As a teenager, Barker was known to sing heavy metal and soul covers at high-school assemblies. She first entered the British music scene via the Cambridge Folk Festival in 2002, where she appeared with Rob Jackson, Boo Hewerdine’s guitarist. The success of this performance led them to form a band called the-low-country, in which Barker was the songwriter and front person. They released two albums (the first being in 2003), played numerous alt-country venues and festivals, and enjoyed several plays on John Peel’s show.
2005 saw the birth of Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo, consisting of Barker and the all-female trio of Anna Jenkins, Jo Silverston and Gill Sandell who collectively provide backing harmony vocals and who respectively play violin, cello and musical saw, and accordion, piano and flute.
The band’s second studio album, Despite The Snow, was recorded in live sessions in a 16th century barn in Norfolk. Self-released in November 2008 on Emily’s own label Everyone Sang, the album again garnered much praise.
February 2011 saw the release of Almanac. Dear River followed in 2013.
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Emily Barker Lyrics
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Me I'm killing time till I find something to make me follow through
On the decisions and revisions of a life lived in the margins
Like notations of a plan I'm working on
Homeward bound, you won't be homeward bound anymore
Bound for home, I should be bound for home but I'm not sure
You always sound so sure when you recall how it used to be
All the things you left behind, the perfect pictures in your mind
Now you no longer get to see if they're still true
Homeward bound, you won't be homeward bound anymore
Bound for home, I should be bound for home but I'm not sure
If I dig deep down through the cold, cold ground
I would find myself back in my hometown
Singing farewell songs as the sun goes down
And reckon all the wrongs back into rhyme
Lessons gifted to us all by vanished time
Homeward bound, though you're not homeward bound anymore
Bound for home, I am bound for home I'm pretty sure
Bound for home, turning bound for home to make amends
Bound for home, we're all bound for home in the end
The lyrics to Emily Barker's "Bound for Home" speak to the feeling of restlessness and uncertainty that many people experience in their lives. The singer is struggling with decisions and revisions of their life, feeling as though they are living in the margins. The first stanza of the song sets the stage for this internal struggle as the singer is told that time is killing them but they are trying to kill time until they find their path. The idea of notations in a plan suggests that the singer is still trying to figure out what their life should look like.
The second stanza of the song shifts to the idea of memories and how unreliable they can be. The singer is arguing with someone who remembers things differently, feeling as though they are left behind with the perfect pictures in their mind. The chorus repeats the idea that the singer should be bound for home but they are not sure where that leaves them. In the final stanza, the singer grapples with the past and the idea that they could find themselves back in their hometown if they dug deep enough. The repetition of "bound for home" takes on a new meaning here as the singer finally seems to come to terms with their purpose and direction in life.
Overall, "Bound for Home" is a melancholic yet hopeful song that explores universal themes of longing, memory, and the search for meaning in life. Through the use of powerful lyrics and emotive music, Emily Barker tells a story that resonates with many listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone told me lately time is killing you
Recently, someone mentioned that time seems to be causing you harm
Me I'm killing time till I find something to make me follow through
I am currently passing the time aimlessly, waiting for some inspiration to motivate and drive me forward
On the decisions and revisions of a life lived in the margins
My life seems to have taken shape on the periphery, with many revisions along the way that have led me to where I am now
Like notations of a plan I'm working on
My life feels like a work in progress, with notes and ideas outlining a plan for what I hope to achieve
Homeward bound, you won't be homeward bound anymore
Once on a journey back home, now it seems that you will not be returning there
Bound for home, I should be bound for home but I'm not sure
I feel like I should be heading home, but at the present moment, I am uncertain
Where does that leave me? Arguing with unreliable memories
This uncertainty has left me in a place where I am constantly questioning and arguing with my own memories, which seem to be fallible and inconsistent
You always sound so sure when you recall how it used to be
Conversely, other people seem to remember the past with more clarity and certainty than I can
All the things you left behind, the perfect pictures in your mind
Others reminisce about the things they've left behind, holding onto idealized memories
Now you no longer get to see if they're still true
But in the present, they have no way of knowing whether those memories still hold true
If I dig deep down through the cold, cold ground
Perhaps if I search deep, down inside of myself
I would find myself back in my hometown
I could reconnect with the feeling of being back home where I grew up
Singing farewell songs as the sun goes down
Maybe I would be singing songs of endings as the day draws to a close
And reckon all the wrongs back into rhyme
And acknowledging all the mistakes of the past, and trying to fit them together in some sort of coherent way
Lessons gifted to us all by vanished time
All the experiences and lessons we've learned along the way that come gift-wrapped within the passage of time
Homeward bound, though you're not homeward bound anymore
Even though your journey home has come to an end
Bound for home, I am bound for home I'm pretty sure
I have a feeling I am headed in the direction of home, though nothing is certain
Bound for home, turning bound for home to make amends
As I make my way back towards home, I am hoping to make things right with those I have wronged along the way
Bound for home, we're all bound for home in the end
Ultimately, we are all headed towards home, in whatever form that may take
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: EMILY BARKER, FRANK TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carl Greene
I love this song and the lady singing it!