<Table> <Tr> <Td> "WOLD" (1973) </Td> <Td> "Cat's in the Cradle" (1974) </Td> <Td> "I Wanna Learn a Love Song" (1974) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> "WOLD" (1973) </Td> <Td> "Cat's in the Cradle" (1974) </Td> <Td> "I Wanna Learn a Love Song" (1974) </Td> </Tr> <P> "Cat's in the Cradle" (spelled "Cats in the Cradle" in Ugly Kid Joe's version) is a 1974 folk rock song by Harry Chapin from the album Verities & Balderdash . The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1974 . As Chapin's only No. 1 hit song, it became the best known of his work and a staple for folk rock music . Chapin's recording of the song was nominated for the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011 . </P> <P> The song's lyrics began as a poem written by Harry's wife, Sandra "Sandy" Gaston; the poem itself was inspired by the awkward relationship between her first husband, James Cashmore, and his father, John, a politician who served as Brooklyn Borough President . She was also inspired by a country music song she had heard on the radio . Chapin also said the song was about his own relationship with his son, Josh, admitting, "Frankly, this song scares me to death ." </P>

Who did the original cats in the cradle