to read both hands at once from real notation.
- Can I practice from this view at my own pace?
- Yes — slow the tempo from 160 BPM down (or up) without changing the pitch. The score scrolls in time and the currently playing note is highlighted, so you can drill a tough bar at half speed and bump it up once it feels comfortable.
- Why can I click a note in the score?
- Every notehead is interactive. Click and the audio jumps to that moment so you can drill a specific phrase or bar instead of replaying from the top. The currently playing note is highlighted as the music advances so your eye never loses its place.
- Can I download the sheet music as a PDF?
- Yes — Sheet Music PDF is one of the download formats for this song. The engraved score prints page-perfect on A4 / Letter so you can practice from paper as well as on screen.
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