☝️ Key Points
- The song is about the longing and homesickness of a singer who is 500 miles away from home.
- The singer feels cold, tired, and lonely, and receives a letter from his mother expressing how much she misses him and wants him to come home.
- The distance makes the singer feel very far from home, and he notices how his appearance and feeling have changed.
- The singer struggles to find food and gets by through hitchhiking and walking.
- The song lyrics express the longing for home and family, and convey the feeling of loneliness and alienation.
Interpretation
"500 Miles Away from Home" is a song about longing and homesickness. The singer is 500 miles away from home and feels cold, tired, and lonely. He has received a letter from his mother telling him that they miss him and that he should come home. The singer has everything he owns on his back and didn't have to pack to leave. However, due to the distance, he feels very far away from home.
In the song, it also becomes clear that time changes everything. The singer realizes that he looks different and also feels different. He wonders what his family will say when they see him in this state. Despite everything, he longs to come home and wonders what they will say when he finally returns.
The singer also describes how difficult it is for him to find food and how he is barely getting by hitchhiking and walking. The homesickness is so strong that it even makes him physically hungry.
The lyrics of "500 Miles Away from Home" express the longing for home and family and convey the feeling of loneliness and alienation. It is a song that can resonate with many people who feel far away from their home."