Come Back to Me
Journey of Longing: Little Willie John's Plea to Come Back
Lyrics
Hear my voice, where you are, take a train, steal a car,
Hear my voice, wherever you are, whether you need to take a train or steal a car.
Hop a freight, grab a star, come back to me.
Encouraging various means of transportation, from hopping a freight to reaching for a star, urging the person to come back.
Catch a flame, catch a breeze, on your hand, on your knees,
Metaphorically suggesting catching a flame or breeze, perhaps signifying passion, and asking the person to return, even on their hands and knees.
Swim up high, only please come on back to me.
Encouraging the person to overcome challenges ("swim up high") and return, emphasizing the plea for their presence.
On a mule, in a jet, with your hair in a net,
Playful imagery of unconventional modes of travel, expressing a lack of concern as long as the person returns.
In a shower wet, I don't care.
Expressing a lack of concern about superficial details, like wet hair in a shower, as long as the person comes back.
This is where you should be, from the hills to the shore,
Stating that the person should be with the speaker, from hills to shore, underlining the strong desire for their presence.
By the wind to my door, raise the highway dust,
Describing the journey back, from wind to door, raising highway dust, and suggesting breaking the law to return if necessary.
Break the law if you must, throw the world, only just
Encouraging extreme measures to come back, even suggesting throwing the world, emphasizing the urgency of the request.
Come back to me.
Repeating the central plea for the person to come back to the speaker.
Blast your hide, you recall, must I fight City hall
Expressing frustration, asking if the person recalls their past actions, and questioning the need to fight against obstacles like City Hall.
Here and now, damn it all, come on back to me,
Urging the person to come back despite difficulties, using strong language to convey frustration and impatience.
Where on earth must I be, still I yell till I'm blue,
Expressing confusion about the person's whereabouts and emphasizing the speaker's persistence in yelling until the person returns.
In control then when you come on back to me.
Describing a sense of control when the person returns, highlighting the relief and joy associated with their presence.
Have you gone to the moon, or the corner saloon
Raising questions about the person's location, whether on the moon or in a local saloon, emphasizing the urgency of their return.
And to crack and to croon, oh my girl, where in hell can you be?
Expressing concern and frustration about the person's activities and whereabouts, using strong language ("hell") to convey emotion.
In a crate, in a trunk, on a horse, on a junk,
Listing various modes of transportation, suggesting that it doesn't matter how the person returns, as long as they do.
In a road or a van, wrapped in mink or saran,
Describing different possible situations or states of being, emphasizing the speaker's openness to any circumstance as long as the person returns.
Anyway that you can, came back to me,
Reiterating the plea for the person to come back using various phrasings.
Come back to me, come back to me, come back,
Repeating the urgent plea for the person to come back, emphasizing the emotional intensity of the request.
Come back to me, me!
Final repetition of the plea, concluding the song with a strong desire for the person to return.
Comment