Old & in the Way was a one-shot bluegrass band whose legacy lasted far long… Read Full Bio ↴Old & in the Way was a one-shot bluegrass band whose legacy lasted far longer than the band. Led by Grateful Dead member Jerry Garcia (banjo, vocals), the band also featured David Nelson (guitar, vocals), David Grisman (mandolin, vocals), Vassar Clements (fiddle), Peter Rowan (guitar, vocals), and John Kahn (bass). Garcia formed the band in 1973 as a way to revisit his bluegrass roots and demonstrate his affection for the music. To round out the lineup, he recruited Clements and Kahn as well as Grisman and Rowan, who were both West Coast session musicians who had previously played together in the band Muleskinner. Taking their name from a Grisman composition, Old & in the Way played a handful of gigs, most of them at the Boarding House in San Francisco in October. An album, also called Old & in the Way, was culled from these shows but not released until 1975 on the Grateful Dead's own record label, Round. The record combined standards and Rowan originals, which later became standards. Although the album was the only one the lineup released during the 1970s, the members continued to play together in various permutations over the next two decades, and the record continued to sell steadily. The group reunited after Garcia's death in 1995, releasing a second album (actually composed of 1973 recordings), That High Lonesome Sound, in early 1996. A third album of 1973 vintage appeared at the end of 1997.

Love Please Come Home
Old & In the Way Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

As you read this letter that I write to you
Sweetheart I hope you'll understand
That you're the only love I knew (note 1)
Please forgive me if you can

Chorus
Sweetheart I beg you to come home tonight
I'm so blue and all alone

I promise that I'll treat you right
Love, oh love, oh please come home

That old wind is cold and slowly creeping round
And the fire is burning low
The snow has covered up the ground
Our baby's hungry, sick and cold (note 2)

[chorus]

As you read this letter that I write to you (note 3)
Sweetheart I hope you'll understand
That you're the only love I knew
Please forgive me if you can

[chorus]
[chorus]
Love, oh love, oh please come home
Love, oh love, oh please come home

Notes

Overall Meaning

The song Love Please Come Home by Old & In the Way is a pleading love letter from a forlorn lover to their significant other who has left them. The lyrics express both remorse for any wrongdoing and a desire to rectify their mistakes and offer their love freely. The first stanza clearly sets the tone of the song, as the singer apologizes for any mistakes and missteps they may have made in the past. The chorus is a direct plea to their beloved to come back to them so that they may express their love once again.

The second stanza has a more melancholic tone, as the singer details the harsh reality of their current situation. They are alone, cold, and hungry, with their child suffering as well. This imagery serves to heighten the desperation of their plea in the chorus. The final stanza repeats the sentiment of the opening stanza, reinforcing the message of the song: that the singer hopes for their lover's understanding and forgiveness in the hope of rekindling their love.

Overall, Love Please Come Home is a heartfelt ballad that conveys the emotions of a lonely lover who longs to be reunited with their beloved.

Line by Line Meaning

That you're the only love I knew
You were my only love and I'm sorry for any mistakes I made.

Our baby's hungry, sick and cold
Our child is in a bad state and needs you to come back home to take care of them.

As you read this letter that I write to you
I hope this letter will help you understand my feelings and convince you to come back home to me.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LEO (GB) JACKSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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