Homeward Bound (Simon & Garfunkel song)

"Homeward Bound" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel written by Paul Simon and produced by Bob Johnston. The song was released as a single on January 19, 1966 by Columbia Records.

"Homeward Bound"
Single by Simon & Garfunkel
from the album Sounds of Silence (UK), Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (US)
B-side"Leaves That Are Green"
ReleasedJanuary 19, 1966 (1966-01-19)
RecordedDecember 14, 1965
GenreFolk rock
Length2:30
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Paul Simon
Producer(s)Bob Johnston
Simon & Garfunkel singles chronology
"The Sound of Silence"
(1965)		 "Homeward Bound"
(1966)		 "I Am a Rock"
(1966)

The song appears on the duo's third studio album, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966), although it was recorded during the sessions for their second album Sounds of Silence and included on that album in the UK. It was their second single, the follow-up to their enormously successful breakthrough hit "The Sound of Silence". It performed very well domestically, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining on the charts for 12 weeks. Internationally, the song performed best in Canada, where it hit number two; it was also a top five hit in the Netherlands.

A live version of the song is included on the compilation Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits, and it was also performed during the duo's legendary 1981 reunion, The Concert in Central Park.

Background
A plaque commemorating the song at the Widnes railway station.

"Homeward Bound" was written by Paul Simon after returning to England in the spring of 1964. He had previously spent time in Essex, and he became a nightly fixture at the Railway Hotel in Brentwood, beginning that April.[1] He was reeling from his brief period in the Greenwich Village folk scene, as well as the recording of his first album with Art Garfunkel, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., which he anticipated would be a failure.[2] During this time, he 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.[2] Following a performance in Widnes, Simon was dropped off at Widnes train station for a train to his next gig in Humberside.[3] He had been missing Chitty's company and he began to write "Homeward Bound" on a scrap of paper.[4]

A plaque commemorating this claim to fame is displayed on the Liverpool bound platform of Widnes railway station,[5] though it is possible that the station being mentioned may have been Ditton (Junction). This alternate conclusion is largely based on Ditton serving the route to London, which Widnes does not and did not. Simon is quoted as saying "[i]f you'd ever seen Widnes, then you'd know why I was keen to get back to London as quickly as possible."[6] However, Simon was on tour at the time and was next headed for Humberside and would have been better served by Widnes station, to get there via Manchester. Also, Geoff Speed's recollections (Simon's host in Widnes, who also owned the Widnes Folk Club Simon played at), specifically refer to dropping Simon off at Widnes station rather than Ditton Junction.[7][8]

On other occasions Simon has suggested that the Station in question might have been in Warrington, however due to the proximity of Warrington with Wigan and Widnes, and the passage of time, the place names can be confused by non-locals.[9]Also, trains from Widnes heading east pass through Warrington Central on the way to Manchester and beyond, which may also explain either the confusion, or suggest Simon may have been writing the song between stations. Given the available rail routes and Speed's recollections, it is most likely the station being referenced by Paul Simon in the song, is Widnes.

Chitty is mentioned in several other Simon & Garfunkel songs, most notably "Kathy's Song" and "America". In their 1969 hit "The Boxer", Simon alludes to a railway station, a possible reference to "Homeward Bound".[10]

Billboard described the song as an "interesting off-beat rhythm number."[11] Cash Box described the single as a "catchy, low-down blues-tinged folk-styled ode about a wanderin’ lad who is finally going back to his hometown gal" that "should speedily move up the hitsville path."[12]

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Silver 200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

  • Simon performed "Homeward Bound" with George Harrison on the November 20, 1976 episode of Saturday Night Live. Both sang some of their solo hits, and also performed "Here Comes the Sun" together.[25] Their duet of "Homeward Bound" appeared on the benefit album Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal.
  • A video of the duet with Harrison from SNL was also included in a DVD release titled "Paul Simon and Friends". In May of 2007 the Library of Congress invited musicians and artists to perform together in Washington, D.C., to honor Paul Simon who received the first Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Alison Krauss, Stevie Wonder, Lyle Lovett, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Marc Anthony, Art Garfunkel and others all performed.

See also

Notes

    References
    1. Eliot 2010, p. 48.
    2. Eliot 2010, p. 49.
    3. "The hit man and his mate; Geoff Speed has a very special reason for being in the audience at tonight's Big Top concert by music legend Paul Simon, as JANE GALLAGHER reports . . . - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
    4. Eliot 2010, p. 50.
    5. GADFLY - Paul's fair deal for Scarborough Northern Echo (Darlington); 7 June 2006; MIKE AMOS; p. 11
    6. Backtrack - BACKTRACK BRIEFS . . . Northern Echo (Darlington); 21 November 2008; Mike Amos; p. 11
    7. "The hit man and his mate; Geoff Speed has a very special reason for being in the audience at tonight's Big Top concert by music legend Paul Simon, as JANE GALLAGHER reports . . . - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
    8. "Disused Stations: Ditton Station". www.disused-stations.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
    9. Skavlan, Fredrik (presenter), Simon, Paul (interviewee) (30 Sep 2016). Paul Simon - Homeward Bound - Live on Skavlan. Sveriges Television. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19.
    10. Eliot 2010, p. 103.
    11. "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. January 29, 1966. p. 16. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
    12. "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. February 5, 1966. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
    13. Steffen Hung. "Simon & Garfunkel - Homeward Bound". Swisscharts.com. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
    14. "RPM 100". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 28 March 1966. Archived from the original on 2 October 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
    15. Flavour of New Zealand, 27 May 1966
      • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
    17. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
    18. "Official Charts Company - Simon And Garfunkel". archive.is. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
    19. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
    20. "Hot 100". Billboard. 26 March 1966. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
    21. Cash Box Top 100 Singles, April 2, 1966
    22. Musicoutfitters.com
    23. "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 24, 1966". Archived from the original on February 17, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
    24. "British single certifications – Simon & Garfunkel – Homeward Bound". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
    25. "Saturday Night Live" Paul Simon/George Harrison (TV Episode 1976) - IMDb, retrieved 2020-03-28

    Sources
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