Detroit City
Longing for Home: Jerry Lee Lewis' Detroit City Dream
Lyrics
I want to go home, I want to go home,
Expressing a strong desire to return home.
Oh Lord, I want to go home.
Reiterating the longing to go back home, invoking a spiritual appeal by addressing the Lord.
Last night I went to sleep in Detroit city,
Recalling a recent experience of falling asleep in Detroit city.
And I dreamed about those cotton fields and home,
Dreaming about nostalgic elements like cotton fields and home.
I dreamed about my mother, dear old papa, sister and brother,
Dreaming about family members - mother, father, sister, and brother.
And I dreamed about that girl, who's been waitin' for so long
Dreaming about a girl who has been patiently waiting.
I want to go home, I want to go home,
Reiterating the strong desire to go back home.
Oh Lord, I want to go home
Repeating the plea to the Lord to facilitate the return home.
Home folks think I'm big in Detroit city,
People in his hometown perceive him as successful in Detroit.
From the letters that I write they think I'm fine,
His letters create an impression of well-being, though the reality is different.
But by day I make the cars, and by night I make the bars,
Describing his work routine, highlighting the dual life of labor and nightlife.
If only they could read between the lines
Expressing a wish for others to understand the hidden struggles between the lines of his letters.
I want to go home, I want to go home,
Reiterating the strong desire to go back home.
Oh Lord, I want to go home
Repeating the plea to the Lord for assistance in returning home.
You know, I rode a freight train north to Detroit city,
Reflecting on a journey to Detroit, realizing it was time wasted.
And after all these years I find I've just been wasting my time,
Deciding to discard pride and return home via a southbound freight.
So I think I'll take my foolish pride, put it on a southbound freight and ride,
Expressing a commitment to return to those left behind.
Go on back to the ones I left, who've been waitin' for so long
Referencing the people who have been waiting for his return for a long time.
I want to go home, I want to go home,
Reiterating the strong desire to go back home.
Oh Lord, I want to go home.
Closing with a plea to the Lord to facilitate the return home.
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