Homeward Bound
Garfunkel Lyrics
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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
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
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
@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
@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"