I Was Young When I Left Home
Antony with Bryce Dessner Lyrics
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And I been a-rambling 'round.
And I never wrote a letter to my home.
To my home, lord to my home.
And I never wrote a letter to my home.
It was just the other day,
I was bringing home my pay,
Said your mother's dead and gone,
Baby sister's all gone wrong,
And your daddy needs you home right away.
Not a shirt on my back,
Not a penny on my name.
But I can't go home thisaway.
Thisaway, lord lord lord.
And I can't go home thisaway.
If you miss the train I'm on,
Count the days I'm gone.
You will hear that whistle blow a hundred miles.
Hundred miles honey baby, lord lord lord,
And you'll hear that whistle blow a hundred miles.
I'm playing on a track,
Ma would come and whoop me back
On them trussels down by old Jim McKay's.
When I pay the debt I owe to the commissary store,
I will pawn my watch and chain and go home.
Go home, lord lord lord.
I will pawn my watch and chain and go home.
Used to tell ma sometimes
When I see them riding blind,
Gonna make me a home out in the wind.
In the wind, lord in the wind.
Make me a home out in the wind.
I don't like it in the wind,
I'm a-go back home again,
But I can't go home thisaway.
Thisaway, lord lord lord,
And I can't go home thisaway.
I was young when I left home,
And I been all rambling 'round.
And I never wrote a letter to my home.
To my home, lord lord lord.
And I never wrote a letter to my home.
Antony, "I Was Young When I Left Home" is a hauntingly beautiful song by Bryce Dessner that captures the melancholic feelings of a person who has been wandering around for a long time but has never been able to go back home. The song talks about how the singer left home when he was young and never wrote a letter to his family, only to find out much later that his mother had died, his sister had ruined her life, and his father needed him back home. However, the singer has nothing, not even a shirt on his back, or a penny to his name, to be able to make the journey back home.
In the later parts of the song, the singer reminisces about the past and the memories of his childhood, like playing on the train tracks and making a home out in the wind. The song ends on a sad note, with the singer still far away from home, reflecting on his journey and the fact that he never wrote a letter to his family.
The song is infused with a sense of nostalgia and melancholy, and Dessner's haunting melody and trembling vocals drown the listener in a sea of emotions. It is a brilliantly written song that perfectly captures the feeling of longing for home.
Line by Line Meaning
I was young when I left home
At a young age, I decided to leave my home and go explore the world
And I been a-rambling 'round.
Ever since I left, I've been traveling from place to place, never settling down
And I never wrote a letter to my home.
Throughout my travels, I never once found the time to write a letter back to my family
To my home, lord to my home.
To the place where I was raised and where my family still resides
It was just the other day,
Recently, while going about my normal routine
I was bringing home my pay,
After earning money from some work I did
When I met an old friend I used to know.
I ran into an acquaintance from my past
Said your mother's dead and gone,
They informed me that my mother had passed away
Baby sister's all gone wrong,
My younger sister has gone down the wrong path
And your daddy needs you home right away.
My father is in need of my immediate return home
Not a shirt on my back,
I have no belongings to my name
Not a penny on my name.
I don't have any money to my name
But I can't go home thisaway.
Despite the urgency of the situation, I can't go back without a plan in place
Thisaway, lord lord lord.
I can't return home in my current state
If you miss the train I'm on,
If you don't catch the same train as me
Count the days I'm gone.
Expect me to be away for some time
You will hear that whistle blow a hundred miles.
You'll be reminded of my absence when you hear the sound of the train whistle from miles away
Hundred miles honey baby, lord lord lord,
The sound of that whistle will carry far and wide, signaling my prolonged absence
And you'll hear that whistle blow a hundred miles.
The sound of the train whistle will be a constant reminder of how far away I am
I'm playing on a track,
I'm currently in the midst of traveling by train
Ma would come and whoop me back
As a child, my mom would discipline me for playing on the train tracks
On them trussels down by old Jim McKay's.
Specifically, she would scold me for playing on the tracks near Jim McKay's bridge
When I pay the debt I owe to the commissary store,
Once I have paid off my debts to the store where I owe money
I will pawn my watch and chain and go home.
I'll sell my valuable watch and chain to make enough money to return home
Go home, lord lord lord.
I long to return to my childhood home with my loved ones
Used to tell ma sometimes
In the past, I would sometimes mention to my mom
When I see them riding blind,
If I ever witnessed someone blindly riding the rails
Gonna make me a home out in the wind.
I would consider embracing the transient lifestyle and living on the rails
In the wind, lord in the wind.
Living with freedom and independence as the wind blows me from place to place
I don't like it in the wind,
Despite the appeal of the transient lifestyle, it's become too much for me
I'm a-go back home again,
Having realized that the freedom of rambling isn't enough, I want to return to my roots
But I can't go home thisaway.
Unfortunately, it's not as simple as just heading back home
Thisaway, lord lord lord,
I need to come up with a plan to make it back home
And I can't go home thisaway.
I won't be able to go back to my family without some money and a proper plan in place
And I never wrote a letter to my home.
Throughout my travels, I never found the time or motivation to write home to my family, leaving them in the dark about my whereabouts and well-being
Contributed by Julia B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.