There are some themes that, no matter the genre of son. will always be sung about. The feeling of home, whether it be missing home, loving those who are at home, or just being happy about being home, is a hugely popular theme that has inspired tons of famous artists.
You might choose to listen to songs about home when you’re feeling sad and missing it A great option for that mood is Flora Cash’s Missing Home’ (‘Even though I love the road I’m missing home somehow”).
Or you might want to think about all the good things waiting for you at home, which is the perfect mood to listen to James Arthur’s Quite Miss Home’ (“I quite miss home and I miss you telling me to leave my shoes at the door’).
If you are feeling nostalgic about the thought of home and remember a past home fondly, you might like Bon Jovi’s Who Says You Can’t Go Home’ (‘Who says you can’t go home? There’s only one place they call me one of their own”).
Whatever you feel about home, there will be a song to match your mood. Below are 25 of the best songs about home to comfort, entertain, and inspire you.
When I Get Home by The Beatles
Starting the list is this upbeat tune by one of the most famous bands of all time. It’s the perfect song to listen to if you’re on your way home and feeling really excited about the things and people waiting for you there.
It was written by John Lennon, though credited to the Lennon-McCartney partnership formed by two of The Beatles’ members (called the most successful musical collaboration of all time!), in 1964. The song features on the band’s third album.
Hearing the band’s fantastic voices sing “I got a whole lot of things to tell her when I get home” will spur you on towards the one you love who is waiting for you.
With this lively tune in your ear, you’ll definitely be walking home with a spring in your step!
Leaving Home Ain’t Easy by Queen
Second on the list is this more relaxed song by another of the most legendary bands ever to exist. Queen. It was written by the band’s guitarist (and astrophysicist!) Brian May and featured on Queen’s seventh album. May also sang all the vocals, including the lead harmony, and bridge.
This may be one of Queen’s lesser-known tracks, but it has a lovely relaxing feel about it that reminds you of long days spent at home with glorious peace of mind. The lyrics suggest that the man thinking about leaving home looks on it as a difficult time, but remembers those days fondly.
Listening to May croon “leavin’ home ain’t easy. Oh I never thought it would be easy, leavin’ on your own’ will have you reminiscing about the process of moving away from home and all you know and love.
This song is a great choice to listen to in the evening when you’re hit with a sudden rush of nostalgia for the past.
My Way Home Is Through You by My Chemical Romance
The first few notes played on a guitar are all the warning you get before you’re immediately overwhelmed with just under three minutes of fast- paced music and vocals. In true My Chemical Romance style, you can celebrate the feeling of home without the song making you feel sad.
This song features on the band’s widely known album The Black Parade: The B-Sides. It was written by lead singer Gerard Way. My Chemical Romance’s signature alternative rock may not be the genre for everyone, but My Way Home Is Through You’ certainly makes for an interesting song to listen to.
The lyrics can be taken to have several meanings. They mention several acts of violence, including “gonna take off all my skin, tear apart all of my insides” and “we salute you in your grave”. The man wants to get back to something, though “home” could mean his literal home (so that he can “get back in her arms”), or his true sense of self.
If you’re a fan of alternative rock then this is the perfect song to listen to when you’re thinking about home.
Who Says You Can’t Go Home by Bon Jovi
This song was written by Jon Bon Jovi for the band’s ninth album. It is a love song for his New Jersey roots and all the things that he experienced growing up. The lyrics suggest that, despite all the excitement of fame and fortune, you cannot replace the feeling of home.
The line “you take the home from the boy. but not the boy from his home” indicates that we never really change because of how important our roots are. And the protagonist recognizes the impact that home has had on him because “It doesn’t matter where you go. If it’s a million miles away or just ten miles up the road”.
For a band most famous for their rocking hit Livin’ On A Prayer’. Who Says You Can’t Go Home’ is a refreshing tune that targets the personal. But don’t worry because this song has the band’s signature fast-paced accompaniment, and the addition of Jennifer Nettles’ vocals is most welcome.
You’re My Home by Billy Joel
This wonderful song takes pride of place on Billy Joel’s second album. Like the rest of his songs, you take note of the fantastic music, but it is the vocals that make it. Joel’s distinctive voice guides the listener on a relaxed journey of love.
He declares that ‘wherever we’re together, that’s my home”, suggesting that the sense of home in this song is metaphorical. For Joel, home is something you create yourself by building relationships with other people. His confession of ‘I never had a place that I could call my very own. That’s all right, my love, cause you’re my home” is sincere.
Though it first came out in 1973. this song is timeless, as are the messages of love, longing, and feeling content. The piano showcases Joel’s many talents, but it is the lyrics that pack the biggest punch.
Watching You Without Me by Kate Bush
The first song on this list by a female singer comes from legendary pop artist Kate Bush. Her hugely successful album Hounds of Love features a B-side of storytelling.
That side of songs (known collectively as The Ninth Wave’) tells the tale of a woman washed into the water. Knowing that she will likely drown, the woman has an out-of-body experience in which she appears at home and observes her lover. She tries to communicate with him. but he cannot see or hear her.
Bush’s unique voice sings the gentle melody of this song perfectly, and the sense of longing for home is emphasized by “there’s a ghost in our home just watching you without me”.
As the soft, pining melody gives way to the woman’s frantic cries of “talk to me! Talk to me!”, you’ll feel both away from home and right there where you should be.
Quite Miss Home by James Arthur
James Arthur’s soothing voice coupled with some emotive lyrics are staples for a good song, but Quite Miss Home’ is definitely one of his most relatable tracks. It was written by Arthur and four other songwriters and featured on his third album.
The lyrics are about pining for home when you’re “Gone on business” because distance is difficult and a lot of the time, you have to leave the ones you love behind for a while. Arthur croons that ‘all these memories feel poignant’ because home is constantly on his mind.
The feeling of home seems to be a comfort, though, even when you miss it. Arthur sings that home “feels like poetry when the rain falls down on the window, while you’re in my arms and we’re watching the TV”. Everything about home is wholesome and comforting, and the feeling of missing it is something we can all identify with.
This song will make you want to hug your loved ones tightly.
Home To You by Sigrid
She’s a rising star in the music industry, and Norwegian pop singer Sigrid has some great tracks behind her, Home To You’ does not feature on an album because it is part of the soundtrack for 2019 adventure film The Aeronauts.
This song has a lovely vibe, created by Sigrid’s vocals and the accompanying piano. The sense of reminiscence is strong, with the sanctity and familiarity of the home being pushed to the forefront. Because no matter how exciting the world is, ‘there’s a place by the sea and that’s my town.”
If you want to be able to relax and think fondly about your home then this is the song for you. The heart-touching final line, “would it be okay if I came home to you?,” will make you long for your home every time you’re away from it.
And getting to know the soundtrack may even interest you in watching the movie.
South London Forever by Florence and the Machine
This song explores all the happiness and heartache that comes with growing up through the lens of a woman reminiscing about her home. It features on the band’s fourth album and was written by lead singer Florence Welch and producer Brett Shaw.
The memories recalled are all specific things that most people can relate to. such as being ‘young and drunk and stumbling in the street”. The feeling of home is encapsulated by the entire city because all of our experiences leave their own marks on our hometowns.
Florence and the Machine have a distinctive style that manifests differently on every album, and the upbeat tone of this song will have you recalling your own memories of home fondly.
Missing Home by Flora Cash
Though it may sound like one person. Flora Cash is actually a pop duo, consisting of Cole Randall and Shpresa Lleshaj. Missing Home’ appeared on their most recent album, and it tells a story of longing to be at home.
In this song, home doesn’t just exist anywhere because there are specific memories and emotions that we attach to our ideas of home. The protagonist acknowledges that they’re missing home even though they “love the road” and are “mining gold”.
The message seems to be that home really is where the heart is because “hard days” and “long nights” are all worth it to get you closer to home again. And. for musical artists, missing home would be quite a common thing. It is one thing that you’ll find most relatable when listening to the song, especially with the duo’s soothing vocals.
Hometown Glory by Adele
She’s one of the biggest female singers in the music industry now, but Adele had to start somewhere. Hometown Glory’ is her debut single, released all the way back in 2007. It was the first single on her 2008 debut album.
This song was the product of a ten-minute song writing session when Adele was just 16 years old. Hometown Glory’ and its declaration that ” round my hometown. memories are fresh” are Adele’s rebuttals against her mother’s attempts to convince her to leave home for university.
The lyrics appreciate things like how “the air is so thick and opaque” in the city and there are ‘cracks in the pavement’. Every detail of a place is what makes it a home, and that feeling of home is irreplaceable.
Listening to this song will give you a look straight into the mind of Adele when she was just starting out.
Home Is Where The Heart Is by Elvis Presley
It’s a common saying. but Elvis Presley’s Home Is Where The Heart Is’ stands out from all the others. It was part of the soundtrack for his 1962 movie Kid Galahad. in which he plays a boxer. Songwriters Sherman Edwards and Hal David wrote this song.
The song isn’t long at all. just four short verses. but the lyrics really pack a punch. It romanticizes the idea of home as somewhere you are when you’re with the one you love. as suggested by the repeated line “anywhere you are is home”.
Home for some may be a place, but for others it may be a person. And most often you need both to fully achieve the home that you want. As the lyrics go, you ‘don’t need a mansion on a hill that overlooks the sea” because home is what you make it.
The movie was touted as one of Presley’s best, so you could watch it to hear the song in action.
Home Again by Elton John
This song is a leap into nostalgia, first featured on Elton John’s twenty-ninth album. With so many accomplishments under his belt, hearing John still manage to create new material is exciting, especially when the material becomes more personal.
The most poignant line is definitely “we all dream of leaving, but wind up in the end spending all our time trying to get back home again’. John highlights perfectly how. no matter the adventures we go on or the things we seek out we will always have a safe space waiting for us.
John’s signature piano is the perfect accompaniment to the lyrics of this song, making it a nice ballad to listen to in the evening. With the subtler music, more attention is drawn to the vocals and the message they are trying to send.
A House Is Not A Home by Aretha Franklin
She’s not renowned as the Queen of Soul for nothing. and Aretha Franklin belts out yet another masterpiece with this song. The original version of this song is attributed to the legendary Luther Vandross, and Franklin injects even more passion into the lyrics as her version featured on the album So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross.
Vandross sadly died in 2005. prompting the release of an album dedicated to him with his songs being sung by other famous artists. Aretha’s rendition of A House Is Not A Home’ hits all the right notes, both literally and figuratively.
The protagonist pines for the one they love because “a chair is not a house and a house is not a home when there’s no one there to hold you tight.” Franklin’s beautiful voice was definitely the right choice for this heart-touching song.
Once the track has finished, you’ll want nothing more than to ‘Turn this house into a home.”
Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran
This song starts off right at the beginning. with a six-year-old Ed Sheeran breaking his leg in his hometown. After that. the entire song is just upbeat musical nostalgia in which Sheeran recalls his journey from small town boy to one of the most famous current artists.
Castle On The Hill’ was written by Sheeran and Benny Blanco and features on Sheeran’s third album. The titular castle is Framlingham Casde in Sheeran’s native Suffolk. The song has been described as “a love letter to Suffolk”.
The melody is fast paced but it probes deeply. especially during the bridge when Sheeran reflects on the difficulties that some of his friends have suffered. such as how “one’s brother overdosed”. But the verses and choruses are accompanied by powerful guitar builds as Sheeran reflects on “smoking hand-rolled cigarettes” and growing up.
For some, home is the place where all your memories come to life.
Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver
Pretty much everyone is able to sing this absolute classic without needing to play it. but it is still great to listen to. Denver’s vocals are infectious on what is most probably his most famous song. Much like Sheeran’s Castle On The Hill, Take Me Home, Country Roads, is Denver’s love letter to West Virginia.
The song was written by Denver, Taffy Nivert and Bill Danoff, and it featured on Denver’s fourth album. Its status as a symbol of West Virginia is still growing, and in 2014 it became one of West Virginia’s four official state anthems.
The images conjured up of the ‘Blue Ridge Mountains” and the “Shenandoah River” paint a beautiful picture of home. And recognizing that home is “the place I belong” will leave you feeling warm.
Once you’ve got this song stuck in your head, you’ll be chanting the lyrics all the way home!
My Hometown by Bruce Springsteen
Just like the previously mentioned two. My Hometown’ is Bruce Springsteen’s own love letter to growing up in a wonderful town. Springsteen wrote the song and released it on his seventh album.
The song tracks all the way back to when Springsteen was a boy and being told ‘this is your hometown.” It chronicles his childhood, his teenage years at school, his “Troubled times”. and finally returns to the present Springsteen mentions his wife, Kate, and tells his own son “this is your hometown.”
The lyrics are all about recounting memories of growing up and retaining the attachment to your home. There are wonders to be found in every hometown because they are the birthplaces of memories and adventures.
Home really is where the heart is when your heart never leaves its home.
I Just Love You by Tim McGraw
This sweet song attributes the feeling of home to the experience of love. Tim McGraw wrote it for his young daughter and put it on his 2014 album Love Story. In this song. home is not a place. it is a feeling.
The message is that you can have a house. but you won’t have a home unless it’s filled with your loved ones. The line ‘I’ll never stop being amazed that my four year old girl knows exactly what to say” indicates that McGraw is dedicating his feelings of home to his daughter.
Your main takeaway from this song should be that love is what makes a home.
The House That Built Me by Miranda Lambert
This song attributes the feeling of home to the house that you grew up in and all the memories imprinted on it Written by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin. The House That Built Me’ was intended for Blake Shelton, but country singer Miranda Lambert emotionally connected to the lyrics and recorded it instead. It featured on her third album.
The protagonist in this song feels an internal brokenness that they think will only be soothed by seeing the house they grew up in again. Lyrics like, “these handprints on the front steps are mine” and “that little back bedroom is where I did my homework and learned to play guitar” are little things that made that house her home.
Sometimes. the feeling of home gets lost and the only way to retrieve it is to turn to the past. Lambert’s vocals pour so much emotion into this song, and it doesn’t let up until the end.
Cornelia Street by Taylor Swift
She’s one of the most famous pop artists in the world, but that hasn’t stopped Taylor Swift from remembering her roots. Cornelia Street’ features on her seventh album, and it is named for the street in Greenwich Village in New York, where Swift rented a townhouse.
Comelia Street’ is a love song, but its highly personal lyrics focus on the street and how Swift stayed there during an emotional time in her life. In the song, she is going through the ups and downs of love with an unnamed person. They ‘bless the rains on Cornelia Street” and go “barefoot in the kitchen”.
After she leaves the street Swift is sorrowful and recalls all the good times that she and her lover had in that townhouse. She may “never walk Cornelia Street again,” but she is thankful for the sense of home that she found there.
Swift’s superb song writing abilities really shine through on this track and you’ll be listening to it on repeat.
Take The Long Way Home by Supertramp
This song was written by Roger Hodgson for the band’s sixth album. and it seems to tackle the idea of linking identity to the home. Can you really feel at home when your heart is no longer there? Hodgson called it “a deeper level to the song” because “when we are in touch with our heart, then we do feel like we found our home”.
But the journey to find all this out is not an easy one, hence the title “Take The Long Way Home.” But a good home is worth searching for. which is why this song leaves a bittersweet feeling when you listen to it.
Home is something that lots of people wrestle with. and Hodgson’s emphasized that feeling of confusion and loneliness in the lyrics. You’ll definitely do some mental unpacking because the song seems to simultaneously say that home can overwhelm who you are. but it is also where your heart should be.
Can’t Find My Way Home by Blind Faith
This song is short. but it still packs an emotional punch. The refrain of can’t find my way home” suggests that the protagonist feels despair, yet the vocals and music are much lighter. Perhaps the message is that we all get lost sometimes. but we’ll eventually be able to find our way back?
Can’t Find My Way Home was written by Steve Winwood and released on the band’s sole album. It is deliberately short because the lyrics manage to say so much with so few words. The line “somebody holds the key” implies that the protagonist feels kept away from their home and is desperate to find it again.
The song doesn’t indicate that they do find their way home. which makes it all the more touching. We would all long for home if we were away from it. so it’s important to value what we have.
Won’t Go Home Without You by Maroon 5
This love song follows Maroon 5’s signature style. It was written by Adam Levine for the band’s second album and his vocals tell the story seamlessly. In this song, the woman he sings for is definitely the concept of home.
As with lots of other songs about home, love is what makes it otherwise it just feels physical and hollow. The protagonist begs for “one more chance to make it right.” suggesting that his sense of home is shattered without her. The accompanying melodies played by the band give this love song a faster pace. yet still complement the delicacy of the lyrics.
The final refrain of ‘I won’t go home without you” brings the song to a resolute conclusion. You can put this track on repeat to pick out all the little details that happen along the way.
That’s What I Call Home by Blake Shelton
This song is smooth and relaxing. The opening chords work wonderfully and then Blake Shelton’s iconic country vocals kick in. The lyrics look back at the past in a bid to identify what makes a home. For Shelton. it is all the minor things.
The line “when life gets hard. that’s where we go’ emphasizes exactly what is so great about having a place to call home. If you often find yourself looking back on your childhood with a smile on your face. this is the perfect album to reminisce to.
The song was written by Shelton. Michael Kosser and Richard Mainegra. The closing message of “it’s the love that makes you feel so good” demonstrates that you can bind land and houses together into a home with love.
Small Town by John Mellencamp
The final song on this list. Small Town’ by John Mellencamp is the perfect way to end a day. He wrote it for his eighth studio album. The tune is upbeat as the lyrics flick through the past of the small town. For Mellencamp, home is characterised by all his experiences there.
He sings that he “was born in a small town” and “that’s probably where they’ll bury me.” Despite the lyrics moving morbidly onto the topic of death. Mellencamp’s vocals remain full of life and soul. His passion for the small town means that he cannot bear to be parted from his home.
You’ll find yourself subconsciously dancing along to this track as it emphasizes the importance of having an authentic home to call your own.
So, those are 25 of the best songs to listen to if you’re missing home. reminiscing about a past home, or just appreciating the home you have. Home means something different to everybody, and it can be guaranteed that no matter the genres of music that you like. there will always be a song inspired by the feeling of home to make you smile.