Homeward Bound
London Pops Orchestra Lyrics


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I'm sitting in the railway station.
Got a ticket to my destination.
On a tour of one-night stands my suitcase and guitar in hand.
And ev'ry 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 escaping,
Home where my music's playing,
Home where my love lies waiting
Silently for me.
Ev'ry day's an endless stream
Of cigarettes and magazines.
And each town looks the same to me, the movies and the factories
And ev'ry 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 escaping,
Home where my music's playing,
Home where my love lies waiting
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 escaping,
Home where my music's playing,
Home where my love lies waiting




Silently for me.
Silently for me.

Overall Meaning

The song "Homeward Bound" by the London Pops Orchestra tells the story of a musician who is constantly traveling and touring but longs to return home. The opening lines of the song set the scene, with the musician sitting in a railway station with his ticket in hand. He describes himself as a "one-man band", with just his suitcase and guitar for company. The stops on his tour are meticulously planned, and he sees himself as a poet, in addition to being a musician.


The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "homeward bound", expressing the musician's longing to return to the place where he feels most at home. He describes this place as somewhere his thoughts can be free, where his music can be heard, and where his love is waiting for him in silence. He contrasts this with the endless stream of cigarettes and magazines that he encounters while traveling, and the sameness of each town he visits.


In the final verse, the musician acknowledges the emptiness he feels while on the road, singing that all his words come back to him as shades of mediocrity. He longs for someone to comfort him, but ultimately the only comfort he seeks is the comfort of returning home.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm sitting in the railway station.
I am currently located at the transportation hub.


Got a ticket to my destination.
I possess a pass to my intended endpoint.


On a tour of one-night stands my suitcase and guitar in hand.
I am traveling to various venues for temporary musical performances with my luggage and instrument.


And ev'ry stop is neatly planned for a poet and a one-man band.
Each stop on the tour is carefully scheduled for the specific needs of an artist who both writes and performs their own material.


Homeward bound,
I desire to return to my dwelling.


I wish I was,
I yearn to be situated in the location of my permanent residence.


Home where my thought's escaping,
My mind can find peace in my own abode.


Home where my music's playing,
The sounds of my preferred tunes are audible.


Home where my love lies waiting
My significant other is patiently anticipating my return.


Silently for me.
Quietly and without disturbance for my arrival.


Ev'ry day's an endless stream
Each day passes by in a monotonous pattern.


Of cigarettes and magazines.
Consisting of mundane activities such as reading periodicals and smoking tobacco products.


And each town looks the same to me, the movies and the factories
Every location appears identical with its theaters and industrial plants.


And ev'ry stranger's face I see reminds me that I long to be,
The sight of any unfamiliar person elicits a sense of yearning within me to return home.


Tonight I'll sing my songs again,
I will perform my music once more this evening.


I'll play the game and pretend.
I will comply with societal expectations and behave as if everything is satisfactory despite internal turmoil.


But all my words come back to me in shades of mediocrity
My lyrics and prose seem lackluster and uninspired.


Like emptiness in harmony I need someone to comfort me.
A void is present in my life, and I crave someone or something to offer emotional solace or support.


Silently for me.
Quietly and without disturbance for my arrival.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JERRY LANDIS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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