LIterature...

Hmm, it has been a while, hasn't it? Life has to go on... well, at least that's what I think it is.

I'm doing 'Literature in ESL (English as 2nd Language) Classroom' this semester. Lots of poems this time around, but there are also song-poem. Yesterday (and the week b4), we looked upon this one song-poem, 'Cat's In The Cradle'. For some, the might remember it as one of Guns n Roses' song... yup, it is...

What struck me about this song is the lyrics itself. My lecturer, Mr. Grieg, had brought over the tape for this song (& it was sung by Harry Chapin, mind you... ;) ). I found out that the songwriter wrote this song as a reflection of his real experience & the kid that he referred to was his youngest son. True enuff, what goes around comes around... and that is what the lyrics is all about. Here's the lyrics... read the words & see for yourself... there's a hidden message in it... and that is what literature is all about.

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CAT'S IN THE CRADLE - GUNS 'N ROSES (O.A. HARRY CHAPIN)

A child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch,and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away,and he was
Talkin' 'fore I knew it,and as he grew, he said:
I'm gonna be like you, dad,
You know I'm gonna be like you

And the cat's in the cradle, and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home, Dad,
I don't know when
But we'll have a good time then
You know we'll have a good time then.

My son turned ten just the other day,he said
Thanks for the ball, dad,come on let's play
Can you teach me to throw,I said not today,
I got a lot to do,he said that's okay
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed, he said
I'm gonna be like him, yeah
You know I'm gonna be like him.

And the cat's in the cradle, and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home, Dad,
I don't know when
But we'll have a good time then
You know we'll have a good time then.

Well he came from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
Son I'm proud of you,can we sit for a while?
He shook his head, and said, with a smile
What I'd really like, dad,is to borrow the car keys
See ya later, can I have them please?

And the cat's in the cradle,and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home, son,
I don't know when
But we'll have a good time then, dad
You know we'll have a good time then.

I've long since retired,my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day.
I said, I'd like to see you,if you don't mind, he said
I'd love to, dad,if I could find the time.
You see my new job's a hassle and the kids got the flu
But it's been sure nice talkin' to you, yeah
Sure nice talkin' to you.
And as I hung up the phone it occured to me,
He'd grown up just like me, yeah.
My boy was just like me.

And the cat's in the cradle,and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home, son,
I don't know when
But we'll have a good time then, dad
You know we'll have a good time then.