Take the Long Way Home
Supertramp Lyrics


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So you think you're a Romeo
Playing a part in a picture-show
Take the long way home
Take the long way home

'Cause you're the joke of the neighborhood
Why should you care if you're feeling good
Take the long way home
Take the long way home

But there are times that you feel you're part of the scenery
All the greenery is comin' down, boy
And then your wife seems to think you're part of the furniture
Oh, it's peculiar, she used to be so nice

When lonely days turn to lonely nights
You take a trip to the city lights
And take the long way home
Take the long way home

You never see what you want to see
Forever playing to the gallery
You take the long way home
Take the long way home

And when you're up on the stage, it's so unbelievable
Oh unforgettable, how they adore you
But then your wife seems to think you're losing your sanity
Oh, calamity, is there no way out, oh yeah
Ooh, take it, take it out
Take it, take it out
Oh yeah

Does it feel that your life's become a catastrophe?
Oh, it has to be for you to grow, boy
When you look through the years and see what you could have been
Oh, what you might have been
If you'd had more time

So, when the day comes to settle down
Who's to blame if you're not around?
You took the long way home
You took the long way home
Took the long way home
You took the long way home
You took the long way home, so long
You took the long way home
You took the long way home, uh yeah
You took the long way home

Long way home
Long way home
Long way home
Long way home




Long way home
Long way home

Overall Meaning

In Supertramp's classic hit "Take The Long Way Home," the lyrics describe a man who is struggling to find his place in the world. He seems to be living a double life as a successful performer on stage while also feeling like a joke in his own neighborhood. The song encourages the man to take the longer route home and enjoy the journey rather than just trying to get there quickly. Throughout the song, the man's wife is mentioned, initially as a source of comfort but eventually as a critic of his behavior.


The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, as the man is encouraged to take the scenic route home in order to escape the pressures of his life. He is admonished for playing to the gallery and never seeing what he truly wants to see. The lyrics suggest that he is searching for meaning in his life, but he is not quite sure what he is looking for. When he does find something that inspires him, whether it is the city lights or the adoration of his fans, it is often fleeting.


The final verse of the song is a call to action for the man to take control of his life before it is too late. The lyrics suggest that he has a choice regarding how he wants to live his life and that he should not blame anyone else if he is not happy with the outcome.


Overall, "Take The Long Way Home" is a song that encourages listeners to slow down and appreciate the journey of life. Its lyrics speak to the universal human desire for happiness and fulfillment.


Line by Line Meaning

So you think you're a Romeo
You believe that you're a charming and romantic man


Playing a part in a picture-show
Acting a role that's not your true self, pretending to be someone you're not


Take the long way home
Avoiding facing reality and taking a longer, more winding path


Take the long way home
Continuing to escape from your problems by taking a longer route


'Cause you're the joke of the neighborhood
People in your community see you as foolish and don't take you seriously


Why should you care if you're feeling good
You believe that as long as you feel happy, nothing else matters


Take the long way home
Continuing to ignore reality by taking a longer, roundabout path


Take the long way home
Continuing to avoid your problems by taking a longer path home


But there are times that you feel you're part of the scenery
Sometimes you feel invisible, like just a small part of the background


All the greenery is comin' down, boy
Nature and beauty around you seem to be disappearing


And then your wife seems to think you're part of the furniture
Your spouse sees you as just another piece of household decor and not as a person


Oh, it's peculiar, she used to be so nice
It's strange and upsetting that your spouse doesn't treat you as kindly as before


When lonely days turn to lonely nights
When you're alone for extended periods of time


You take a trip to the city lights
You escape your loneliness by going to the city to seek excitement


And take the long way home
Continuing to avoid reality by taking a longer, winding path home


Take the long way home
Escaping from your problems and avoiding facing reality by taking a longer path home


You never see what you want to see
You don't see the things you desire in life


Forever playing to the gallery
Always trying to impress others and gain attention


You take the long way home
Avoiding reality by taking a longer, more winding route home


Take the long way home
Escaping from your problems by taking a more circuitous route home


And when you're up on the stage, it's so unbelievable
When you're in the spotlight, it's incredible and unimaginable


Oh unforgettable, how they adore you
Memorable how much others admire and love you


But then your wife seems to think you're losing your sanity
Your spouse believes you're losing your mind and grip on reality


Oh, calamity, is there no way out, oh yeah
A disaster, and it seems impossible to find a resolution


Ooh, take it, take it out
Removing the unpleasant emotions, perhaps by singing or dancing them away


Take it, take it out
Removing negative emotions by releasing them through music or dance


Oh yeah
Affirmative response, perhaps to the previous line's suggestion of song and dance


Does it feel that your life's become a catastrophe?
Wondering if your life has become a disaster


Oh, it has to be for you to grow, boy
It has to be difficult for you to learn and mature


When you look through the years and see what you could have been
Reflecting on past opportunities and potential


Oh, what you might have been
Contemplating the alternate paths your life could have taken


If you'd had more time
Wondering if you'd be in a different place if you had more resources or opportunity


So, when the day comes to settle down
When it's time to slow down and find stability


Who's to blame if you're not around?
Questioning who is responsible if you're not there for your loved ones when you should be


You took the long way home
Chose to avoid facing reality by taking a longer, more roundabout way home


You took the long way home
Escaped from your problems and pretended everything was okay by taking a longer path home


Took the long way home
Chose to continue avoiding reality by taking a longer, winding path home


You took the long way home
Continued to escape your problems by taking a more circuitous route home


You took the long way home, so long
You deliberately chose a longer path, which will make it take longer to get home


You took the long way home
Continued to avoid facing your problems by taking a more roundabout path home


You took the long way home, uh yeah
You know you're avoiding reality, but you're choosing to ignore it and keep escaping


You took the long way home
Chose to defer facing reality by taking a longer path home




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Richard Davies, Roger Hodgson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@perkalov

Nahh, mate. Plenty of bands from the 70s/80s sounded awesome live, long past their prime.

Can be argued that a band like Status Quo has less complicated music but what they do, they do well.

Its modern artists that sounds like sheit live... and to be fair some are decent and some are even better live then in studio.
Not all contemporary artists are pop artists. Try listening to Joe Bonamassa and Beth Heart (I'd rather go blind) and come back and tell me that they don't sound this good.

Its clearly not the same amount of professionalism now as then.
That said, plenty of bands/artists from the 70s and 80s are since long forgotten... Partly because they really wasn't that professional.



@sanvnym9032

So, you think you're a Romeo
Playing a part in a picture show
Well, take the long way home
Take the long way home
'Cause you're the joke of the neighborhood
Why should you care if you're feelin' good?
Well, take the long way home
Take the long way home
There are times that you feel you're part of the scenery
All the greenery is comin' down, boy
And then your wife seems to think you're part of the furniture
Oh, it's peculiar, she used to be so nice
When lonely days turn to lonely nights
You take a trip to the city lights
And take the long way home
Take the long way home
You never see what you want to see
Forever playing to the gallery
You take the long way home
Take the long way home
When you're up on the stage, it's so unbelievable
Oh, unforgettable, how they adore you
But then your wife seems to think you're losing your sanity
Oh, calamity, is there no way out?
Does it feel that your life's become a catastrophe?
Oh, it has to be, for you to grow, boy
When you look through the years and see what you could have been
Oh, what you might have been
If you would have more time
So when the day comes to settle down
Who's to blame if you're not around?
You took the long way home
You took the long way home
You took the long way home
You took the long way home
You took the long way home
You took the long way home
You took the long way home
You took the long way home
Long way home
Long way home
Long way home
Long way home
Long way home
Long way home
Long way home



All comments from YouTube:

@JRB41

It’s CRIMINAL these guys aren’t in the rock in roll hall of fame!

@uneetudiant

Have a look at Breakfast in America front cover ,that may help understand why , they where giving a hint to the world in 1979

@PonyJarCollector

Peter Frampton finally got nominated

@phillygrl69

​@uneetudiant .....Ugh, Please forgive me, but...ugh.. I'm a lil slow 🤦‍♀️🤭Would you mind elaborating? I mean, I'm VERY FAMILIAR with that specific album cover. I was just wondering if you could possibly share more🤔👍☺️

@uneetudiant

@@phillygrl69 The album front cover shows 911 (towers) from the seat or window of an airplane ,and buildings are some chess players and much more

@panconartist

​@uneetudiant you can't be so dense as to believe supertramp had ANY correlation with 9/11 right?

@mikemcf33

I am 64 years old and this brings me right back to college. still in touch with alot of my college buds, and lost contact with many. some passed away. but this song magically brings them all back in my mind if only for a few minutes. thanks SuperTramp

@karylhogan5758

Same

@BigMac58

It is amazing how a particular song will invoke a specific memory. For me, it is when the first of my friends left home to move into a bedsit. He didn't have much in terms of pots and pans but he did buy an amazing stereo with a pair of Mission speakers to compensate.  When we went to visit him for the first time in his new abode this is what he put on to show off the system. That first chord on the piano is a killer!

@virajvhatkar

What a beautiful line,
'Does it feel that your life's become a catastrophe?
Oh, it has to be, for you to grow, boy'
Some deep shit!!

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