Can anyone out there tell me how, "Cat's in the cradle...." is played?

Question

Was listening to this song by "Guns 'n' Roses and couldn't make out meaning in part of the lyrics where it talks about cat's in the cradle and a silver spoon. I read somewhere that: "Cat's in the cradle......." is a game played (often by children) in England. No details about the game were written in the material I laid hands on. Could anyone explain how the game is played and maybe tie down the explanation to the lyrics of the song so as to make sense?

Answer 1

Now you're asking. I used to play this as a child. It's also know as Cat's Cradle for short.

It involves hooking a continuous piece of string (about two foot long) over your thumbs and little fingers then manipulating the string to make structures. One particular structure being the cat's cradle. There are lots of structures you can make, each with esoteric names. Some you can do on your own but the best ones require two people, each picking up the string off the other's hands in turn to make the next stage. I couldn't possible describe all the moves here even if I could remember them.

Take a look at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat%27s_cradle
for a better idea.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Thats from a Harry Chapin song, too

Cats in a Cradle with a silver spoon
little boy blue and the man in the moon
when you coming home dad, I don't know when
but we'll be together then

Answer 3

Hello? Lol this song has been covered by so many bands!
Guns 'N Roses DID record it, it's on their album 'The Spaghetti Incident?' (on which every track is a cover)
Skid Row recorded it too.
Though I've never been able to work out who sang the original. Haha.
And as far as I can tell the lyrics are about a father-son relationship, not a children's game. :P

Answer 4

tie down answers it ,
it`s a game played with a large loop of string .
about 6' with the ends tied
the string is woven round the fingers of each hand,
passed to other people till the cradle(like a small hamock.)
fits on 1 hand.

Answer 5

Cat's cradle is a game you play with a piece of string . . .

http://www.ifyoulovetoread.com/book/chten_cats1105.htm

No idea how it relates to the song, other than just the fact that it's a child's game.

Answer 6

LOL

"Cats in the Cradle" is a song by Harry Chapin.

"Cats Cradle" is a childrens game. They are not related.

Answer 7

lol tie down is correct.
cats in the cradle was actually invented in asia (around the time pakistan was breaking from india) it includes a thread and two people and eventually they both have to mauover their fingers in way such that they make beutiful shapes with
the thread it is very simple once you learn to do so and it can advance along way
enjoy!

Answer 8

Guns n roses?? or skid row? Skid Row had a hit of that song around 1990...and it was a remake

I don't know anything about the game sorry.

Answer 9

i don't know the game but Harry Chapin sang that song a long time back (at least thirty years) and it was about a man that never had time for his children because he was too busy chasing the American Dream....then his son grows up to be just like him and never has time for his father...kind of a sad documentary of the times

Answer 10

cats cradle is a game i played when i was young,someone holds string between fore fingers and thumbs, then another person hooks theit fingers under it so it transfers to their hand, and so on and it makes a kinda knot, like crochet? its difficult to explain, but thats about it.