To Build a Home
Kelli O'Hara & Bridges Company Lyrics
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Every Thursday in the morning
And a nervous bride can share a bed with her soldier from the States
For a week the ocean carries them
Over lost and churning water
And they land in Royal Harbour
And in Pennsylvania Station
Like a scythe through the fields of America
This is Albany
This is Buffalo
This is Cleveland
This is South Bay
This is Chicago
This is Osceola Station
Where a track will take them deeper into Iowa
To winter sun
And three hundred acres
Waiting to be tamed
And blade of grass
By blade of grass
And ear of corn
By ear of corn
And bale of hay
By day by day
They build themselves a home
And day by day
And year by year
From boy to man
From calf to steer
What's lost from there may not grow here
But comes the sun
Look what they've done
They've built themselves a home
At 21 a girl begins
To grasp the world and how it spins
She grabs a box of safety pins
And builds herself a home
And home is safe
And home is fair
The porch, the bath
The kitchen chair
The sharp and unfamiliar air
That blow by blow
She comes to know
To build herself a home
With a son
And a daughter
And the million miles between
The fire she used to set
The hearts she used to break
The lies she used to tell
And the woman she grew up to be
I learn to speak
I learn to sew
I learn to let the longings go
The tractor wheel, the foot of snow
I build myself a home
I change my words
I change my name
The fields go dry
The horse goes lame
The county fair, the football game
For 18 years
It stays the same
For 18 years
I'm proud I came
And built myself
A home
"To Build a Home" is a song about building a home in different contexts. The first verse tells the story of a nervous bride who, after taking a boat from Napoli, shares a bed with her soldier from the States. After a week of travelling over lost and churning water, they arrive in Royal Harbour and eventually at Pennsylvania Station, where they board a train that takes them through various parts of America. The second verse introduces the idea of building a home on three hundred acres of land in Iowa. The metaphor of building a home extends to the experience of a woman who learns to navigate the world by building a life for herself.
The chorus of the song is a celebration of the process of building a home, "blade of grass, by blade of grass and ear of corn, by ear of corn and bale of hay, by day by day they build themselves a home." The last verse begins with the birth of a son and a daughter, and the journey of the woman who grew up to be proud of building herself a home.
The song's message is not just about creating a physical home, but a space where safety, fairness, and growth are cultivated. It acknowledges that the process of building a home takes time, resources, and effort. In essence, the song highlights the importance of perseverance in building a home that withstands what life throws at it.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a boat that leaves Napoli
From an Italian port, a ship carries people to America
Every Thursday in the morning
The ship departs at the same time each week
And a nervous bride can share a bed with her soldier from the States
The journey offers a chance for a new couple to be together before arriving in America
For a week the ocean carries them
The journey across the ocean takes a week
Over lost and churning water
The sea can be difficult and confusing to navigate
And they land in Royal Harbour
The ship arrives in a port in America
And in Pennsylvania Station
The couple arrives in a major train station in Pennsylvania
Where they board a train that slices
They get on a train that moves quickly
Like a scythe through the fields of America
The train travels through America's fields and farmlands
This is Albany
The train passes through a city called Albany
This is Buffalo
The train passes through a city called Buffalo
This is Cleveland
The train passes through a city called Cleveland
This is South Bay
The train passes through a city called South Bay
This is Chicago
The train passes through a city called Chicago
This is Osceola Station
The train passes through a station called Osceola Station
Where a track will take them deeper into Iowa
The train heads further into the state of Iowa
To winter sun
They arrive in the warmer weather of winter
And three hundred acres
They have land consisting of 300 acres
Waiting to be tamed
The land needs to be worked on to be sustainable
And blade of grass
They work on the land, tending to it with care
By blade of grass
They take care of the land, one small part at a time
And ear of corn
They grow and harvest corn on the farm
By ear of corn
They tend to each ear of corn, one by one
And bale of hay
They create feed for their animals by making hay bales
By day by day
Their hard work continues every day
They build themselves a home
Their hard work sustains them and helps them create a life in America
And day by day
Their hard work and life continues day by day
And year by year
Their life in America progresses over the years
From boy to man
Their children grow up
From calf to steer
The animals on the farm grow up and are used for food or products
What's lost from there may not grow here
Things from their previous homes or countries may not be sustainable in America
But comes the sun
Despite the challenges, the sun rises each day
Look what they've done
They look back on their hard work and accomplishments
They've built themselves a home
Their hard work has allowed them to create a life in America
At 21 a girl begins
A young woman starts to find her way in the world
To grasp the world and how it spins
She begins to understand the world and how it operates
She grabs a box of safety pins
She takes what she can to create a sense of safety and security
And builds herself a home
She creates a sense of safety and security for herself
And home is safe
Home is a place of safety and security
And home is fair
Home is a place where things are just and fair
The porch, the bath
The physical aspects of a home can create a sense of security and happiness
The kitchen chair
The simple things in a home can create a sense of comfort and stability
The sharp and unfamiliar air
There may be things in a home that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable
That blow by blow
These challenges can come at you slowly, one by one
She comes to know
She learns to navigate and deal with these challenges
To build herself a home
She has learned to create a sense of safety and security for herself
With a son
She has a child
And a daughter
She has another child
And the million miles between
Despite life's challenges and distance, they are a family
The fire she used to set
She has overcome past mistakes or actions
The hearts she used to break
She has hurt others in the past
The lies she used to tell
She has been dishonest in the past
And the woman she grew up to be
Despite these mistakes, she has become a mature and responsible person
I learn to speak
I learn to communicate effectively
I learn to sew
I learn practical skills
I learn to let the longings go
I learn to let go of unattainable desires or goals
The tractor wheel, the foot of snow
The mundane aspects of life become important over time
I build myself a home
I take care of my home and create a life for myself
I change my words
I learn to communicate in a way that is more clear and effective
I change my name
I may reinvent myself or take on a new identity
The fields go dry
The farming land may need to be left for some time
The horse goes lame
There may be challenges in caring for the animals on the farm
The county fair, the football game
The annual events in the community become important parts of life
For 18 years
Life carries on over nearly two decades
It stays the same
Despite challenges, some things don't change in life
I'm proud I came
Despite hardships, I'm proud to have created a life for myself
And built myself
I have worked hard to make a life for myself
A home
And have found a sense of safety and security in my home
Contributed by Caroline C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.