# "Missing home" in songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 3, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343 "2011-03-03T14:30:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/1 "2011-03-03T14:30:15Z")
In [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13526131&postcount=148), part of a thread about country music, **olivesmarch4th** says: > [@](#): > > I heard a feature on radiolab …about music that crosses borders, and how country music fandom has been spreading like wildfire in places like aboriginal Australia and various countries in Africa. The key insight was that the people who most connected with the music were largely refugees who longed for their homeland, their old way of life. They also found a correlation between the increase in country music’s popularity and the decline of the rural population in the U.S.. So the music is really about longing for a time and a place that no longer exists. > > … > > Maybe, then, the reason the music is often so defensive and cloying is because the target audience is clinging desperately to an ideal, a culture, that is dying. This links to something I’d been idly thinking about for a while (idly because according to my search-fu I never did start that thread about it, so here it is), but my knowledge of music in English isn’t that wide, so maybe I’m wrong: there is a kind of song which is very common in Spanish, you can find it in any genre, but which seems to me to be much more genre-restricted in English. Again: I don’t listen to much rap, so maybe the reason I haven’t heard a rap song about this is my choice of artists, not the lack of such songs. I’m talking about a specific kind of nostalgic songs: songs about a place you left behind. Not about your ex, or your childhood, or times gone by, but about places gone by. They can be about wanting to go back home even if it’s to be buried (The Green Hills of Tyrol); about missing home (not the wife or the kids: Butterfly Kisses doesn’t count; If Dallas was in Tennesee does); about feeling like a fish out of water in this land which isn’t yours (Englishman in New York). I ask you, oh Dopers: can you please supply me with more titles about this subject? ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/2 "2011-03-03T17:09:43Z")
There’s millions of them. The first one that comes to mind is John Prine’s “Paradise”. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/3 "2011-03-03T17:22:16Z")
John Denver sang “Take Me Home Country Road…West Virginia” I prefer Toots And The Maytals [West Jamaica](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2VbRiBDcCk) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/4 "2011-03-03T17:25:31Z")
“[In My Life](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_My_Life)” by the Beatles, written by John Lennon about his childhood in Liverpool. ---
**Author:** ![Haunted\_Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/94ad74/32.png) [@Haunted\_Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haunted_Pasta)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/5 "2011-03-03T17:30:35Z")
“Main Street” by Bob Seger seems to be about both a place and a time gone by. As the title might suggest, there’s a very amusing take on this theme by the Austin Lounge Lizards called “Godforsaken Hellhole I Call Home.” I’ve almost finished writing a great song about my longing to return home- I just need to come up with a good rhyme for “statute of limitations.” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/6 "2011-03-03T17:33:06Z")
There are songs about missing home in general, and then there are nostalgic songs about a specific place (a town, state, or geographical area). Heck, there are even songs about missing the planet (“Rocket Man,” “Major Tom (Coming Home)”). ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/7 "2011-03-03T17:38:22Z")
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/8 "2011-03-03T18:02:46Z")
“[Birmingham Blues](http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Birmingham-Blues-lyrics-Electric-Light-Orchestra/F0D38AD124A1B68648256AB8000BEEEF)”, by the Electric Light Orchestra. Songwriter Jeff Lynne is from Birmingham, England; the [Birmingham Blues](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_Blues) also happen to be the football team which Jeff supports. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/9 "2011-03-03T18:03:57Z")
Simon and Garfunkle: Homeward Bound Iris Dement: [Our Town](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FikZwgj89HI) Springsteen: My Hometown Ellis Paul: Take Me Down “I’m a one man line at the twenty-four hour store I’m in a town that reminds me of my home town streets I roamed the aisles a thousand miles from what I was looking for A familiar face that would smile at me sweetly” Jackson Browne: Looking Into You “Well I looked into a house I once lived in Around the time I first went on my own When the roads were as many as the places I had dreamed of And my friends and I were one Now the distance is done and the search has begun I’ve come to see where my beginnings have gone” Bill Morrissey: Ice Fishing "… There ain’t much to leaving home There ain’t much to ice fishing Till you miss a day or more And the hole you cut freezes over And it’s like you have never been there before." Yeah, there’s a million of them. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/10 "2011-03-03T18:10:37Z")
“Detroit City” - Bobby Bear _Home folks think I’m big in Detroit City From the letters that I write they think I’m fine But by day I make the cars, By night I work the bars If only they could read between the lines I wanna go home…_ also, “Green green grass of home” - Curly Putman Jr, Porter Wagoner, Bobby Bear, et. al. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/11 "2011-03-03T18:17:43Z")
_Dixie on my Mind_–Hank Williams, Jr. _New York’s Not my Home_–Jim Croce \* Georgia on my Mind\*–as covered by Ray Charles ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/12 "2011-03-03T18:20:42Z")
_New York State of Mind_ - Billy Joel _The Boxer_ - Paul Simon \*California Dreamin’ \*- the Mamas & the Papas ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/13 "2011-03-03T18:23:20Z")
Dolly Parton did a concept album on this subject: [My Tennessee Mountain Home](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Tennessee_Mountain_Home). Some songs about the good parts of her childhood and some are about the bad but the overall feeling of the album is highly nostalgic and all about either missing home or missing it but being grateful to be gone. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/14 "2011-03-03T20:33:24Z")
James Taylor - Carolina In My Mind , Copperline Simon & Garfunkel - Homeward Bound StG ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/15 "2011-03-03T21:08:34Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > Simon & Garfunkel - Homeward Bound And, interestingly, the same duo also gave us [My Little Town](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Little_Town), which is about _not_ missing your home town. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/16 "2011-03-04T16:56:07Z")
I’m sure there has to be a million of them… but so far we don’t have many. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/17 "2011-03-04T17:28:22Z")
If you want us to list all one million, it might take a while. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/18 "2011-03-04T18:10:34Z")
“All I Can Do is Write About It” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. _Well this life that I’ve lead has took me everywhere There ain’t no place I ain’t never gone But its kind of like the saying that you heard so many times Well there just ain’t no place like home_ ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/19 "2011-03-04T18:41:38Z")
**Fiddle Peghead** , when you’re quoting a song, please don’t use more than four or five lines. Quote a little and link to the rest. I shortened the excerpt in your post to fit with our copyright policy. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343/20 "2011-03-04T23:55:19Z")
Dwight Yoakam has several. A couple off the top of my head: [Bury Me](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq22so8Yi0w&playnext=1&list=PLF9CDDA60DF2C8A3B) - Dwight Yoakam [Readin’ Rightin’ Route 23](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfwbUXgNWzQ&feature=related)- Dwight Yoakam Then there’s: [Coal Miner’s Daughter](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9eHp7JJgq8) - Loretta Lynn And Randy Travis sings nostalgically about Mama’s farm in: [Storms of Life](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf04QngKIB8&feature=related) - Randy Travis [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-home-in-songs/573343.md?page=2)