Sometimes I wonder, why?d I ever leave home?
Sometimes I wonder, why?d I ever leave home?
I had a few dollars in my pocket
Oh, now that little change is gone

I didn't think a city boy could be so dog-gone mean
I didn't think a city boy could be so dog-gone mean
Boy, but this is the meanest place
Lord, I've ever seen

I used to have a job, doing spot labor every day
I used to have a job, doing spot labor every day
But when I got to work this morning
Lord, they packed up and moved away

I called my boss, I want to know, can I come back home?
Yes, I called my boss, I want to know can I come back home?
He said, now you know, I'm sorry, son
Boy, you been gone too long

Mm, hm, when in the world have I loved you
Mm, hm, when in the world have I wanted you
I guess it?s just all wrapped up in a nutshell now
Oh, it look like old poor son is used

Overall Meaning

In Son Seals's blues song "Going Back Home," the singer expresses his yearning to return to his hometown after experiencing the harsh reality of city life. He wonders why he ever left home when all he had was a few dollars in his pocket, which has now dissipated. The city, filled with mean people, is certainly not as pleasant as his rural roots. The singer expresses his surprise at the cruelty of city life, even from people who he had expected more from, who were just not like the kind-hearted people he was used to back home.

The singer had a spot labor job that he used to do every day, allowing him to earn a living, but when he arrived at work one morning, he was shocked to find out that his employers had moved away, leaving him without a job. This only further motivates his desire to return home. The singer tries calling his boss to inquire about job openings so he can return home but is met with disappointment because he has been away for too long.

Overall, the lyrics of the song express the sentimentality of home and how nothing compares to being surrounded by kind people that you are used to. The singer's longing for their hometown is born out of their traumatic experiences, emphasizing how exhausting city life can be.

Line by Line Meaning

Sometimes I wonder, why?d I ever leave home?
Occasionally, I question the rationale behind leaving my hometown.

I had a few dollars in my pocket Oh, now that little change is gone
Initially, I had some money at my disposal, but now, that meager sum has dissipated.

I didn't think a city boy could be so dog-gone mean Boy, but this is the meanest place Lord, I've ever seen
I held the perception that individuals from urban areas couldn't be so cruel, yet, this specific location is the harshest I've ever encountered.

I used to have a job, doing spot labor every day But when I got to work this morning Lord, they packed up and moved away
I had a regular occupation doing manual labor, but one morning when I arrived, the business had relocated.

Yes, I called my boss, I want to know can I come back home? He said, now you know, I'm sorry, son Boy, you been gone too long
I reached out to my employer inquiring if I could return to my prior job, but he stated that I had been absent for an extensive period of time.

Mm, hm, when in the world have I loved you Mm, hm, when in the world have I wanted you I guess it?s just all wrapped up in a nutshell now Oh, it look like old poor son is used
I ponder when I had feelings of affection or desire for you; now it seems that my position is desolate and hopeless.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Exceleration Music Partners, LLC
Written by: FRANK SEALS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

BroncoBrody

4y↑2

You did a beautiful job putting this together. Son would have been proud.

Joe Stephan

4y↑4

Back when I had my Blues radio show I played his music all the time, like the night I started off with eight-straight, hard jamming, high-energy songs of his from various live CDs. When that set ended I turned on the microphone and shouted, "Somebody call a fire truck! I got flames coming out of both turntables!!!

cryptonator1988

Thats awesome you were like the wag man then and sonny boy williamson 2.. lucky thats not A job when you love what you do good for you.. you interview or have any legends come on your show?

Joe Stephan

@cryptonator1988
Hi Nick, thank you for your kind comments. It was a lot of work but we also had some fun. Each week I did a segment called the "Blues Is Truth, Hard Living Adult Set". The songs were all about people doing the bad & wrong stuff of life, like "I'd rather be sloppy drunk", etc. After I would remind the listeners "the people we feature here every week are highly trained & skilled professional so please don't try this at home!" Because people only seemed to know the six or eight Muddy Waters songs played on the air, and I had 40 CDs worth -- including some rare & marvelous numbers they would have never heard like "The Men Call Me Muddy, But The Women Call Me Electric Man" -- I always started the second set with the Muddy Waters Song of the Week. I each week told the listeners that Muddy Waters was one of the basic brain food groups they should have every day.
The one I had in the studio with me I won't ever forget is Eric Bibb. When I had his debut CD show up in the mail I liked it so much I called the record label. The woman in charge of his working with them suddenly realized he was going to be coming down the highway at the same time I was on the air. I gave him directions and put someone on the door for when he showed up. Since I was on the AM side of the set-up and another guy was doing Blues on the FM side at the same time. I got ahold of the engineer who came in, threw some switches & levers, and for the next hour we simulcast. It was an amazing experience! Eric was just starting out then and he is now critically acclaimed around the world. I also did some tape interviews I used on the air with people like Kim Wilson, leader of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, who was from that town & got his start there. I also got in about that time Maria Muldaur's marvelous work of a lifetime "Meet Me Where They Play The Blues". I played something from it every week. When she was the headliner at a big open air concert that spring I got to meet & visit with her back stage. Between songs while performing she singled me out from the stage. She thanked me for playing her CD and did my favorite song from it dedicated to me. She called me "My Main Man". Forget day, that will make your whole life! Thanks, Nick, for bringing back some great memories.😎