Update 1/28/2015 - Wow, over a million views and over 4,000 likes! Wish to thank everyone for viewing this video, of course though, it's not the video as it is the song. Back in late 2008, YouTube began removing most of these "fan" videos for this song. My 14-year-old self wrote a very detailed letter to YouTube with details that I can't even recall anymore, but the point is, they allowed it to stay while others were deleted. So this one remained throughout the years. I am 21 now and only check on this channel once or twice a year. Over the years I've realized many comments talking about the description and that I didn't need to explain why I did what I did in the video, and they're right!
However seeing as the description has been here as long as the video itself, I'd feel funny deleting it. I do find it rather immature and silly myself, but that's because I was a fairly sheltered 14-year-old who didn't know how to deal with criticism so decided to defend myself.
At the end of the day, it's not about my video as it is the SONG and HARRY CHAPIN. It was one of my favorite songs while growing up and decided to display that the only way I knew how...making something for it.
Anywho, here is the OLD description that has remained on this video all these years. It details all my silly "metaphors" and clues, should you care. But really, just enjoy the song! Thank you guys for the support though for those who have left kind comments about my work. If you care to see where I moved to and what I began to do, my new channel is as follows: https://www.youtube.com/user/ScypaxPictures
====The Old, Silly, Over-explanatory, description====
"Clue 1: In most of the video, the pictures are shown zooming in...and then out...and then in again, etc. This was to show a metaphoric cradle rocking; the father thinking he is doing the right thing.
Clue 2: Many people have a problem with the video really showing a cat. However, it isn't all that literal:
The first time Harry says "...and the cats in the cradle...", it shows a cat in a cradle...but each time the line is said, the cat will change. This is to show how time is passing by and how things change. Then it shows a sliver spoon ("...and the silver spoon..."). But when this is repeated, the spoon will have a fork next to it, and then a knife. This is to show age and maturity in the boy. The very last spoon in the video is meant to look old...to show again the time that has passed by.
"...little boy blue..." With that line, it starts with a blue man, then to a blue room, then to a blue car, and then to a blue house...this is to show, again, age and ,maturity.
"...and the man on the moon...", with this line it starts with a toy man sitting on the moon, to a real photo of the moon, to a man landing on the moon, and then to what the future of the moon might look like. No it's not about the moon, it was trying to explain how the boy is, again, getting older, and learning more and more as he gets older.
"...when you coming home, son, I don't know when, but we'll have a good time then..." This also changes...from the shots of a park, to a shot of a baseball game (which ties into the song since the father bought the kid a baseball), and then to the city. This was to show the boy's interest and how he (again) gets older. The last time it is said, however, it shows the house with a slow zoom on it...and then it fades to a gate with a lock on it. The old locked gate is like time...you can't go backwards.
Clue 3: If you all noticed, the video often showed a clock, but this was by no means random...the first clock showed "10 O'clock" before it says "...my son turned ten just the other day..." this again was not only meant to match the words directly, but to show that time begins to fly by. The next clock shows that the boy is in his 20's since Harry says "...well he came from college just the other day..." and the next clock after that does not only match the words, but the numbers are also scattered showing it is too late for the father to make up.
Clue 4: At the start of this video, as well as at the end, it is clears that it starts out in space and zooms in on Earth. (Zooming out at the end). This was to show how small we are...but how meaningful something so small could be.
Clue 5: If you noticed, the pictures to beat ratio at the VERY end is slightly off...it is as if the pictures is ahead of the song. This is to show time catching up to present day.
Clue 6: When Harry says things like "Sliver spoon" and "Little boy blue and the man on the moon"...those are nursery rhymes. The video does give hints that follow them, but they aren't very clear.
UPDATE - 9-24-09
100,000 VIDEO VIEWS! Thank you so much everyone! :)
