Singer/Songwriter Colin Hay is the former front-man of the classic Australian band Men at Work. Since the group disbanded he has released several solo albums, including Man at Work, which featured re-recordings of classic Men at Work songs in an acoustic environment.
Hay has also been involved with the NBC TV series Scrubs, lending several songs to the sitcom, including "Waiting for My Real Life to Begin," "My Brilliant Feat" and "Beautiful World." He also starred as a troubadour in the first episode of season two, "My Overkill," performing his song "Overkill," which was also the basis for the episode's title.
Wayfaring Sons
Colin Hay Lyrics
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Even though you know the town
Someone always wants to fight
You end up lying on the ground
I dream of lying in the sun
In my ears hear the ocean roaring
Like all good wayfaring sons
I traveled home
Soaks me to my skin
I duck into this public house
Get shattered by the din
I sailed across the sea
My family and me
I never knew if I'd return
But in my memory I learned
So here we are once again
With my friends and the whiskey's flowing
And as the cold night air descends
I drift away
And my mind it wanders
Back to southern skies
I call myself a fool
I hope I wake a realize
twa hames are better than yin
Some people they get nane
Yes, round the world I've been
No two places are the same
I dream of lying in the sun
In my ears hear the ocean roaring
Like all good wayfaring sons
I traveled home with some more good stories
I build them up through time
They'll all become a pack of lies
When I'm beyond my prime
The song "Wayfaring Sons" by Colin Hay is a musical exploration of a man's wanderlust, his travels through different places and his yearning for home. The lyrics highlight the darker aspects of traveling such as the potential for violence and conflict with others, as well as the loneliness and longing for familiarity. The opening verses describe the dangers of going out at night, how the singer is wary of getting into fights with strangers. Despite this, Hay's character still clings to the idea of traveling, of escaping the mundane and seeking adventure.
The chorus repeats the idea of lying in the sun, hearing the ocean roar as a universal symbol of peace and tranquility. The yearning for comfort and familiarity is a common theme throughout the song as the singer reflects on his travels across the sea, the wealth of experiences he has had and the friends he has made along the way. But despite this, he recognizes that all good stories become exaggerated over time, as memories fade and details are lost. In the end, the fanciful tales he's accumulated become a pack of lies when he's past his prime.
Overall, "Wayfaring Sons" is a powerful testament to the restlessness that comes with being a traveler, the pull of the road and the desire for a place to call home.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't go out in the night
Don't walk the streets at night
Even though you know the town
Even though you know the place
Someone always wants to fight
There's always someone looking for trouble
You end up lying on the ground
You end up getting beaten up
I dream of lying in the sun
I dream of sunbathing
In my ears hear the ocean roaring
I can hear the sound of the ocean
Like all good wayfaring sons
Like all good travelers
I traveled home
I returned home
And the rain is pouring
And it's raining heavily
Soaks me to my skin
I'm completely drenched
I duck into this public house
I enter this bar
Get shattered by the din
Get overwhelmed by the noise
I sailed across the sea
I traveled across the ocean
My family and me
With my family
I never knew if I'd return
I was never sure if I'd come back
But in my memory I learned
But I learned from the experience
So here we are once again
So we're back here again
With my friends and the whiskey's flowing
With my friends and the alcohol flowing
And as the cold night air descends
As the cold night sets in
I drift away
I start daydreaming
And my mind it wanders
And my thoughts wander
Back to southern skies
Back to the skies down south
I call myself a fool
I admit to being foolish
I hope I wake and realize
I hope to wake up and understand
Twa hames are better than yin
Two homes are better than one
Some people they get nane
Some people don't get any
Yes, round the world I've been
Yes, I've traveled the world
No two places are the same
No two places are identical
I dream of lying in the sun
I dream of basking in the sun
In my ears hear the ocean roaring
I can hear the sound of the ocean
Like all good wayfaring sons
Like all good travelers
I traveled home with some more good stories
I came back with more stories to tell
I build them up through time
I embellish them over time
They'll all become a pack of lies
They'll eventually all become untrue
When I'm beyond my prime
When I'm older and less active
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: COLIN JAMES HAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind