Homeward Bound
Garfunkel Lyrics


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I'm sittin' in the railway station
Got a ticket to my destination
On a tour of one-night stands
My suitcase and guitar in hand
And every stop is neatly planned
For a poet and a one-man band

Homeward bound
I wish I was
Homeward bound
Home where my thought's escapin'
Home where my music's playin'
Home where my love lies waitin'
Silently for me

Every day's an endless stream
Of cigarettes and magazines
And each town looks the same to me
The movies and the factories
And every stranger's face I see
Reminds me that I long to be

Homeward bound
I wish I was
Homeward bound
Home where my thought's escapin'
Home where my music's playin'
Home where my love lies waitin'
Silently for me

Tonight I'll sing my songs again
I'll play the game and pretend
But all my words come back to me
In shades of mediocrity
Like emptiness in harmony
I need someone to comfort me

Homeward bound
I wish I was
Homeward bound
Home where my thought's escapin'
Home where my music's playin'
Home where my love lies waitin'




Silently for me
Silently for me

Overall Meaning

In “Homeward Bound,” Simon & Garfunkel lyricize a young musician's longing for home. The musician in question appears to be a wandering minstrel of sorts. He rides the railway from town to town, surviving on little more than his wit, his skill with a guitar, and his memories of home. Constantly on the move, his life is a weary loop of sleazy roadside motels, anonymous faces, and towns that all look the same. Nevertheless, the life of a traveling musician remains all that he knows, even as he longs for the embrace of home.


Simplicity, monotony, and the desire for a meaningful connection are the central themes of “Homeward Bound”. The singer's life is fairly one-dimensional despite his travels. He spends his time smoking, reading tabloids, and strumming his guitar outside empty bus depots. Despite the struggles he faces, real or imagined, what matters most to the singer is the thought of returning to a place where his love waits. The chorus is a reflection of his longing, and the song's final verse illustrates his struggle, “tonight I'll sing my songs again. I'll play the game and pretend, but all my words come back to me in shades of mediocrity.”


Line by Line Meaning

I'm sittin' in the railway station
I am currently at the train station


Got a ticket to my destination
I have a ticket for where I'm going


On a tour of one-night stands
I am on a tour where I only perform for one night at each stop


My suitcase and guitar in hand
I am carrying my suitcase and guitar with me


And every stop is neatly planned
I have carefully planned out every stop on my tour


For a poet and a one-man band
As a musician and songwriter, I am performing solo on this tour


Homeward bound
I want to go back home


I wish I was
I really want to be


Home where my thought's escapin'
I want to return to a place where I can relax and clear my mind


Home where my music's playin'
I want to return to the place where I create music


Home where my love lies waitin'
I want to return to the person I love who is waiting for me


Silently for me
They are waiting patiently for me to return


Every day's an endless stream
Each day feels the same and neverending


Of cigarettes and magazines
I pass the time smoking and reading magazines


And each town looks the same to me
Every town seems to lack uniqueness and blur together


The movies and the factories
All I see are places of entertainment and industry


And every stranger's face I see
Seeing strangers only reminds me of how much I miss those I know and love


Reminds me that I long to be
These encounters only reinforce how badly I want to be


Tonight I'll sing my songs again
Later tonight, I will perform my music once more


I'll play the game and pretend
I'll go through the motions and pretend that everything is okay


But all my words come back to me
Despite my efforts, my creativity feels uninspired


In shades of mediocrity
My music feels average and unremarkable


Like emptiness in harmony
My music feels empty and meaningless


I need someone to comfort me
I need someone to provide emotional support and help me feel better


Silently for me
I hope that person is waiting patiently for me to return home




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Paul Simon

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@MyNamesCollin

Lyrics for future watchers :)

I'm sittin' in the railway station
Got a ticket to my destination
On a tour of one-night stands
My suitcase and guitar in hand
And every stop is neatly planned
For a poet and a one-man band

Homeward bound
I wish I was
Homeward bound
Home where my thought's escapin'
Home where my music's playin'
Home where my love lies waitin'
Silently for me

Every day's an endless stream
Of cigarettes and magazines
And each town looks the same to me
The movies and the factories
And every stranger's face I see
Reminds me that I long to be

Homeward bound
I wish I was
Homeward bound
Home where my thought's escapin'
Home where my music's playin'
Home where my love lies waitin'
Silently for me

Tonight I'll sing my songs again
I'll play the game and pretend
But all my words come back to me
In shades of mediocrity
Like emptiness in harmony
I need someone to comfort me

Homeward bound
I wish I was
Homeward bound
Home where my thought's escapin'
Home where my music's playin'
Home where my love lies waitin'
Silently for me
Silently for me



@peteirie1075

I'm sittin' in the railway station
Got a ticket to my destination
On a tour of one-night stands
My suitcase and guitar in hand
And every stop is neatly planned
For a poet and a one-man band
Homeward bound
I wish I was
Homeward bound
Home where my thought's escapin'
Home where my music's playin'
Home where my love lies waitin'
Silently for me
Every day's an endless stream
Of cigarettes and magazines
And each town looks the same to me
The movies and the factories
And every stranger's face I see
Reminds me that I long to be
Homeward bound
I wish I was
Homeward bound
Home where my thought's escapin'
Home where my music's playin'
Home where my love lies waitin'
Silently for me
Tonight I'll sing my songs again
I'll play the game and pretend
But all my words come back to me
In shades of mediocrity
Like emptiness in harmony
I need someone to comfort me
Homeward bound
I wish I was
Homeward bound
Home where my thought's escapin'
Home where my music's playin'
Home where my love lies waitin'
Silently for me
Silently for me



All comments from YouTube:

@Dan-zh4mt

They played that song on the plane coming home from Vietnam. Still remember everyone’s reaction.

@goring19

Man, these guys could write songs. Pure artistry.

@Tolstoy111

Paul wrote the songs

@joeroth1124

"but all my words come back to me in shades of mediocrity"
Those lyrics go so hard holy Jesus

@indyztech

My favorite lyrics. "Like emptiness in harmony." Genius.

@magentalady

"Like emptiness in harmony, I need someone to comfort me" I'm SO feeling these lyrics right now.

@jerrymammoser9857

magentalady ...then come to Florida. I’ll wait.

@benpietrzykowski9216

Can you explain to me the “emptiness in harmony “ I don’t really understand that or can’t even make it mean something lol

@benpietrzykowski9216

Please*

@classickruzer1

@@benpietrzykowski9216 emptiness in harmony is just a fill in to fit the song's rhythm.. doesn't really mean anything .. Most all songs have fill ins .. I would have said "Like emptiness no one can see, I need someone to comfort me"

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