New Song: “Home Is Where You Are” Ignition Lab week #26

The Ignition Lab is a group songwriting challenge to write a song a week  in 2013, using weekly word prompts as a starting point. Follow our work on Facebook: facebook.com/TheIgnitionLab

The word prompt for week 26 is TRAVEL. Ah so many things to write about! Trips, sights I’ve seen, places I dream of. But no, I wrote about none of those things. I went in the direction of a love song as performed by either an 80’s hair band or a modern alt-rock band. Depends on how you imagine it.

When I wrote this one I had two goals: a catchy hook and singable guitar motif. I don’t play guitar, so I had to really imagine a (cheesy) scene in a music video of a long-haired electric guitar player playing this melody into the sunset.

A very relatable song of missing someone, I wanted the lyrics to convey heartfelt longing. When you miss someone you think of all the things you’d tell them if they were there beside you. Perhaps I went a little overboard with my heartfelt sincerity in the bridge with, “I don’t need no fancy car…” But, you get the gist.

The first thing I wrote when doing this song was actually the chorus, “Home is where you are.” That kept looping in my head and I wondered if there was more to it, but I guess that statement alone was enough to have an impact.

Here’s the song, with lyrics below. Enjoy!

Home Is Where You Are

Sitting on the couch turn on the TV and then
Try to kill some time
I smiled ’cause I saw something I knew you’d like
You were in my mind
But when I turned to laugh with you
I remembered

You’re so far away from me
You’re out of my reach
I’m feeling so lost without you
Feeling so cold

Home is where you are
You travel with my heart
Home is where you are

Going out just isn’t the same
Cause you’re not there
Everywhere I go I find so many things
I want to share
No one can replace your smile
Don’t you know by now

I’d travel the world for you
Maybe I’m a fool
Show me where to go
I’ll be right behind you

Home is where you are
You travel with my heart
Home is where you are

I don’t need no fancy car
Don’t need a 5-star hotel room
Why have anything at all
If I can’t share it with you

Home is where you are
You travel with my heart
Home is where you are