The Beau Brummels broke into the mainstream with their debut single, "Laugh, Laugh", for which they would later be credited for setting the aesthetic foundation for the San Francisco Sound. The band's popularity continued with the subsequent album, 1965's Introducing the Beau Brummels, and the Top 10 single "Just a Little". The group's commercial success declined by the following year, at which time the financially struggling Autumn label was acquired by Warner Bros. Records. After recording an album of cover songs, Beau Brummels '66, the band released a pair of critically acclaimed albums: Triangle in 1967 and Bradley's Barn in 1968.
The band underwent several personnel changes, beginning with Mulligan's departure in 1965. Guitarist Don Irving joined the band in late 1965 when Elliott began to suffer seizures resulting from a diabetic condition, leaving him unable to tour with the band. Shortly after the release of Beau Brummels '66, Irving left the group when he was inducted into the armed forces. Petersen left to join Harpers Bizarre, reducing the Beau Brummels to a trio for the recording of Triangle. Meagher was drafted for military service in 1968, leaving Valentino and Elliott as the only remaining band members. The duo worked with prominent Nashville session musicians to record Bradley's Barn before parting ways in 1969 to focus on solo material and participate in projects by other artists. The five original Beau Brummels reformed in 1974, and the band released an eponymous album the following year.
Homeward Bound
The Beau Brummels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got a ticket for my destination, um-hum
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)Yes, 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, um-hum
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) Homeward bound
I wish I was (homeward bound) homeward bound
Yes, 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 I'll pretend, um-hum
But all my words come back to me
In shades of mediocrity
Like emptiness in harmony
I need someone to comfort me
(Homeward bound) Yes, homeward bound
I wish I was (homeward bound) homeward bound
Home where my thought's escaping
Home where my music's playing
Home where my love lies
Waiting silently for me
(Homeward bound)
(Homeward bound)
(Homeward bound)
In The Beau Brummels's song Homeward Bound, the singer is a musician traveling from one city to another, living a life of one-night stands and endless streams of cigarettes and magazines. While he goes from town to town, he can't help but notice that every stranger's face he sees reminds him that he longs to return home, where his thoughts can escape, his music can play, and his love waits silently for him. Despite his wish to return home, he knows that tonight, he'll have to sing his songs again, play the game, and pretend that everything is okay.
The song explores the universal longing for home and the desire to escape the monotony of a life on the road. It speaks to the loneliness and isolation that comes with constantly moving and the need for human connection and comfort. The lyrics are simple but profound, capturing the essence of the human condition and evoking a sense of nostalgia and homesickness.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sitting in the railway station
I am currently located in a station for trains
Got a ticket for my destination, um-hum
I have received a pass to where I will be going, yes indeed
On a tour of one-night stands
I am engaging with my audience for only one night in every location
My suitcase and guitar in hand
In my possession, I have a suitcase and a guitar
And every stop is neatly planned
Each stopping point has been expertly arranged
For a poet and a one-man band
This entire endeavor has been designed for someone who is an expert in creating literature and a solo musician
(Homeward bound)Yes, homeward bound
I deeply desire to be heading back towards my dwelling
I wish I was (homeward bound) homeward bound
It is my fervent hope to be journeying towards my home
Home where my thought's escaping
My place of residence is my sanctuary where my mind can unburden itself
Home where my music's playing
In my living quarters, I can listen to and enjoy music
Home where my love lies
In my personal living space is where I can find my cherished companion
Waiting silently for me
Hopefully, with much anticipation for my return
Every day's an endless stream
Each day is repetitive and monotonous
Of cigarettes and magazines, um-hum
Cigarettes and reading material fill my mundane life, yes indeed
And each town looks the same to me
Every stopping point resembles the last
The movies and the factories
The motion picture theaters and industrial plants
And every stranger's face I see
Each anonymous individual I happen to behold
Reminds me that I long to be...
Results in the realization that I yearn to be...
Tonight I'll sing my songs again
During this evening, I will perform my musical numbers one more time
I'll play the game and I'll pretend, um-hum
I am going through the motions and offering a facade, yes indeed
But all my words come back to me
All of my expressions return to me in full force
In shades of mediocrity
With a degree of averageness or unremarkableness
Like emptiness in harmony
Just like disharmony, there is a sense of hollowness
I need someone to comfort me
I crave someone who can provide me solace
Homeward bound
Going home
(Homeward bound)
Journeying back towards my place of residence
(Homeward bound)
Retracing my route homewards
Contributed by Adalyn B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
N.P. Gio
hell yeah