"Goin' Home" was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and recorded at RCA Studios in Hollywood from 8 to 10 December 1965. The recording is a long blues-inspired track that is notable as one of the first songs by a rock and roll band to break the ten-minute mark and the longest recorded song on any Stones album. While many bands had stretched a song's duration in live performances, and Bob Dylan was known to write long songs (such as Highlands), "Goin' Home" was the first "jam" recorded expressly for an album. In an interview with the magazine Rolling Stone, Richards said:
It was the first long rock and roll cut. It broke that two-minute barrier. We tried to make singles as long as we could do then because we just liked to let things roll on. Dylan was used to building a song for 20 minutes because of the folk thing he came from. That was another thing. No one sat down to make an 11-minute track. I mean 'Goin' Home', the song was written just the first 2 and a half minutes. We just happened to keep the tape rolling, me on guitar, Brian Jones on harp, Bill Wyman, on bass and Charlie Watts, on drums, and Mick. If there's a piano, it's Stew (Ian Stewart).
Jack Nitzsche, a regular Stones contributor throughout the 1960s, here performs percussion.
The song, while lengthy, is built around a common theme, as opposed to later Stones songs of great length like "Midnight Rambler" or "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" which are divided into distinct sections punctuated by differing instrumentations. "Goin' Home" plays as a long jam, eventually deconstructing Richards' guitar piece, Jagger's lyrics, and Watts' drum lines which build in power as the song progresses. Jagger's lyrics are called "a basic expression of his pining for his girl and determination to go home and get him some. It's the bumpety-bump, ascending chorus of announcing his intentions to go home that's the most 'pop' element of the song." A bitter-sweet ending is in the final lyrics: "Come on, little girl, you may look sweet, but I know you ain't".
Going Home
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't stand another day
Maybe you think I've seen the world
But I'd rather see my girl
I'm goin' home, I'm goin' home
I'm goin' home, I'm goin' home
I'm goin' home, bome, bome, bome bome bome
Yes, I am
All those letters every day
Are maybe alright in their way
But I'd love to see your face
When I get home in their place
I'm goin' home, I'm goin' home
I'm goin' home, I'm goin' home
I'm goin' home, bome, bome, bome bome bome
Home, bome, bome, bome, back home
Yes, I am
Alright
I'm goin' home, I'm goin' home
I'm goin' home, I'm goin' home
I'm goin' home, bome, bome, bome bome bome
Home, bome, bome, bome, back home
Yes, I will
When you're three thousand miles away
I just never sleep the same
If I packed my things right now
I could be home in seven hours
I'm goin' home, I'm goin' home
I'm goin' home, I'm goin' home
I'm goin' home, bome, bome, bome bome bome
Home, bome, bome, bome, back home
Yes, I will
Yes, I will
See my baby, see my baby
I want to see my girl
I just can't wait, I just can't wait
I just can't wait, I just can't wait
I just can't wait, I just can't wait
I just can't wait, I just can't wait
I just can't wait
I'll see my baby
She'll make me feel alright
My, my, my, my, my
My, my, my, my, my
My, my, my, my, my
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta
Gotta see my baby
She'll make me feel so good
She'll make me feel alright
Alright, alright, alright, alright
Yes she does
In the middle of the night
So good, so good, so good, so good
So tight, so tight, so tight
I feel alright
Feel alright
Come on baby
I'm gonna there
I'm gonna get home
I'm gonna get home
Gonna get home babe
I'm gonna get home babe
I'm gonna get home baby
Get home honey, get home
Shucks
I feel alright
My baby
I'm lookin' for my baby
I'm gonna go in the early morning, baby
Early in the morning
Early in the morning
Gonna catch that plane
I'm gonna catch that plane
Now it won't be long, I said
Listen to me
It won't be long
I know, I know
I know it won't be long baby
It won't be long
It won't be long
It won't be long
Long, long
A long, long time since I've seen my baby
Yes it is
It's such a, such a, such a
Such a, such a, such a long long time
Long long time
Long long time
Long long time
Long long, long long time
Yes it is,
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes
I feel alright
I'm gonna see my baby, one more time
I get, get home, get home
Gotta get home baby
I gotta get home baby
Ooh, I want to see my darling
Want to make sweet sweet love
Sweet sweet love
Sweet sweet love
Sweet sweet sweet love to you baby
In the middle of the night
Early in the morning
Early in the morning
Early in the morning
Early in the morning
In the midnight hour
She'll make me feel so good
She'll make me feel alright
She'll make me feel so good
So good
So good
When she touch my hands
And that's all I gotta say
'Cause I'm gonna pack my bags
Oh come on
I want to see you baby
See your face
See your face
Your pretty little smile
Your pretty little smile
Your pretty little smile
Your pretty little smile
Your pretty little smile
Your pretty clothes
Hear you talk
Hear you talk
Hear you talk
Hear you talk
Uh, I hear talk and talk
Come on
Come on
Come on
Come on
Come on
Come on
I'll see my baby
I'm goin' home
I'm goin' home
I'm goin' home
I'm gonna get out
I'm gettin' out
I'm gettin' out
Gettin' out
Gettin' out
Gettin' out
I feel so good
Seein' your face
Makin' love to you baby
Yes it makes me feel so good
Inside
Inside
Inside
I feel so good inside
Feel so good inside
I feel so good inside
Come on touch me one more time
Touch me one more time
Touch me one more time
Touch me, one more, one more
Come on little girl
You may look sweet, you may look sweet
But I know you ain't
But I know you ain't
But I know you ain't
The Rolling Stones' song Going Home is about a man who has spent a lot of time away from his girl, but he cannot take it anymore and wants to go home. He talks about how he is tired of letters and wants to see her in person. He is willing to pack his bags and leave immediately to see her. The song expresses the feeling of longing and the happiness that comes with finally being able to reunite with a loved one.
The song also has a sexual undertone, with the man talking about making sweet love to his girl when he sees her. He talks about how good it makes him feel to be with her, both physically and emotionally. The repetition of "touch me one more time" and "I feel so good inside" also adds to the sensual nature of the song.
In conclusion, Going Home is a love song that expresses the yearning and desire to be with a loved one after being away for too long. It also has a sensual undertone that adds to the emotional depth of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Spendin' too much time away
I have been away from home for too long
I can't stand another day
I cannot bear to stay away any longer
Maybe you think I've seen the world
You might assume I have traveled far and wide
But I'd rather see my girl
But all I really want is to see my beloved
I'm goin' home, I'm goin' home
I am returning to my home, my beloved
Home, bome, bome, bome, back home
I am going back to my home
All those letters every day
Receiving letters every day is nice
Are maybe alright in their way
But nothing compares to seeing your smile in person
But I'd love to see your face
I long to see your lovely face
When I get home in their place
Instead of the letters, I want to see you in person
I'm goin' home, bome, bome, bome bome bome
I am going back home to my beloved
When you're three thousand miles away
Being three thousand miles away from you is tough
I just never sleep the same
I cannot sleep peacefully without you beside me
If I packed my things right now
If I packed my bags right now
I could be home in seven hours
I could reach my home in just seven hours
See my baby, see my baby
I want to see my beloved
I want to see my girl
I long to see my beloved
I just can't wait, I just can't wait
I am too excited and impatient
She'll make me feel alright
Being with you will make me feel happy and content
Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta
I need to do this, I need to see you
I'm gonna get home babe
I am going to come home to you, my love
A long, long time since I've seen my baby
It has been a very long time since I saw you last
Such a, such a, such a long long time
It feels like an eternity since I saw you
I'm gonna see my baby, one more time
I am going to see you again, my beloved
I want to make sweet sweet love
I desire to express my love for you in an intimate way
When she touch my hands
When you touch my hands
Come on little girl
Come on, beloved
You may look sweet, you may look sweet
You may look innocent and lovely
But I know you ain't
But I know you are not as innocent as you seem
Lyrics © Abkco Music, Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
charles cooler
I was a dj that year and I always played that song last before shutting down very late. Some people would stay until that late just to dance to that one. All were totally one with Charlie Watts drums and Bill Wyman bass. It was mesmerizing, can visualize it still today after all these years.
Andrew Dardi
A remarkable example of psychedelic Stones. I really love that time.
hans-peter hohberg
i am 70 now and that is still one of my favorite songs
Jon Ham
74 here, and "Aftermath" remains my favorite Stones album. I remember being stationed in Thule, Greenland, for a year in the late-'60s and listening to this thing about five times a day. I think the only song I played more than "Paint it, Black" was the Vanilla Fudge version of "You Keep Me Hangin' On."
Debra Malone-Hendrix
Turning 69 this year. Did we or did we not have the very best music ever? Amazing recordings like this, plus so much other unbelievable musical and poetic talent in a short period of time.
Mike Johnson
Yes. 70 as well. The last album from Stones I bought in mono. Probably listened a hundred hours over the years
Michael Crawford
Amazing, Mick and the Stones, from this song forward, Stones keeps the blues sound, love the Stones, just seen them in Austin, 2021. I would love to hear Mick sing this again.
Michael Crawford
This is a long song for 1965, love it
paul VON
1966 but very true
Richard Diaz
Badass thanks to my older brother for bringing great music into my life not like we got today thank you bro.😎 big loco East los angeles califas 💯 🇲🇽 🇺🇸.