While ARS would never reach the commercial success of Lynyrd Skynyrd or the Marshall Tucker Band, the group had a strong following in the south and charted a number of hits such as "Imaginary Lover," "I'm Not Going to Let it Bother Me Tonight," "Champagne Jam," "So Into You," and a remake of a Classics IV hit, "Spooky."
The band also influenced a number of rock and country artists, notably Travis Tritt, who recorded a cover of the ARS songs, "Back Up Against the Wall" and "Homesick." The group Shudder to Think covered "So Into You."
Homesick
Atlanta Rhythm Section Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Scream so blue sound so right
Make you homesick
Listen close to the guitar man
A native son in a foreign land
The boy is homesick
Homesick four days gone by
Smokin' dope and drinkin' wine
Just a outlaw
Distant drums beat an old refrain
Shakes the feet pounds the brain
Like a buzzsaw
In the darkness down the hall
Blacklight posters on the wall
Jimi Hendrix
Someone's lost in yesterday
Hazy dreams of Monterey
And Woodstock
Homesick
Four days gone by
To kiss the sky
Guitars ring through the dead of night
Sing so blue sound so right
Makes you homesick
Listen close to the guitar man
A native son in a foreign land
The boy is homesick
The Atlanta Rhythm Section's song "Homesick" is a tribute to the nostalgia that can come from listening to music. The lyrics focus on the power of the guitar to transport the listener back to a time and place that they consider home. The opening lines, "Guitars ring through the dead of night, scream so blue sound so right, make you homesick," set the tone for the song. The guitar is likened to a siren's call that pulls the listener in and makes them yearn for what they've left behind.
The second verse of the song introduces the listener to the idea that the nostalgia and longing that music can evoke is not just a modern phenomenon. The line "Where were you in '69, smokin' dope and drinkin' wine, just an outlaw," is a direct reference to the counterculture movement of the 1960s. The mention of "distant drums" and "an old refrain" that "shakes the feet and pounds the brain" further cements the idea that music is a timeless force that can unite generations.
Throughout the song's chorus, the main character's homesickness is emphasized. They want to "kiss the sky" and feel like a part of something greater than themselves. The last lines of the song, "Listen close to the guitar man, a native son in a foreign land, the boy is homesick," bring the song full circle. The power of the guitar to transport the listener is tied to the sense of displacement that being in a new and unfamiliar place can create.
Line by Line Meaning
Guitars ring through the dead of night
The sound of guitars echoes in the silent night
Scream so blue sound so right
The music is so intense that it feels like it's screaming with a blue hue, which matches the mood of the song
Make you homesick
The nostalgic and heartfelt music can make you yearn for your home
Listen close to the guitar man
Pay close attention to the musician playing the guitar
A native son in a foreign land
Someone who belongs to a certain place but is currently in a different, uncharted territory
The boy is homesick
The person is feeling homesick and longs for a place they used to know
Homesick four days gone by
The person has been longing for home for four days now
Where were you in '69
A question asking the listener where they were in 1969
Smokin' dope and drinkin' wine
A representation of the hippie culture and lifestyle during the 1960s
Just a outlaw
A description of the persona's free-spirited nature that goes against traditional rules and conventions
Distant drums beat an old refrain
The sound of distant drums reminds the person of an old melody
Shakes the feet pounds the brain
The music is intense and makes the person feel it on every level, both physically and emotionally
Like a buzzsaw
The strong sound of the drums is like a buzzsaw that cuts through everything else in terms of intensity
In the darkness down the hall
A description of the setting of the situation
Blacklight posters on the wall
A representation of the hippie aesthetics, which is reflected in the persona's environment
Jimi Hendrix
A reference to the famous musician Jimi Hendrix, who is often associated with the hippie culture of the 1960s
Someone's lost in yesterday
A person who is consumed by the past and finds it hard to move on
Hazy dreams of Monterey
A nostalgic memory of the Monterey Pop Festival, which was a prominent event during the summer of '67
And Woodstock
A reference to the famous Woodstock Festival of 1969
To kiss the sky
A reference to the Jimi Hendrix song 'Purple Haze,' where he sings about 'kissing the sky' while on drugs
Sing so blue sound so right
The music is sad but it feels perfect for the moment
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: George E Smith, Taylor Barton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gwynnielsen5081
This band had a lot of hits. They are all coming back to me now. Awesome!
@TheMeristem
The more I hear the new stuff the more I like the old stuff!
@johndavid8815
I saw them last in Talladega Alabama in 2010 at the historic Ritz theatre. They still jam hard.
@jimhall8979
Still one the most talented and under appreciated Southern Rock bands in music history. Got to see these dudes around Atlanta back in the 70's and 80's, and at Champagne Jam. RIP boys.
@benjaminlewis25
This is one of the best songs I have ever heard. Just learned of them from one of my buddies dads, and I must say, very impressed. This song is catchy. Phenominal Musicians.
@hughwright1860
What a song!
S Rock legend imo.
If your listening to this in 2022 you are a legend.
@brianab31
NICE!!! Speaking of "homesick", my bro and I were driving back down from Chicago a few months back. And when we were in Tennessee we picked up a N. GA station playing an entire ARS album. We teared up a little and were thankful we were just about home to ATL. Even now, ARS welcomes you home! LOVE 'EM!!!
@sylviaross5486
Briana B Must be nice. Birmingham used to have two great album rock stations in the 70's & early 80's. Now they're crappy. Hell, even my hometown of Albertville had an album rock station in the 70's. Now it's a damn country station. I'm definitely homesick for those days. I now stream The Goat WXYG in St. Cloud/ Sauk Rapids, MN & Classic Deep Cuts: two great stations!!!
@twylat212012
Still sounds so good today, right now, on the last day of 2020.
@robgeorgia8801
Champagne Jam 1979
I was 16. My first rock concert. There were 60,000 people there and the show was 12 hours with six bands including Aerosmith and Mothers Finest.
I never thought of the Atlanta Rhythm Section as being underrated.
Mother's Finest was most definitely underrated.