"Homeward Bound" | ||||
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Single by Simon and Garfunkel | ||||
from the album Sounds of Silence [UK], Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme [US] | ||||
Released | January 19, 1966 | |||
Format | 7" | |||
Recorded | December 14, 1965 | |||
Genre | Folk rock | |||
Length | 2:42 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Writer(s) | Paul Simon | |||
Producer(s) | Bob Johnston | |||
Simon and Garfunkel singles chronology | ||||
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"Homeward Bound" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their 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. Produced by Bob Johnston, the song was released as a single on January 19, 1966 by Columbia Records. Written by Paul Simon, the song was composed in 1964 during his period in England. Away from his girlfriend, Kathy Chitty, while touring clubs, Simon felt depressed and homesick. He first penned the song on a scrap of paper at Widnes railway station.
"Homeward Bound" was the duo's second single, the follow-up to their enormously successful breakthrough hit "The Sound of Silence". It performed very well domestically, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining on the charts for 12 weeks. Internationally, the song performed best in Canada, where it hit number two; it was also a top five hit in the Netherlands.
"Homeward Bound" was written after Simon returned to England in the spring of 1964. He had previously spent time in Essex, and he became a nightly fixture at the Railway Hotel in Brentwood, beginning that April. He was reeling from his brief period in the Greenwich Village folk scene, as well as the recording of his first album with Art Garfunkel, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., which he anticipated would be a failure. During this time, he 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 Liverpool, Simon was at Widnes railway station, waiting for the early morning milk train to London. He had been missing Chitty's company and he began to write "Homeward Bound" on a scrap of paper.