If I want to make myself sad, I can just listen to the 1974 song “Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin.
For years, I didn’t pay much attention to the lyrics, but now I know them by heart. It’s about a father and son who reverse roles at different life stages.
At the beginning of the song, the son — a small boy — craves attention, and the dad— who travels for work — is too busy to give him much. Then, as the dad grows older and wants companionship, the boy is a grown man with a family and career of his own and little time to spend with his father.
Boomers can relate to these lyrics.
“When you coming home, Son?