500 miles away from home

I guess for you young readers, I'am 100% certain that you will have never heard this song your before. The song that I'am going to write about is called "500 Miles away from home". This song was first heard in public in 1961 which if, you like history lesson is during the Vietnam war, right??

Here are the lyrics

500 MILES AWAY FROM HOME
Bobby Bare

I'm 500 miles away from home
Teardrops fell on momma's note
When I read the things she wrote
She said we miss you son we love you come on home
Well I didn't have to pack
I had it all right on my back
Now I'm 500 miles away from home
Away from home away from home
Cold and tired and all alone
Yes, I'm 500 miles away from home

SPOKEN: I know this is the same road I took the day I left home,
but it sure looks different now. And I guess I look
different too, cause time changes everything. I wonder what
they'll say, when they see their boy looking this bad.

Oh I wonder what they'll say when I get home
Can't remember when I ate
It's just thumb and walk and wait
And I'm still 500 miles away from home
If my luck had been just right
I'd be with them all tonight
But I'm 500 miles away from home
Away from home away from home
Oh I'm still 500 miles away from home

From my prespective this song tell about a traveler that is far-far away from home and and the song tells that he is finally coming back and wonders how the people that he loves will react. But if we think more critically, lets consider that 500 miles is not 500 miles, but it describes a very very far away distance, and let also consider Well I didn't have to pack, I had it all right on my back which means that this guy is carrying a back back and that this song was created during the vietnamese war..

So, this song is basicly an indirect protest made by the song writer on the U.S goverment decision to attack Vietnam, which they unfortunatly lost a lot of Good men. During this time periode, lots of folks song with 'coming home themes" apeared, such as Take Me home Country Roads, Green-green Grass of Home, Dear John and lots more. Song that have a sad theme to its lyrics.

I quite like this song (because I am old and have back pains) so i hope you will enjoy it too.

(there are 2 versions,piano version, and The Bobby Bare Version