A good friend of mine recently asked me why I never went on vacation or even just took a few days off to go away for a change. I told her that with the exception of the past ten years, most of my adult life was spent on the road traveling through Europe, the United States, and all across Canada.
When I bought my little farm here in Ormstown, I fell in love with the land and the beautiful little town that would become my home. In all the years that I have lived here, besides having to go on the road to work, I have never felt the need to travel anymore.
The work I do here with my partner, taking care of the land and the animals, is like a vacation compared to what I used to do.
Being on the road for so long, sometimes I would get very sad and lonely, and I would miss my home and family. I would travel back to Mississippi to visit my mom and dad once or twice a year, but never for more than a week or so.
This is a song I wrote when I was living in England. It is from my album Grits and Cornbread that I recorded with Peter Frampton. There were many amazing musicians that played on that album. Those of you who are familiar with popular British musicians will know of these talented guys: Andy Bown, keyboards and bass; Mike Kellie, drums; and the guys that played horns with the Rolling Stones, Bobby Keys and Jim Price. Also, my besties at the time, Madeline Bell and Doris Troy, were on backing vocals.
Going Home
Twenty dollars in my pocket, I don’t know where to go.
I’ve been on the road since I was sixteen.
Now at twenty-five, I’ve been more places,
Done more things than most folks do, but
I’ve seen the world, and now all I want to do is
Go back home.
There’s been times when I’ve been rich, times when I’ve been poor.
I’ve had my share of the good and the bad.
And now when I think of all the times I spent walkin’ lonely,
It makes me sad, and now all I wanna do is go back home.
I can smell the fried chicken in the pan in the kitchen
And the fragrance of the flowers in the garden,
And when I think how long ago I left all that behind,
Honey, now that I look back I think I must have been blind.
Twenty dollars in my pocket, I don’t know where to go.
I’ve been on the road since I was sixteen.
Now at twenty-five, I’ve been more places,
Done more things than most folks do, but
I’ve seen the world, and now all I want to do is
Go back home.