Homecoming
Soo Line Loons Lyrics

I had just got out of prison, it was cold
It was a cold Christmas Eve night when I was finally released from prison.

I was going to my sisters to go and see what was left of my family
I was on my way to my sister's house to see if any of my family was left after my time in prison.

Well, she lives all the way across town on the right side of them railroad tracks
My sister lives across town, on the side of the railroad tracks that's considered the better part of town.

I’ve come this far I’m not looking back now
I've made it too far to turn back now.

Passing by the same old haunts with the same old drunks hiding the same old wants
I walked past the same old places I used to frequent, with the same people drinking away their sorrows and hiding their desires.

Been three months dry and Lord I never felt more gone
It's been three months since I had a drink, but I still feel lost and aimless.

So I stopped in to Kelly’s for a drink, see if she’s still working, see if she remembers me
I went to Kelly's bar to have a drink and to see if Kelly still worked there and remembered me.

And by the look on her face I think she does, I could tell by her tone
I think Kelly recognized me from before, judging by the expression on her face and the way she spoke.

Somewhere along the way she’d been told don’t talk to the animal girl, just leave him alone
Someone had warned Kelly not to talk to me, to leave me alone like an animal.

Guess there’s no homecoming for a man like me, there ain’t no room on these God Damn city streets
I don't think I belong here anymore, I don't fit in on these city streets.

For the blood-stained hands, on my family’s black sheep
My family sees me as the black sheep with blood on my hands.

So just one more beer and I swear I’ll leave
I promised myself I'd have one more beer and then I'd leave.

Stumbled out into the Midwest snow with smoke coming off of my Carhart coat
I stumbled outside into the snow, my Carhart coat smoking from the heat of the bar.

And so much, for “You can always go back home”
The idea of being able to go back home doesn't seem like a possibility anymore.

Feel like a car someone sold for parts, all those years I spent behind those bars
I feel like a car that's been dismantled for parts, like all those years I spent in prison just tore me apart.

Never did feel too bad, for killing that man who took my sisters left hand
I never felt too guilty for killing the man who took my sister's hand, because he deserved it.

Guess there’s no homecoming for a man like me, there ain’t no room on these God Damn city streets
Once again, I realize that I don't belong here and there's no place for me on these city streets.

Well coming up on her big house now, I see them through that window, looks like they’re doing just fine on their own
As I approached my sister's big house, I saw them all inside through a window, looking like they were doing just fine without me.

Looks like Jimmy turned eighteen, I see he’s got that uniform, looks just like his daddy
My nephew Jimmy has grown up and joined the military - he looks just like our father.

But that boy ain't made for war, one more cigarette and I’ll shuffle on inside
I know that Jimmy won't do well in war, and I took a moment to light a cigarette before going inside.

See if I’ve lost more than time in my life, knock, knock, knock on the door
I wondered if I had lost more than just time in my life, and I knocked on my sister's door.

Niece answers it and she looks at me, and then she says hello
My niece answered the door and greeted me when she saw me.

Don’t talk to the animal girl, just leave him alone
My niece had also been warned not to talk to me, to leave me alone like an animal.

Guess there’s no homecoming for a man like me, there ain’t no room on these God Damn city streets
Once again, I realize that there's no place for me here, like there's no room for me on these city streets.

So just one more beer and I swear I’ll leave
I told myself I'd have just one more beer before I left.

Don’t talk to the animal girl, just leave him alone
The repetition of this warning shows just how ostracized I am from my family and society.

Don’t talk to the animal girl, just leave him alone
The repetition of this warning shows just how ostracized I am from my family and society.

Don’t talk to the animal girl, just leave him alone
The repetition of this warning shows just how ostracized I am from my family and society.