The Long Way Home
Kathleen Brennan/Tom Waits Lyrics
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I'm lost and alone
Though I said I'd go before us
cnd show the way back home
There a light up ahead
I can't hold on very long
Forgive me pretty baby but I always take the long way home
Off the back of a train
Got a head full of lightning
c hat full of rain
cnd I know that I said
I'd never do it again
cnd I love you pretty baby but I always take the long way home
I put food on the table
cnd roof overhead
But I'd trade it all tomorrow
For the highway instead
Watch your back keep your eyes shut
Your love's the only thing I've ever known
One thing for sure pretty baby I always take the long way home
You know I love you baby
More than the whole wide world
I am your woman woman
I know I'm your pearl
Let's go out past the party lights
Where we can finally be alone
Come with me and we can take the long way home
Come with me, together we can take the long way home
Come with me, together we can take the long way home
In The Long Way Home, Kathleen Brennan/Tom Waits delivers an emotional and wistful account of someone who's lost and searching for a way back home. The opening lines indicate a sense of confusion and despair, as the singer is lost and alone in the darkness. However, the singer is remorseful, and claims to have promised to lead the way back home. But, is there a light up ahead? The singer seems to be struggling to find his way, and feels like he can't hold on for much longer. The recurring line "forgive me pretty baby but I always take the long way home" is a poignant reflection on the singer's tendency to get lost or sidetracked in life.
The song reveals that the singer has had his share of struggles with money and life in general. Money, he suggests, is something that can be easily thrown away, while he's left with nothing but a handful of lightning and a hatful of rain. Although he's made promises to turn his life around, he admits that he's broken them before, and may do so again. Perhaps the only thing he's sure of is his love, which he describes as the only thing he's ever known. Despite his flaws, he's honest about his limitations and the choices he's made, and is asking his lover to accept him for who he is. Ultimately, he asks her to come away and take the long way home together.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I stumbled in the darkness
I'm lost and confused
I'm lost and alone
I feel lonely and disconnected from everyone around me
Though I said I'd go before us
I promised to lead the way
And show the way back home
And guide us back to where we belong
Is there a light up ahead?
I'm not sure if there's hope for us
I can't hold on very long
I'm struggling to keep going
Forgive me pretty baby but I always take the long way home
I have a tendency to make things harder for myself
Money's just something you throw off the back of a train
Money doesn't really matter
Got a handful of lightning, a hatful of rain
I have unpredictable luck
And I know that I said I'd never do it again
I've made promises I haven't kept
And I love you pretty baby but I always take the long way home
But I love you and I'm willing to go the extra mile for you
I put food on the table and a roof overhead
I take care of you and provide for us
But I'd trade it all tomorrow for the highway instead
But I still yearn for adventure and freedom
Watch your back if I should tell you, loves the only thing I've ever known
I'm not good at expressing my emotions
One thing for sure pretty baby I always take the long way home
I'm not very efficient
You know I love you baby more than the whole wide world
I love you more than anything
You are my woman, I know you are my pearl
You are precious to me
Let's go out past the party lights, we can finally be alone
Let's escape from the crowds and noise
Come with me and we can take the long way home
Let's take the scenic route together
Come with me, together we can take the long way home
We will face challenges together, but it will be worth it
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JackHollywood13
Pictures of you are all I have left
In this rusty old mind, now yours.
you live there now, like an artist, for free.
painting pictures of closing doors
So erase the door darling, come let me in
In from the street and out of the rain
Have me sit at your side, have me lay on your bed
Let’s be lovers at last, again and again.
@TOYBOXTHEATRE
This song can instantly bring you to tears. Tom is so magical. The greatest American singer and songwriter in the History of The World.
@plecman
What a talent this guy's got to get to your inner soul.. truly sublime.
@longneck128
A truly fantastic song by the Man with the Gravel voice
@claudiakaufman5634
As he said himself: how I love your broken china voice......
@outlook4156
From morocco , this song still alive in my room
@greeneyesNink
I just heard this on the radio, I had to find the song immediately. It’s wonderful, thank you for putting it on here
@SeanJSlomka42
I have to know what radio station you were listening to that played Tom Waits!
@madisonh800
@@SeanJSlomka42 lol I wanna know too! I was about to ask... radio stations are all trash that i have listened to lately. I have to cut it off bc I get nauseated 🤣
@jamesbrown6020
Yes please let us know who was playing waits! They are about to get a load of new listeners
@eternaldoorman5228
What station?