Homeless Heart
Carole King Lyrics


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The lantern moon hung high and gold in the cold November sky
The locust sang a midnight song and starlight wind was a sigh
And you moved me with no hand like the moon moves the sea
What I wouldn't give for the love that used to be

The icy roofs below me now shelter all the souls within
But oh, nothing shelters me from the thought of what could have been
Why does laughter remembered always lead me to tears
I've got the life I want, but I don't have what I need

Homeless heart, why do you do this to yourself?
Homeless heart, you ought to leave the dust on the shelf
Homeless heart, there must be someone else in the dark
With a homeless, homeless, homeless heart

I ache in a place so deep, I can't hide, even in my sleep
Slow torture, if you walked in on me right now
I'd love you so hard you'd wonder how
You let me go, why did you let me go

The telephone, just sitting there brings your number to my mind
Another piece of yesterday that I should be leaving behind
Will I make it to the morning without hearing your voice
Or will I surrender to my?

Homeless heart, why do you do this to yourself?
Homeless heart, you ought to leave the dust on the shelf




Homeless heart, there must be someone else in the dark
With a homeless, homeless, homeless heart

Overall Meaning

The song "Homeless Heart" by Carole King is a touching and emotional ballad about the pain of losing love and feeling alone. The opening lines set a wistful and mournful tone, with the singer describing a cold November night and the image of a golden lantern moon hanging in the sky. The sound of the midnight song of the locusts and the starlight wind add to the overall feeling of sadness and longing. The second verse describes the singer's isolation, despite being surrounded by other people, as they think about the love they have lost. The chorus speaks directly to the titular "homeless heart" and asks why it is torturing itself with memories and regrets.


In the bridge, the singer reveals the depth of their pain, confessing that they cannot escape their emotions even in their dreams. They describe their love as "slow torture" and express a desire to be reunited with their lost love. The final verse brings the focus back to the present moment, as the singer struggles to resist the temptation to call their former partner. The song ends on a note of ambiguity, leaving it up to interpretation whether the singer will succumb to their feelings or try to move on.


Overall, "Homeless Heart" is a poignant and relatable song that captures the experience of heartache and loneliness.


Line by Line Meaning

The lantern moon hung high and gold in the cold November sky
The full moon shone brightly in the sky on a chilly November night.


The locust sang a midnight song and starlight wind was a sigh
The sound of singing locusts mixed with the gentle sound of the night wind.


And you moved me with no hand like the moon moves the sea
You had an effect on me without even touching me, like how the moon affects the tides.


What I wouldn't give for the love that used to be
I wish I could have the love we used to share once again.


The icy roofs below me now shelter all the souls within
The rooftops of the buildings below me provide warmth and protection for those inside.


But oh, nothing shelters me from the thought of what could have been
Despite the shelter around me, I can't stop thinking about what could have happened if things were different.


Why does laughter remembered always lead me to tears
Thinking about past happy times always makes me sad now.


I've got the life I want, but I don't have what I need
Despite having a good life, there's still something missing that I desperately need.


Homeless heart, why do you do this to yourself?
Why do I keep hurting myself by dwelling on the past?


Homeless heart, you ought to leave the dust on the shelf
I need to let go of past memories and move on.


Homeless heart, there must be someone else in the dark
Surely there's someone else out there who feels as lost and alone as I do.


With a homeless, homeless, homeless heart
Feeling like I have nowhere to belong or anyone to understand how I feel.


I ache in a place so deep, I can't hide, even in my sleep
The pain I feel is so intense that I can't even escape it in my dreams.


Slow torture, if you walked in on me right now
If you were to come see me right now, it would be slow and painful for me.


I'd love you so hard you'd wonder how
If you came back to me, I would love you with all my heart and soul.


You let me go, why did you let me go
Why did you choose to walk away from me and let me go through this pain alone?


The telephone, just sitting there brings your number to my mind
Seeing the phone brings memories of you flooding back, and I wish I could call you.


Another piece of yesterday that I should be leaving behind
I need to let go of the memories of you and move on to the present.


Will I make it to the morning without hearing your voice
Can I make it through the night without hearing your voice or feeling your presence?


Or will I surrender to my?
Or will I give in to the pain and memories and let them consume me?




Lyrics © FRANAM PUB ADMINISTRATION

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