Cat's in the Cradle: A 1974 Hit That Lived Its Lyrics
Harry Chapin's 1974 No. 1 single Cat's in the Cradle, inspired by his wife Sandy's poem about a distant father–son relationship, became synonymous with heartbreak as Rolling Stone later named it among the saddest songs; Chapin died in 1981, seven years after the song's release, giving its lyrics a painful real-life resonance as his children discuss his legacy.