4 Non Blondes had a huge hit single in 1993 with "What's Up". A year later, DJ Miko remixed the track as a dance song, and it became a hit again, on radio and in clubs. The original version of the song overshadowed the groups' other work, with them being labeled as a 'one hit wonder', but they scored significant underground success, particularly with listeners drawn to their feminist political themes.
In 1995, 4 Non Blondes contributed the song "Misty Mountain Hop" to the Encomium tribute album to Led Zeppelin. The group also covered Van Halen's "I'm The One" for the popular slacker comedy 'Airheads'. Linda Perry went solo in 1996, and the band disbanded after recording, but not releasing, their second album.
No Place Like Home
4 Non Blondes Lyrics
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I get dressed when I get lost
I don't know which way to go
I guess I'll have a cup of Joe
Where the hell was I anyways
So I end up on the street
Walkin' talkin' to my own beat
In a fog, in a haze
Can you help me find my way home
1-2-3
Don't rock the boat now, just let it slide
Groovy people walking back and forth, that's right
So I hop onto this bus
Destination reads please save us
Not a soul that know
To be found in this dark hole
Can you help me find my way home
Can you help me find my way home
I'm so tired of looking for the door
Please help me find my way
Please help me find my way
I can't find the door
Where I am now, where I am now
I find myself just out there floating
The opening lines of 4 Non Blondes' track "No Place Like Home" narrate an experience of disorientation and a sense of being lost. The singer wakes up in her/his house and upon getting dressed, finds her/himself unsure of which direction to take. The confusion builds up, leading the singer to hop onto a bus, hoping to find assistance in locating the way back home. As the song progresses, the singer reports being lost in a "dark hole", where nobody is present to provide help or direction. The mood and the instrumentation of the track shifts from being contemplative and reflective to becoming aggressive and insistent.
"No Place Like Home" speaks to how loneliness, disorientation, and homelessness can be interrelated. The confusion in the lyrics can interpret a lack of direction, hopelessness, and isolation that can emerge from being lost. The chorus of the song appeals to a savior or a helping hand to guide the singer back home, both metaphorically and physically.
Line by Line Meaning
When I wake up in my house
The singer feels lost and confused even in a familiar place like her own home.
I get dressed when I get lost
Getting dressed becomes a way to distract herself from feeling lost and directionless.
I don't know which way to go
She is unsure of what direction to take in her life and feels lost without a clear path.
I guess I'll have a cup of Joe
Drinking coffee becomes a small comfort in her confusion and uncertainty.
Where the hell was I anyways
The singer has lost her sense of location and purpose.
So I end up on the street
She becomes disconnected from her surroundings and finds herself wandering aimlessly outside.
Walkin' talkin' to my own beat
She feels like an outsider and can only rely on herself for guidance.
In a fog, in a haze
The confusion and disorientation she feels is overwhelming and consuming.
I've been trippin' out for days
This feeling of being lost and without purpose has been going on for a while.
Can you help me find my way home
The singer is desperately seeking guidance and direction from someone else.
1-2-3
A call to action, signaling the urgency of her situation.
Don't rock the boat now, just let it slide
She is asking for stability and support to help her find her way back home.
Groovy people walking back and forth, that's right
The people around her seem to be confident and sure of themselves, which only emphasizes her own feelings of confusion and disorientation.
So I hop onto this bus
She takes a chance on something that might help her find her way.
Destination reads please save us
The destination of the bus represents a chance for salvation or rescue from her situation.
Not a soul that know
Nobody else seems to be aware or concerned about her struggle.
To be found in this dark hole
The place she finds herself in feels like a dark pit with no way out.
I'm so tired of looking for the door
The singer is exhausted from trying to find her way out of her current state of mind.
Please help me find my way
An urgent plea for guidance and support from someone else.
I can't find the door
She feels stuck in her current situation with no clear escape.
Where I am now, where I am now
An emphasis on her current sense of confusion and disorientation.
I find myself just out there floating
She feels adrift and without purpose, like she's just floating through life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRISTA HILLHOUSE, LINDA PERRY, SHAUNNA HALL, WANDA DAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind