This song wasn’t released during the lifetime of the original band. It was -released on the album Skynyrd’s First and…Last in 1978 a year after the plane crash.
The album was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama in 1971-1972. It was originally intended to be their debut album but it was shelved, making (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd) their actual debut.
There are some really good songs on this posthumous album . Personally I wished this song would have made the debut album. The song is about being out on the road touring and finally making it back home. It was written by Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins. The song doesn’t have the crisp production of the debut album Prounounced but it’s a good song.
Ronnie Van Zant was a great and sometimes under rated songwriter. The band members have said that he never wrote lyrics down on paper. The band would be practicing and he would hear a riff or a chord progression he liked and would tell them to keep going through it over and over. After thinking about it he would start singing what he came up with.
A year or so before the crash Ronnie thought venturing into country music. One of his musical influences was Merle Haggard.
Comin’ Home
It’s been so long since I’ve been gone
Another day might be too long for me
Traveling around I’ve had my fill
Of broken dreams and dirty deals
A concrete jungle surrounding me
Many nights I’ve slept out in the streets
I paid my dues and I changed my style
Seen hard times, all over now
I want to come home. It’s been so long since I’ve been away
And please, don’t blame me ’cause I’ve tried
I’ll be coming home soon to your love, to stay
I miss old friends that I once had
Times ain’t changed and I’ll be glad when I go home
I don’t know why the thought came to me
But why I’m here I really can’t see, and now
I want to come home. It’s been so long since I’ve been away
And please, don’t blame me ’cause I’ve tried
I’ll be coming home soon to your love, to stay
Coming home to stay
Coming home to your love, mama
I’ve seen better days
I miss old friends that I once had
Times ain’t changed and I’ll be glad when I go home
I don’t know why the thought came to me
But why I’m here I really can’t see, and now
I want to come home. it’s been so long since I’ve been away
And please, don’t blame me ’cause I’ve tried
I’ll be coming home soon to your love, to stay
Coming home to stay
Coming home to your love, mama
I’ve seen better days
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This sounds mighty sweet, Max. For the longest time, I had only known the iconic “Sweet Home Alabama.” Once I started exploring Skynyrd, I quickly realized there’s much more to the band than this great tune. I don’t believe I’ve listened to that album you noted, “Skynyrd’s First and…Last”. Gotta check it out.
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They really were a classic rock band…and you can hear the British influences as well as southern. Cream, Stones, and the Beatles were big influences with them.
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not bad. I never knew about the album or it preceding their “first” one. song sounds a bit country, which I think is probably an essential component of “southern” rock.
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It reminds me a little of Simple Man.
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yes, somewhat…another good kind of countryish track
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Really good southern Rock and this song could have been done by the Allman Brothers or Marshal Tucker, in my opinion.
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I run hot and cold with them. I’m sick of Freebird & Sweet Home Alabama but, this is good.
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Oh yea…I’m tired of their hits…VERY tired of their hits but they had such great album songs.
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This ones nice – I like the piano.
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I have this on The Essential compilation. They can’t do wrong by me, that’s for sure! (Don’t have the album it first appeared on – may have to to scout that one out.) Sad song from a tragic band, though. It just doesn’t seem right the original members are all gone so early.
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I know…I still think if they would not have had that plane crash…they would have been as big if not bigger than Aerosmith at least. You saw them…from what I’ve seen on film and read…they were fantastic live.
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Oh yes! Lucky to have seen the original band twice. Both fantastic shows – just as I like them…. no gimmicks; no props; no pretentious posing. Just good ol’ fashioned, no frills, kick ass, rock n roll. 🙂
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I’ve seen where their special effects just included a disco ball…that was all it took
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