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Homeward Bound (WORD)
Homeward Bound (PDF)
You'll note that for this songsheet, I actually put in chord boxes for each bar (measure) and instead of counting in 4, I put the count in 2 to try to make the timing easier to follow. I've taken some license with the intro and outro to make it workable for group play - we'll see how it goes!
Simon wrote "Homeward Bound" during his time in England, possibly while waiting for a train at Widnes railway station near Liverpool.
"Homeward Bound" 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 breakthrough hit "The Sound of Silence". "Homeward Bound" performed very well domestically, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining on the charts for 12 weeks. It reached number two in Canada, and was a top-five hit in the Netherlands.
"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. 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. Chitty is mentioned in several other Simon & Garfunkel songs, most notably "Kathy's Song" and "America".