Saturday Night Live Transcripts
Season 29: Episode 1
Cat’s in the Cradle
Musician…..Jack Black
Male Audience Member…..Kenan Thompson
Female Audience Member 1…..Maya Rudolph
Burt Jawinski…..Kenan Thompson
Shelley Long…..Amy Poehler
[ open on exterior, The Wheel Bar & Grill ]
[ dissolve to interior, Musician onstage playing guitar for the crowd ]
“Ill never make the same mistakes
No, never; no, never, never
No, never; no, never, never, whoa
No, never; no, never, never
Doo-diddle-diddle-doo-diddle-doo!”
Musician: Thank you. Thank you very much. That was.. “The Wind”, by Yusef Islam. [ crowd boos ] Oh, hey, WHOA! Everybody! That’s not cool. Look – not all Muslims are terrorists, alright? You might know Yusef Islam by his old name – Cat Stevens!
Male Audience Member: Whoo-hoo, yeah!! Cat Stevens!!
Female Audience Member 1: Mmm! I LOVE Cat Stevens!!
Musician: Okay, thanks a lot, guys. Now, seriously – ladies and gentlemen, this is a special night for me, because there’s a man in the audience that, uh.. well, uh, he’s near and dear to my heart, and he’s never seen me play – ladies and gentlemen, my father, Burt Jawinsky.
Burt Jawinsky: [ stand, smiles ] Never heard of ’em! [ chuckles ]
[ the crowd applauds ]
Shelley Long: Oh, Burt, Bert! What about me! [ stands ] Aren’t you forgetting someone? Yoo-hoo!!
Musician: Oh. Hey, yeah – and his wife, my stepmom, Shelley Long.
Burt Jawinsky: She was on “Cheers”! She was on “Cheers”!
[ the crowd finally applauds lightly for her ]
Shelley Long: Hi! Hi, I was on “Cheers”! I was on “Cheers”! [ shakes the hands of a couple of members of the crowd ]
Musician: Alright, thanks. Thanks, Shelly.
Shelley Long: Yoo-hoo! I was on “Cheers”!
Musician: Thanks – wrap it up, Shelley.
[ Burt sits her down ]
Musician: Okay. Anyway – it means a lot to me that you’re here, Poppa, and, uh.. Dad? This song’s for you:[ singing ]”My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way –“
Burt Jawinsky: He was MADE in the usual way, too: on a FUTON!
[ two guys high-five Bert ]
Musician: [ still singing ]
“There were planes to catch, and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away –“
Burt Jawinsky: Well, I had to travel for work, you know? I was road manager for the Harlem Globetrotters.
[ awkward silence ]
Shelley Long: Burt, don’t take it so literally. It’s just a song.
Burt Jawinsky: Well, Diane, I —
Shelley Long: SHELLEY!! My name is Shelley!
Burt Jawinsky: Shelley. He’s making me sound like a deadbeat DAD, or something!
Musician: [ continues to sing ]
“And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon –“
Burt Jawinsky: Ohhh, boy! Here we go with the cat again! He had a cat named “Boots” —
Musician: [ furious ] Okay, you KILLED Boots!
Burt Jawinsky: We had him put to sleep.
Musician: Boots could have gotten better!
Burt Jawinsky: [ stands ] He had Lou Gehrig’s Disease!
Shelley Long: Burt, calm down, sweetie. [ to Musician ] Sing your song, sweetheart. I was on “Cheers.”
Musician: NO!! Enough is enough, Dad! You’ve done this ever since I was a little kid!
Burt Jawinsky: Done what?
Musician: You’ve EMBARRASSED me!!
Burt Jawinsky: Such as?
Musician: Okay. My 8th grade Halloween party. Yuo got drunk and threw up in a top hat!
Burt Jawinsky: I was dressed as Abraham DRINKIN’!
[ Burt, the crowd, and Shelley all laugh, as high-fives are passed around ]
Musician: Well, you know what? It wasn’t funny to me.. Dad! And what about my Senior play?
Burt Jawinsky: Awwww, come on —
Musician: NO!! You were LAUGHING so hard, they threw you out!!
Burt Jawinsky: It was funny.
Musician: We were doing “Diary of Anne Frank”!!
Burt Jawinsky: [ starts laughing, Shelley joins in ] Every time I THINK of it, I lose it!
Musician: Yeah? And what about my college graduation party?!
Burt Jawinsky: [ thinks back for a moment ] What.
Musician: You got DRUNK and threw up in a TOP HAT!!!
Burt Jawinsky: [ offended ] How.. DARE you!! I was.. DRUNK!! [ stands up and pounds his table ]
Musician: WHY??!!!
Burt Jawinsky: [ matter-of-factly ] Because I had problems. [ camera zooms in, as Shelley clutches Burt’s arm ] It wasn’t easy being a single father. Your mother left me.. I got caught taking money out of Meadowlark Lemon’s wallet.. tragically, I developed an allergy to cookies. All in the same year, so.. pardon mai.. if I went a little whacky. [ looks at Shelley ] Thank God I got paired up with this sweet lady on “$25,000 Pyramid”!
Shelley Long: [ smiles ] “Things You Find in a Drawer!”
[ they kiss ]
Musician: Dad!!!
Burt Jawinsky: All I know is.. when I look at you, I know I did all right. ‘Cause you’re a great son. [ looks at the crowd ] And so a lot of other people think the SAME thing!!
[ Shelley leads the crowd into a round of applause ]
Musician: Thanks. Thank you, Dad. That means a lot to me. You know what else would mean a lot? Come up here and sing a song with me!
Burt Jawinsky: [ embarrassed ] Aww, I don’t know..
Shelley Long: Come on, Burt, why not? Sing with your boy! “Cheers”!
[ the crowd cheers Burt on, as he stands and approaches the stage ]
Burt Jawinsky: I don’t know what we’re gonna sing, uh — I don’t know any songs.
Musician: Well, I know you know this one, Dad!
[ opening piano notes of the “Cheers” theme song begins ]
Musician: [ singing ] “Making your way in the world today, takes everything you’ve got.”
Burt Jawinsky: [ singing ] “Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot!”
Musician: [ singing ] “Wouldn’t you like to get away?”
Burt Jawinsky: [ singing ] Sometimes you want to go-o-o-o-o-o-o..”
Musician: [ singing ] “Where everybody knows your na-a-me!”
[ Shelley pops into the scene ]
All: [ singing ] “And you’re always glad you ca-ame!!”
[ Shelley returns to her seat ]
Together: [ singing ] “You want to be where everybody knows your name!”
Shelley Long: [ pokes her head in once more ] I was on that show!
[ Father and Son hug, as the scene fades ]
