15. Homeward bound
Simon & Garfunkel 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 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 escaping
Home where my music's playing
Home where my love lies waiting
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 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 lyrics of "Homeward Bound" by Simon & Garfunkel depict a musician on tour, traveling from one town to another, performing in different places every night. He's homesick and wishes to return home, where his thoughts are free, his music is comfortable, and his love is waiting. The singer is jaded with the mundanity of touring life, and all he can think of is going back to where he belongs.


The first verse describes the singer's current situation- sitting in a railway station with a suitcase and a guitar, ready to go to his next show. Each stop is already mapped out, and the author is traveling alone, hence a poet and a one-man band. The chorus repeats his wish to return home, where his thoughts, music, and love are all waiting for him.


The second verse delves deeper into the monotony of life on the road. The endless stream of cigarettes and magazines and the similarity of each town he plays in makes him long for a place where he belongs. Every stranger he meets emphasizes how out of place and alone he feels. The chorus is repeated with the same desire for home.


The final verse, however, takes a sad turn, as the singer admits to himself that all his experiences on tour are bleak and dull. Despite his success, there's an emptiness that surrounds him whenever he's alone, a void that can only be filled by somebody else. Homeward bound is his only escape from this pervasive emotion. He ends the song with the chorus, with his request for a place where he can be his best self.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm sitting in the railway station
The singer is currently in a railway station.


Got a ticket to my destination
He has a ticket to take him where he needs to go.


On a tour of one-night stands my suitcase and guitar in hand
He is on a musical tour with his suitcase and guitar.


And every stop is neatly planned for a poet and a one-man band
Each stop on the tour is planned for him as he is a solo musician.


Homeward bound
He desires to go back home.


I wish I was
He wishes he was already at home.


Home where my thought's escaping
At home, he can escape from his thoughts.


Home where my music's playing
At home, he can play his own music.


Home where my love lies waiting
His loved one is waiting for him at home.


Silently for me
His loved one is patiently waiting for him.


Every day's an endless stream
His days are mundane and seem without end.


Of cigarettes and magazines
He spends his time smoking cigarettes and reading magazines.


And each town looks the same to me the movies and the factories
Every town seems the same to him as they all have similar sights of movies and factories.


And every stranger's face I see reminds me that I long to be
Every stranger he sees makes him miss being at home.


Tonight I'll sing my songs again
He will perform his songs again tonight.


I'll play the game and pretend
He will put on a show and pretend to be happy.


But all my words come back to me in shades of mediocrity
Despite his best efforts, his lyrics feel mediocre to him.


Like emptiness in harmony I need someone to comfort me
He feels empty and needs someone to comfort him.


Silently for me
His loved one is still waiting for him patiently.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL SIMON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Beth Bailey


on The Sounds Of Silence

Aragon Courts 1967

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