Pop Song 362 of 500 'Homeward Bound' Simon & Garfunkel 1966

Pop Song 362 of 500 'Homeward Bound' Simon & Garfunkel 1966

"Homeward Bound" was written by Paul Simon after he returned to England in early 1964. He had previously spent time in Essex, and he became a nightly fixture at the Railway Hotel in Brentwood, beginning that April. He was reeling from his brief period in the folk scene in Greenwich Village, New York, and the recording of his first album with Art Garfunkel, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., which he anticipated would be a failure.

During his time in England, Simon met Kathy Chitty, who was working as a ticket-taker at the club. The two hit it off instantly, but it became clear that Simon desired to perform in London, resulting in an emotional farewell.Following a performance in Widnes, Simon was dropped off at Widnes railway station for a train to his next gig in Humberside. He had been missing Chitty and he began to write "Homeward Bound" on a scrap of paper.A plaque commemorating the song is displayed on the Widnes station platform

I'm sitting in the railway station, got a ticket for my destination, hmm
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
I wish I was homeward-bound
Home, where my thought's keepin'
Home, where my music's playin'
Home where my love lies waitin' silently for me
Every day's an endless stream of cigarettes and magazines, hmm
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
I wish I was homeward-bound
Home, where my thought's keepin'
Home, where my music's playin'
Home, where my love lies waitin' silently for me
Tonight I'll sing my songs again
I'll play the game and pretend, hmm-hmm
But all my words come back to me in shades of mediocrity
Like emptiness in harmony, I need someone to comfort me
Homeward-bound
I wish I was homeward-bound
Home, where my thought's keepin'
Home, where my music's playin'
Home, where my love lies waitin' silently for me
Silently for me