Almanac Music: ‘Rooms on Fire’: Songs about Houses and Rooms
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Almanac Music: ‘Rooms on Fire’: Songs about Houses and Rooms
Hi Almanackers! This week’s piece in my ongoing series about key popular song themes involves songs that in some way concern the spaces in which we live, such as houses, flats, apartments and the rooms inside them, the guiding principle being that one or more of these key words appear in the song title or in the lyrics.
So, dear readers, please put your relevant songs in the ‘Comments’ section. Below, as usual, are some examples from me to get the ball rolling.
‘In My Room’, written by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher, performed by the Beach Boys (1963)
Lovely vocal harmonies are the soul of this song about the sanctuary of one’s bedroom.
‘Take Me Back ‘Ome’, written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, performed by Slade (1972)
Typical rocker from those good-natured glam heavy rockers, Slade.
‘Back Home’, written by Garth Porter, performed by Sherbet (1972)
I recall this song from my sister’s album of Sherbet’s greatest hits. It’s band member Garth Porter’s folky, acoustic guitar based number about his native New Zealand, and was originally the B-side of the single ‘You’re All Woman’ (1972).
‘Our House’, written by Chris Foreman and Cathal Smyth, performed by Madness (1982)
Iconic English band. Big hit. Fine song!
‘Home’, written by Lene Lovich and Les Chappell, performed by Lene Lovich (1978)
‘Home’ first appeared on Lovich’s Stateless album, then on the B-side of her ‘Lucky Number’ single.
‘Get Out of My House’, written and performed by Kate Bush (1982)
This heavily rhythmic song from Kate’s The Dreaming album, sounds like a kind of exorcism (not that I would know an exorcism sounds like).
‘My Hometown’, written and performed by Bruce Springsteen (1984)
Mellow Americana from Bruce, a bit like a pop-rock song equivalent of a Norman Rockwell painting – it’s the seventh single released from his Born in the U.S.A. album.
‘Rooms on Fire’, written by Stevie Nicks and Rick Nowles, performed by Stevie Nicks (1989)
‘Rooms On Fire’ has blindingly great bits in its chorus, but is pretty pedestrian for the rest of the time.
………………………
Now, wonderful readers / listeners – over to you. Your responses to this topic are warmly welcomed. In the ‘Comments’ section, please add your own choice of a song (or songs) concerning our living spaces, along with any other relevant material you wish to include.
[Note: Wikipedia has been a good general reference for this piece, particularly in relation to checking dates and other details.]
Read more from Kevin Densley HERE
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About
Kevin Densley is a graduate of both Deakin University and The University of Melbourne. He has taught writing and literature in numerous Victorian universities and TAFES. He is a poet and writer-in-general. His sixth book-length poetry collection, Isle Full of Noises, was published in early 2026 by Ginninderra Press. He is also the co-author of ten play collections for young people, as well as a multi Green Room Award nominated play, Last Chance Gas, published by Currency Press. Other writing includes screenplays for educational films.
“Sweet Home Alabama” – Lynryd Skynryd
“Take Me Home, Country Roads” – John Denver
“I Still Call Australia Home” – Peter Allen
Thanks, Anon, for getting the ball rolling. You’ve certainly picked three classic ‘home’ songs.
White Room – Cream
A chance to get in early for a change
White Room – Cream
Seven Rooms of Gloom – The Four Tops
This Old house – Shakin’ Stevens ..and over 30 years earlier – Rosemary Clooney
Homeless – Paul Simon
Our House – Crosby Stills and Nash (different song to the Madness song)
I might post more later.
Firstly that Lene Lovich song is a cracker KD
Here’s a brief selection from my Rolodex of Love
She Set Fire To The House – Stephen Cummings
Your House Is Falling – Stephen Cummings
House Of Fun – Madness
Fun House – Stooges
Home – Iggy Pop
She’s Leaving Home – Beatles
Back to The Old House – Smiths
Better Be Home Soon – Crowded House (double points)
Birdhouse In your Soul – They Might Be Giants
Burning Down The House – Talking Heads
Sloop John B – Beach Boys
Country House – Blur
Disturbance At The Heron House – REM
Balwyn Callin’ – Skyhooks
German Farmhouse – Go-Betweens
Happy House – Siouxsie and the Banshees
House That Jack Kerouac Built – Go-Betweens
Houses In Motion – Talking Heads
I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down – Graham Parker & the Rumour
Nothing Changes In My House – Ed Kuepper
Other People’s Houses – Paul Kelly
Rooming House On Venice Beach – Jonathan Richman
Stranger In The House – Elvis Costello
… And In Every Home – Elvis Costello & the Attractions
At Home He’s A Tourist – Gang Of Four
No Thugs In Our House – XTC
Barbarism Begins At Home – Smiths
Body Of Water – Billy Bragg
Give Me A Home Among The Gum Trees – Captain Rock
Green Green Grass Of Home – Tom Jones
In Every Dream Home A Heartache – Roxy Music
Leaving Home – Jebediah
Safe European Home – Clash
You Ain’t Home Yet – Sports
Apartment – Custard
Miss Freelove ’69 – Hoodoo Gurus
You Will Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties – Jona Lewie
Boom Boom let’s go back to my room . Paul Lekakis
My fathers house . Bruce Springsteen
Better be home soon. Crowded house
This must be the place. Talking heads
Burning down the house. Talking heads
House of the rising sun. The Animals
White room. Cream
25:41. Grant Hart
Thanks,.Jim, for your choice of a classic, trippy piece of sixties rock.
Thank you, Dave N, for this variety of fine song choices. By all means post some more later!
Thanks so much, Swish for this brilliant array of relevant song choices. You’ve created a fine songlist among the even bigger songlist we’re putting together here.
Regarding Lene Lovich, yes, ‘Home’ is a song that’s haunted me since it came out in the late seventies. Believe it or not, Lovich performed in Geelong at the old Palais dance hall / bingo building in Moorabool Street (near Kardinia Park) around the time her Stateless album came out. As a sixteen / seventeen year old, I debated whether or not to see her, as the Palais was within easy walking distance of where I lived, but for some reason, alas, I ended up not attending.
Thanks, Willo, for your set of spot-on choices. Very good to see you on board!
Rooms for the Memories – Michael Hutchence,
In Your Room – Bangles,
Houses of the Holy – Led Zeppelin,
Last House on the Left – Sports,
Into Your Room – Holly Humberstone,
Room Full of Mirrors – Jimi Hendrix,
When You Walk In The Room – Jackie deShannon,
Smoking In The Boys Room – Brownsville Station (I think),
Celtic punk:
House of the Gods – Pogues,
Captain Kelly’s Kitchen – Dropkick Murphys,
Last Letter Home – Dropkick Murphys,
Great stuff, Smokie. Thanks for all these – and (as I’ve said before) always good to see the Dropkicks get a guernsey.
Hey KD
Welcome back from the ‘clang zone’.
A couple to kick start my efforts:
Blind Faith – Can’t Find My Way Home
Bruce Springsteen – Candy’s Room
Manfred Mann – My Name Is Jack (and I live in the back of the Greta Garbo home).
Hi Karl. Thanks for these three cool songs.
Though the clanging has ended, the echoes linger on…
Excellent KD, love many of the suggestions but right up the top are In My Rom, the Paul Kelly song and the Roxy Music song (a highlight of Bryan Ferry gig a few years back). Now for some country:
1. Success (has made a failure of our home) – Loretta Lynn
2. The Grand Tour – George Jones
3. Good Year for the Roses – George Jones
4. I don’t want to go home – Southside Johnny
5. Side of the Road – Lucinda Williams
6. Home to Houston – Steve Earle
7. Little Rock and Roller – Steve Earle
8. Hometown Blues – Steve Earle
9. Homegrown Tomatoes – Guy Clark
10. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head – Little Elvis
11. Streets of Baltimore – Gram Parsons
12. Home for Sale – Dwight Yoakum
13. Telephone Road – Rodney Crowell
14. The House that Built Me – Miranda Lambert
15. Changed the Locks – Lucinda Williams
16. Six Days on the Road -Dave Dudley
17. The Apartment Song, Tom Petty
Excellent, Rick – thanks for these. Love your inclusion of many top quality country songs.
Incidentally, Stephen Cummings / Sports have already received a very good run in connection with the theme.
Here’s another in that context: Stephen Cummings’ ‘Don’t Throw Stones’, with the lines ‘Tap tap window / Someone’s throwing stones / Into somebody else’s home…’
To be precise, ‘Don’t Throw Stones’ (1979) is performed by Sports, with Stephen Cummings and Andrew Pendlebury being the co-writers.
Although the reference to ‘home’ can be interpreted in several ways, this is one of my favourite lines from one of my favourite songs: Short Note by Matt Finish
Just a short note/you’ll find the key inside
There’s no-one home tonight/but come in anyway
“Gotta Go Home” – Boney M
House of broken dreams: Crosby Stills and Nash
House of cards: James Reyne
You can never go home: Moody Blues
Down home town: Electric Light Orchestra
Homeward bound: Simon and Garfunkel
Going home: Idle Race
Reflections of my life: Marmalade
I ain’t Got No Home in This World Anymore – Woody Guthrie
Home Boys Home – The Dubliners (it is a traditional Sea Shanty)
Homeward Bound – Simon and Garfunkel
Streets of London – Ralph McTell (” carrying her home in two carrier bags”)
Casey’s Last Ride – Kris Kristofferson (“Seeing his reflection in the lives of all the lonely men who reach for anything they can to keep from going home”)
Mark Knopfler – Going Home (Theme from Local Hero)
The Boxer – Simon and Garfunkel (“Then I’m laying out my winter clothes
And wishing I was gone, going home
Where the New York City winters aren’t bleeding me
Leading me, going home”)
Thanks again, Karl and Anon.
Thank you again, Dave – an interesting folky theme is to the fore in your latest range of selections. Nicely done!
(And to single out one – I’m a particular fan of the Local Hero theme, having played it in a band I was once in, though I was on bass in that group, not the lead guitarist, who would have played the Mark Knopfler part.)
Coming home – Alex Lloyd
Home – Michael Buble
Hi Liam. Many thanks for your selections. Just to single out one of them: James Reyne’s ‘House of Cards’. I’ve always thought that the former Australian Crawl frontman had a really good solo career, and this song is an example of that.
Thank you, Rodney – two good songs from you to add to our increasingly impressive list.
In the lyrics of the Geelong Football Club theme song:
“We play the game as it should be played.
At home or far away.”
Yesterday evening as I was doing some research on Dylan covers, I came upon this song that fits this posts theme perfectly:
Goldie Hawn – The House Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxFPi4SFb14
I’ll leave any further commentary alone….
Fair enough, Anon! Keep ’em coming!
I am hoping this song can sneak a guernsey as it’s my favourite song from Greg Champion.
“I Made a Hundred in the Backyard at Mums”. It concerns the outside of his mother’s house. In the lyrics it goes to the effect that “I brought up my hundred by hitting the window of the shed”.
Mi casa su Casa (my house is your house) – Perry Como
A Guy is a Guy – Doris Day
Ginny in the Mirror – Del Shannon
Green Fields – The Brothers Four
The Middle of the House – Rusty Draper
Don’t Take Your Guns to Town, Son – Johnny Cash
Go Home with Bonnie Jean – from Brigadoon
The Rose Tattoo song ‘Manzil Madness’ was about the Manzil Room, a Sydney night club/ band venue.
Let me look out the door to see what else I can add.
Glen!
Show Me the Way to Go Home – The Andrews Sisters
King of the Road – Roger Miller.
Home on the Range – Gene Autry
There’d be a few Hank Williams tune that would be right at home here.
Here’s a couple for starters.
A Mansion on the Hill, A House without love.
Glen!
Hi again, Karl. Goldie’s ‘The House Song’ is a curiosity, if nothing else.
And Anon, I think Greg Champion’s song qualifies here; after all, it fundamentally concerns a family home.
Thank you, Fisho, for your contributions to the theme at hand. You’ve selected a really good variety of classic – and relevant – popular songs.
Thanks Kev
Here’s a few.
House of Cards Robert Plant and Band of Joy
Darlin’ Be Home Soon Joe Cocker
Chicken Shack Boogie Amos Milburn
Bring Your Fine Self Home Albert Collins et al
I’m Goin’ Home Ten Years After
Can’t Find My Way Home Blind Faith
Heavenly Houseboat Blues Townes Van Zandt (his final Home!)
Go On Home Girl Arthur Alexander
Come On Home Boz Scaggs
My Island Home Christine Anu
Homework John Lee Hooker (Funky)
Homework Otis Rush (also early Fleetwood Mac)
This is Not The Way Home The Cruel Sea
I Want To Walk You Home Fats Domino
Aint Got no Home The Band or the original by Clarence “Frogman” Henry (contains falsetto and frogs)
Home is (not really) where the Heart is
Hometown Blues Steve Earle (aforementioned)
My Home Town Tom Lehrer
Paul Young – Wherever I lay my hat (that’s my home) 1983/4 – originally by Marvin Gaye in about 1962 and covered widely.
Thanks, Glen – Hank Williams is always welcome in contexts like this one, as is Rose Tattoo.
Cheers, Peter C – what a fine collection of songs you’ve put forward! Actually, one that almost made my original list was ‘My Island Home’ – it would have fitted in very well as a ‘starter song’ in the context of the present discussion. Also, on a personal level, I recall ‘Darlin’ Be Home Soon’ from the Slade Alive album that was a big Oz hit in my early music listening years.
Thanks, Ian H, for your song choice. It’s a song and version that I’ve always liked.
“The Redback on the Toilet Seat” – Slim Newton. In the lyrics “And when I get back home again”.
“Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” – Tony Orlando and Dawn. In the lyrics, “I’m comin’ home, I’ve done my time”.
“Hotel California” – Eagles. In the lyrics, ‘There’s plenty of room at the Hotel California”.
Here’s some more (I might be drawing a bit of a long bow with a couple of them):
Get on down home: Roy Wood
Homeward through the haze: Crosby and Nash
The last place I wanna be: The Dingoes
Take the long way home: Supertramp
Sea of dreams: Kelly Groucutt (and covered by Orkestra)
The Boys Light up: Australian Crawl (check the first line of the song).
Also for your information, Kevin, I recently attended a James Reyne concert in Brisbane. On previous occasions I’d seen him, the proportion of Australian Crawl and solo songs was about half of each. This time, all bar one were Australian Crawl. It was great and, as far as I could tell, there were no Taylor Swift fans. Most people at the JR concert were in their 50s and 60s, and a few in their 70s too.
“Heartbreak Hotel” – Elvis Presley. In the lyrics, “You can still find some room”.
“My Home Ground” – Coodabeen Champions. It’s sung to the tune of “My Hometown” – Bruce Springsteen, from the original playlist, but the words are completely different. The “My Home Ground” song can be found on YouTube.
We are now only a boundary away from being up our half century in nearly 2 days.
“Advance Australia Fair” – National Anthem. In the lyrics, “Our home is girt by sea”.
‘A Hard Day’s Night”, by the Beatles. In the lyrics, “When I’m home’ and “When I get home to you”.
We require just a single comment to bring up the 50.
I have decided to bring up the Almanac music team’s half century. Great team effort from everyone.
“All My Friends are Getting Married” – Skyhooks. In the lyrics, “They’re all staying home on the weekends”.
Merle Haggard, one of the greatest singers and songwriters, considers home from many perspectives. If you don’t know these songs, please, do yourself a wonderful favour. (Warning, sadness lies ahead):
Sing Me Back Home (set on death row)
I’m a Lonesome Fugitive (the highway is his home)
The Farmer’s Daughter (yep, farmhouse)
Swinging Doors (reflective insights of a barfly)
Mama’s Hungry Eyes (Okie refugees)
Again I might be drawing a bit of a long bow with some of these, but in any case…
Two of us: The Beatles
Chemistry: Mondo Rock
Resort girls: Australian Crawl
I’m on my way home again: Everly Brothers
Standin’ in the rain: Electric Light Orchestra
Is she really going out with him?: Joe Jackson
Haven’t we lost enough?: Crosby Stills and Nash
Thanks so much, Anon, for your major role in bringing up our half-century. Great stuff!
Thanks, Liam, for your additional song choices – and for your material about James Reyne. Whatever way one looks at it, he has a fine back catalogue of songs to draw upon in terms of selecting a live setlist.
Thanks again, Rick. Merle Haggard – now there’s an artist whose work I need to delve into more deeply. I’ll listen to your set of song choices with considerable interest.
The Home Run, Slim Dusty.
Glen!
Good morning KD
Funny how one thing leads to another. I’m still working on my next Dylan covers – Aussie style article and ‘lo & behold’ I decide to have a look at Chain’s recording history.
You may not believe this (I certainly don’t or didn’t ) but did you know their first single (1969) is:
Show Me Home
…and it’s a beauty & available on you tube!
If the song has been mentioned before – the list is getting too long to look back & check – I apologise.
Enjoy your Sunday….
Hi Karl. Thanks for Chain’s “Show Me Home’. I just had a listen to it and enjoyed it a great deal – the song certainly evokes a particular time in Oz music history, as well as Oz culture more generally.
Thanks, Glen, for Slim Dusty’s ‘The Home Run’. It’s got that instantly recognizable Dusty flavour, and some lovely fiddle and slide guitar work – Slim even throws in a yodel or two at one point. Wonderful!
Kevin, there’s a few songs in the Woody Guthrie discography that are worthy of consideration.
The best known is ‘ I Ain’t Got No Home In This World Anymore’. There’s a few lesser known songs such as ‘Church House Blues’, ‘Bed On The Floor’, as well as ‘Jig Along Home’.
Glen!
Re Slim, if When the Rain Tumbles Diwn in July hasn’t been noted, lock it in. What an incredible career he had and still his first song remains his best, or in the top 3.
Now, on to Bruce – here’s a few songs from across his discography, including one never officially released (easy guess), that highlight core themes he has mined imaginatively and sensitively and given listeners many an idea to ponder.
Based on this little search, there’s probably stacks more.
The Wish
Rosalita
Galveston Bay
The Klansman
You’re Missing
Racing in the Streets
The Wayfarer
Used Cars
Cautious Man
From Small Things Big Things One Day Come
Wreck on the Highway
London Town – Rolf Harris
This Little Girl’s Gone Rocking – Ruth Brown
Shrimp Boats – Jo Stafford.
Twenty Four Hours from Telsa – Gene Pitney.
Thanks, Glen. Great to see your inclusion of some Woody Guthrie songs in our ever-expanding songlist – they’re most certainly a welcome addition.
Cheers, Rick. Yes, ‘When the Rain Tumbles Down in July’ is a poetic beauty by Slim, very much thematically linked to the notion of ‘home’. Perhaps ‘Camooweal’, co-written and performed by Slim (as you know) – about ‘home’ lost, in a sense – is an equally deserving candidate for his best song. We’ve discussed this song in a past post of mine about Australian place name songs, as you may recall.
Thank you, also, for your impressive listing of relevant Springsteen material, too.
Thank you, Fisho, for your latest bunch of songs. To pick out one for comment – that is ‘Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa’, performed by Gene Pitney, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. What a finely crafted work, superbly sung! (And so relevant to our theme, too.)
While I’m thinking of it, I’ll put forward another song for our list, Billy Joel’s ‘You’re My Home’, from his second studio album, Piano Man. I believe ‘You’re My Home’ is probably among the top ten songs Joel ever wrote.
From their impossibly slick and stylised album Aja, Steely Dan’s Home At Last.
“Home Again” (2013) – Elton John
Hey KD
We’ve been missing Dylan so far in this ever expanding list of ‘songs about houses & rooms’.
Well, it seems that despite Dylan’s anthology of over 600 songs, ‘houses’ or ‘rooms’ don’t get a look in as far as song titles are concerned – (‘homesick blues’ excluded). Indeed, one needs to dig deeper and only then does one get a sense or fleeting glimpse of a ‘house’ or a ‘room’ within the lyrical landscape. I’ll offer a few examples from the 60’s:
Go away from my window, leave at your own chosen speed – It Ain’t Me Babe
With his wife & five children and his cabin fallin’ down – Ballad Of Hollis Brown
With half damp eyes I stared to the room, where my friends & I spent many an afternoon – BD’s Dream
As I turn my head back to the room, where my love & I have laid – One Too Many Morning
My love she’s like some raven, at my window with a broken wing – Love Minus Zero
His bedroom window is made out of brick – Maggie’s Farm
You walk into the room, with your pencil in your hand – Ballad Of A Thin Man
In this room the heat pipes just cough – Visions Of Johanna
And don’t go mistaking Paradise for that home across the road – Ballad of F. Lee & J. Priest
Here endeth the Dylan contribution to the list!
Jason Isbell – he’s all that and so much more
Dreamsicle
Elephant
Dress Blue
Alabama Pines
Codeine
Super 8
Cover Me Up
Something More Than Free
Hope the High Road
Letting You Go
King of Oklahoma
Outfit
Goddamn Lonely Love
A World of our Own – The Seekers
Get off my cloud – Rolling Stones
Shangrila – The Kinks
Hi Mickey – thanks for your super cool, jazzy contribution to this list.
And thanks, Anon, for your inclusion of Elton’s ‘Home Again’.
Thanks so much, Karl, for your Dylan contribution – excellently researched and superbly detailed, as always.
And thank you, Rick, for your Jason Isbell material – I really like pretty much everything of his that I’ve heard – what a talent!
Thanks, Col, for your trio of highly relevant, superb songs. For example, ‘Get Off Of My Cloud’ has always been a favourite of mine from the Stones.
They say in your father’s house, there’s many mansions
Each one of them got a fireproof floor
Thanks, DB, for Dylan’s “Sweetheart Like You’.
Silver Threads and Golden Needles – The Springfields
I Don’t Want to Play House – Tammy Wynette
Let’s have a Party – Wanda Jackson
Thank you, Fisho, for these three.
“I don’t like Mondays” – Boomtown Rats. In the lyrics, “She’s going to make them stay at home”.
“The Addams Family” TV theme song – Andrew Gold. In the lyrics, “Their house is a museum”.
“This Little Piggy Went To Market” – Bounce Patrol. lyrics, “This little piggy stayed home” as well as “And this little piggy cried wee wee wee all the way home”.
“Little Bo Beep Has Lost Her Sheep” – Little Baby Bum. In the lyrics, “And they will come home”.
“Send The Australians Home Parody” (To The Music of I Still Call Australia Home) – Colin Buchanan
“I Still Call Australia 51% Home” – The Chaser (Parody to the tune of I Still Call Australia Home)
“I Can’t Call Australia Home – Sammy J (Parody to the tune of I Still Call Australia Home)
All these songs can be found on YouTube.
Thanks, Anon – what an interesting and varied bunch of selections!
Another Kinks song is Come Dancing
And now, here’s a few from Dave Warner:
Australian Heat
Strange Night
Million Miles from Home
Joey Black
On the Weekend
We want a Kid
Buried in My Own Backyard
and of course,
Halftime at the Football
Fine stuff, Rick, as usual – always good to see our ‘larrikin poet laureate’, Dave Warner, well-represented.
“Home” songs about Vietnam and one other war.
John Prine – Sam Stone (came home To his wife and family After serving in the conflict overseas)
Buffy Sainte Marie – Moratorium – (“hey bring our brothers home”)
Russell Morris – Rachel’s Coming Home
Cold Chisel – Khe Sanh (“I was home to the lucky land”)
Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA (“Come back home to the refinery”)
Eric Bogle – And the Band played Waltzing Matilda (“So they gathered the crippled, the wounded, the maimed And they shipped us back home to Australia The legless, the armless, the blind, the insane Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla”
Thanks for your additional material, Dave – there’s a good bunch of relevant songs there, for sure.
And I’ll put forward another, a favourite of mine – ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ by Fergie: ‘But it’s time for me to go home /
It’s getting late, dark outside…’.
“Oh What a Night”, – Franki Valli & The Four Seasons: “Oh I, I got a funny feelin’ when she walked in the room.
We are now off the Devil’s number of 87, and only 2 sixes away from another well deserved century. It would be our 2nd century of the year by the Almanac Music Readers Team. “Come on Almanackers, Come On, Come On, Come on Almanackers Come On!”
“Alone Again (Naturally)” – Gilbert O’Sullivan”: “We may as well go home”.
“Hollywood Seven” – Jon English
There are several different relevant lyrics in this song:
“Looking’ for a room in the pourin’ rain”.
“Oh Hollywood Seven, rooms to rent, till your name goes up in lights”.
“So she started bringing’ strangers home”.
“She’d gone and brought the wrong one home this time”.
Thanks, Anon, for your latest choices – ‘Hollywood Seven’, in particular, brings back personal memories; in fact, I remember seeing ‘Ol’ Black Eyes’ (English) as a support act for Thin Lizzy and Wha-Koo at the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne in the late seventies, when I was a teenager.
And yes, we’re now moving towards another century – we’re certainly having a good season with these themed music posts!
Like an Angel Passing Through my Room – ABBA
Sparrow in the Tree Top – Guy Mitchell
Ballad of Paladin – theme from Have Gun Will Travel.
Three more good songs – thank you, Fisho. I particularly enjoyed listening to ABBA’s moody, atmospheric ‘Like an Angel Passing Through my Room’.
Hey KD
Just came across this rocker – and it fits the theme nicely:
Lee Rocker – The Highway Is My Home.
cheers, KD
Thanks, Karl, for this great little rockabilly number.
Please Don’t Bury Me by John Prine
Angel from Montgomery, by John Prine
Life’s Little Ups and Downs, by Charlie Rich
I Do My Swingin’ at Home, by Charlie Rich
Puttin’ in Overtime at Home, by Charlie Rich
Feel Like Going Home, by Charlie Rich
Many thanks for these, Rick – what a songlist we’ve all compiled here!
“Murder On The Dancefloor,” (2001), by Sophie Ellis-Bextor. In the lyrics:
“Gonna burn this goddamn house right down”, and
“Gonna turn this house around somehow”.
“A Hard Day’s Night”, by The Beatles.
In the lyrics, “When I’m home” and
“But when I get home to you”.
Ok. I have decided to bring the Almanac Music Readers Team ‘s 2nd century of the season. Another great team effort from everyone involved.
“Norwegian Wood”, by The Beatles.
In the lyrics, “She showed me her room”.
Thanks, Anon, for your latest choices.
And thanks to all who contributed to this excellent century!
“Monster Mash”, by Bobby Pickett (lyrics, To the master bedroom where the vampires eat”)
“Like a Rolling Stone”, by Bob Dylan (“How does it feel, how does it feel, to be without a home”) and (“How does it feel, how does it feel, to be on your own, with no direction home.”)
Thanks, Anon, you’ve certainly been very busy with your song choices today, across a wide variety of themes.
“Jump in my Car”, by Ted Mulry Gang (“Jump in my car, I want to take you home” and “But you just said that you’d take me home”).
Fair enough, Anon – ‘Jump in My Car’ definitely qualifies.
“It Never Rains in Southern California”, by Albert Hammond (“ Will you tell the folks back home I nearly made it? “)
“Save the Last Dance for Me”, by Michael Buble (“But don’t forget who’s takin’ you home”)
“Whistle While You Work”, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (“And as you sweep the room”)
Another good trio of songs – thanks, Anon.
“Milkshake”, by Village People “When they come home (when they come ho-o-me) from school (alright).”
“All My Loving”, by The Beatles (“I”ll write home every day”)
“House of the Rising Sun”, by The Animals
Does “Yelllow Submarine”, by The Beatles qualify?
In some way, it concerns the spaces we live in, such as a submarine.
“And we lived beneath the waves
In our yellow submarine”
“We all live in a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine.”
Thank you for your latest song choices, Anon – yes, ‘Yellow Submarine’ qualifies, for the reason you put forward.
“Who Can It Be Now?”, by Men at Work (“Stay away, don’t you invade my home.”)
“Love and other Bruises”, by Air Supply (“Won’t you please take me home?”)
“Baker Street”, by Gerry Rafferty (“You’re Goin’, you’re goin’ home”).
Thank you for your latest three, Anon. The notion of home is such a central one in popular song, isn’t it?
“You Light Up My Life”, by Debby Boone (“Could it be finally I’m heading for home?”)
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, by Elton John (“You can’t plant me in your penthouse.”)
Two more for the theme, Anon – thanks.
“Philadelphia Freedom”, by Elton John (“Some others choose the good old family home”.)
“Massachusetts”, by Bee Gees (“Something’s telling me I must go home.”)
“”L.A. International Airport”, by Susan Raye (“College kids are trying to get back home) and (“To fight the pain that’s making me leave home”).
“Where Do You Go To My Lovely?”, by Peter Starstedt (“You live in a fancy apartment.”)
“Walk On The Wild Side”, by Lou Reed (“In the back room she was everyone’s darling.”)
“Pasadena”, by John Paul Young (“There aint no other town that I call home”.)
“Your Song”, by Elton John (“I’d buy a big house where we both could live.”)
“You’re Movin Out Today”, by Carole Bayer Sager (“Get out of my house, you dirty”) and (“Perhaps you might enjoy a cottage by the sea”).
“Movin’ Out (Anthony’s song)”, by Billy Joel (“Who needs a house out in Hackensack? Is that what you get for your money?”)
Great, Anon – many thanks for your latest choices. Excellent material here!
“Morning Train”, by Sheena Easton (“He takes another home again”.)
Yes, ‘Morning Train’ – thanks, Anon.
Home is mentioned in so many songs, and often in ones one doesn’t immediately think of in relation to the theme.
“Another Day”, by Paul McCartney (“Alone in apartment, she’d dwell”)
Thank you, Anon.
“When I’m sixty-four”, by The Beatles (“Every summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight, if it’s not too dear.”)
“Dreadlock Holiday”, by 10cc (“You’d better understand that you’re alone, a long way from home.”)
“Jailhouse Rock”, by Elvis Presley
“Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)”, by Abba (“And I’m watching the late night show in my flat all alone”) and (“Blowing outside the window as I look across the room.”)
“When You’re In Love With a Beautiful Woman”, by Dr Hook (“Everybody wants to take your baby home.”)
“Green Green Grass of Home”, by Tom Jones
“ Da Ya Think I’m Sexy”, by Rod Stewart (“Is he gonna get this girl home? “) and (“ They catch a cab to his high-rise apartment.”)
“Sailing”, by Rod Stewart (“I am sailing, I am sailing home again, ‘cross the sea.”)
“Walk In The Room”, by The Searchers
“You Belong With Me”, by Taylor Swift (“Oh, I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night.”)
Wow, Anon – you have been very busy – thanks yet again!
“Angie Baby”, by Helen Reddy. There are several lyrics, relevant to this theme, unfortunately not with the best of intentions. (“Lovers appear in your room each night”), (“Stopping at her house is a neighbour boy”), (“Cause he’s been peaking in Angie’s room), (“When he walks in her room, he feels confused”)
Thanks for ‘Angie Baby’, Anon – yes, multiple references here.
“Emma” by Hot Chocolate (“You know sometimes she’d come home so depressed. I’d hear her crying in the back room.”)
Great song, ‘Emma’, by Hot Chocolate! Thank you, Anon.
And of course, of course, of course, while it’s on my mind, I’ll include ‘Depreston’ by Courtney Barnett, which is centrally about houses and rooms.
“Maggie”, by Rod Stewart (“You led me away from home.”)
“Reminiscing”, by Little River Band (“Friday night, it was late, I was walking you home”), (“Made us dance across the room”), (“And on the way back home I promised you’d never be alone”)
“Working My away Back to You”, by The Spinners “(You, you, babe) I just gotta get back home.”
Firstly, I should have typed the song title in my previous comment as “Working My Way Back to You”, by The Spinners.
“Forever and Always”, by Taylor Swift (“Oh, and it rains in your bedroom”) and (“Cause it rains in your bedroom”)
“Saving All My Love for You”, by Whitney Houston (“Cause I’d rather be home feeling blue”)
This is the 3rd occasion that the Almanac Music Readers have reached 150 for the season, following songs concerning animals and songs involving food.
Thanks, Anon, for your latest song choices. Good work, as usual, and deservedly you were the one who brought up our 150.
“Hello Again”, by Neil Diamond (“When I’m here alone and you’re there at home, Hello”)
“Mrs Robinson”, by Simon and Garfunkel (“Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home.”)
“Another Saturday night”, by Sam Cooke (‘Here it’s another weekend and I ain’t got nobody. Man if I was back home I’d be swinging two chicks on my arm.”)
Thanks for your latest trio of choices, A.
“Witchy Woman”, by Eagles “Crazy laughter in another room (woo-ooh)”
“Ding Dong the Wicked Witch is Dead”, from The Wizard of Oz (“Till one day from Kansas way a cycle caught a house”) and (“For the house fell on her head and the coroner pronounced her dead”)
Firstly, I meant to type in my previous comment that for “Ding Dong the Wicked Witch is Dead”“ (“Till one day from Kansas a cyclone caught a house”)
January”, by Pilot (“Bring me out of my home, sweet home.”)
Thanks for your latest three, Anon – good material.
“Mickey”, by Toni Basil (“Why can’t you say goodnight? So you can take me home Mickey”)
Thanks, Anon.
The mention of home reminds me of the fine Vika and Linda Bull song ‘When Will You Fall for Me?’, written by Mark Seymour, where the word (and idea of ) home is also used.
“Nutbush City Limits”, by Tina Turner (“A church house, gin house, A school house, outhouse”)
“Riders On The Storm”, by The Doors (“Into this house we’re born”)
Two good ‘uns there! Thanks, Anon.
“Fire”, by Pointer Sisters (“Late at night you’re takin’ me home”) and (“Take me home fire, now”)
You’re certainly ‘on fire’, Anon – if I may say so! Thanks for the Pointer Sisters song.
“Fat Bottomed Girls”, by Queen (“Are you gonna take me home tonight?), (Oh, won’t you take me home tonight”) and (“Now, I got mortgages on homes.”)
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, by Queen “I’m happy at home (I’m happy, happy at home.”)
“Trans Canada Highway”, by Gene Pitney (“And life was passing her by in a two room shack”) and (“Trans Canada Highway, take me home”)
“Lucille”, by Kenny Rogers (“From the lights of the barroom, to a rented hotel room.”)
Thank you for your latest, Anon.
To pick out two for comment…’Trans Canada Highway’ is a song I’ve always liked, but haven’t heard for ages, while ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ by Queen is one of my favourite songs by that band.
“Tenterfield Saddler”, by Peter Allen (‘52 years he sat on his veranda and made his saddles”)
“Cabaret”, by Liza Minnelli (‘What good is sitting alone in your room?”) and (“With whom I shared four sordid rooms in Chelsea”)
“I Saw Her Standing There”, by The Beatles (“When I crossed that room”)
“I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”, by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (“He said can I take you home, where we can be alone.”)
Four excellent song choices there, Anon. Thank you.
“Respect”, by Aretha Franklin “All I’m askin’ (oo) is for a little respect when you come home (just a little bit).”
“Happy”, by Pharrel Williams (“Clap along like a room without a roof”)
“Summer of ‘69”, by Bryan Adams (“Standin’ on your mama’s porch”)
Thank you, Anon, for your latest three.
‘Summer of ’69’ remais a personal favourite.
“When You’re Gone”, by Bryan Adams (“I’ve been wandering around the house all night wondering what the hell to do.”) and (“Well, the phone don’t ring, ‘cause my friends ain’t home.”)
“Dancing in the Dark”, by Bruce Springsteen (“I come home in the morning.”)
Tick, Anon – another very good song for the list.
Oh – and thanks for ‘When You’re Gone’, too.
“Born in the U.S.A.”, by Bruce Springsteen (“Got in a little hometown jam”)
Thank you, Anon!
“I Was Only 19 (In The Light Green)” by Redgum (“God help me, he was going home in June.”)
“Rocket Man”, by Elton John (“I’m not the man they think I am at home.”)
Yes, Anon, your latest two songs are ones where the notion of home is central.
“Girls Just Want To Have Fun”, by Cindi Lauper (“I come home in the morning light.”)
“Holy Grail”, by Hunters & Collectors (“We were so far from home.”)
Cheers, A – thank you for your latest two.
“Single Bed”, by Noosha Fox (“There ain’t no room for your sweet head.”) Let’s give the benefit of the doubt that it’s referring to no other room in the house rather than no place or space for the sweet head.
“You’re My Best Friend”, by Queen (“I’m happy, happy at home.”)
“9 to 5”, by Dolly Parton (“Tumble out of bed and stumble to the kitchen.”)
“Wuthering Heights”, by Kate Bush (“I’ve come home, I’m so cold. Let me in your window.”)
Four fine songs there, Anon – thanks.
“The Winner Takes It All”, by Abba (“Building me a home”)
“Do What You Wanna Do”, by Five Flights Up (‘You walk in the den, saying, honey it’s only a friend.”)
“Lido Shuffle”, by Boz Scaggs (“Lido missed the boat that day he left the shack.”)
“Chain Gang”, by Sam Cooke ‘I’m going home one of these days huh hah. I’m going home, see my woman huh hah.”
Congratulations to all the Almanac Music Readers for our 2nd double century of the season!
Thanks so much, Anon, for your latest choices – and for bringing up our double ton!
“Chain of Fools”, by Aretha Franklin (“My father said, Come on home.”)
“Sam”, by Olivia Newton-John (“Empty rooms, there’s much too much space now”)
“Save Your Kisses for Me”, by Brotherhood of Man (“But I count the seconds ‘til I’m home with you.”)
“Day After Day”, by Badfinger (“Looking out from my lonely room”)
Diversity among these four choices – thanks, Anon.
“Cecilia”, by Simon & Garfunkel (“I’m begging you please to come home, come on home.”) and (“Up in my bedroom”)
Thanks, A, for this great addition.
“Silver Lady”, by David Soul (“Here I am a million miles away from home.”)
First time David Soul has been in one of our themed lists, as far as I can recall, Anon – thanks.
“It Must Have Been Love”, by Roxette (“I woke up lonely, this air of silence in the bedroom and all around.”)
“Guitar Man”, by Bread (“And some words to call your own and take them home”)
“I Am a Rock”, by Simon & Garfunkel (“Hiding in my room, safe within my womb”)
Three good songs there, Anon – many thanks.
“Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree”, by Tony Orlando & Dawn (“I’m comin’ home, I’ve done my time.”)
Please disregard my last comment because it’s just dawned on me that I had previously mentioned “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” in these comments on March 2, 2024.
Instead, I shall replace it with “Gold”, by Spandau Ballet (“Thank you for coming home. Sorry that the chairs are all worn.”)
Thanks, Anon, for ‘Gold’.
“I Am… I Said”, by Neil Diamond (“L.A’s fine, but it ain’t home. New York’s home, but it ain’t mine no more.”)
“No Milk Today”, by Herman’s Hermits (“A terraced house in a mean street back of town”)
“I’m Into Something Good”, by Herman’s Hermits (“I walked her home and she held my hand.”)
Thanks, Anon, for your latest three songs concerning ‘houses and rooms’. (And, jeez, Herman’s Hermits had some incredibly catchy songs, didn’t they?)
“Delilah”, by Tom Jones (“I crossed the street to her house and she opened the door.”)
“Last Train to Clarksville”, by The Monkees” (“And I don’t know if I’m ever coming home”)
“One Way Or Another”, by Blondie (“I will drive past your house and if the lights are all down, I’ll see who’s around.”)
“America”, by Neil Diamond (“Far, we’ve been travelling far without a home.”), (“They’re coming to America, home don’t it seem so far away.”) and (“ Oh, we’re travelling light today in the eye of the storm, in the eye of the storm, home to a new and shiny place.”)
Many thanks for your most recent selections, Anon – this theme concerning houses and rooms appears to have particularly inspired you!
“(Sitting On) The Dock of the Bay”, by Otis Redding (“I left my home in Georgia”) and (“Two thousand miles I roam, just to make this dock my home.”)