Lyr Add: Long Way Home (Forster & Tom Chapin)

Subject: Lyr Add: Long Way Home (Forster/Chapin)
From: Haruo
Date: 20 May 05 - 04:47 AM

LONG WAY HOME
(John Forster and Tom Chapin)

I was comin' home, on a yellow bus,
When the bus broke down, and stranded us.
Comin' home on a yellow bus,
When the bus broke down and stranded us.
It was a long, long, long, long, long way home.

So I hopped a train, comin' down the line.
The caboose came loose, I got left behind.
Hopped a train comin' down the line,
Caboose came loose, I got left behind.
It was a long, long, long, long, long way home.

So I found a boat, by the river bank,
But we struck a rock, and we promptly sank.
Found a boat by the river bank,
But we struck a rock and we promptly sank.
It was a long, long, long, long, long way home.

So I got picked up, by a submarine,
But they left me off, in the Philippines.
Got picked up by a submarine,
They left me off in the Philippines.
It was a long, long, long, long, long way home.

So I took a jet, but I couldn't pay,
So they threw me out, of the cargo bay.
Took a jet but I couldn't pay,
So they threw me out of the cargo bay.
It was a long, long, long, long, long way home.

My parachute, kept me safe from harm,
And I landed in a tree, on the neighbors' farm.
My parachute kept me safe from harm,
Landed in a tree on the neighbors' farm.
It was a long, long, long, long, long way home.

So I jumped a horse, but it threw a shoe,
And I had to walk, back home to you.
So I jumped a horse, but it threw a shoe,
And I had to walk back home to you.
It was a long, long, long, long, long way home.

So I'm sorry, Mom, that I'm home so late,
And that dinner's cold, and I made you wait.
Sorry, Mom, that I'm home so late,
And that dinner's cold and I made you wait.
It was just a long, long, long, long, long way home.

---

I have no information on the authorship of this song; I have only heard it on an mp3 of Bold Horizon's. I found a deficient set of lyrics on a Cub Scout website here and the title mentioned on a YMCA camp website here, but otherwise nada.

I would be happy to send the mp3 (about 3.3 Mb) to someone who could make a nice little melody-line MIDI out of it. PM me.

Haruo

Subject: Authorship Info Req: Long Way Home
From: Haruo
Date: 20 May 05 - 05:40 PM

I am eager to find out who wrote this/composed the tune. Anybody know?

Haruo

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Way Home
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 03:59 PM

i heard this song at camp anokijig and i fell in love with it

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Way Home
From: Haruo
Date: 27 Sep 08 - 05:31 AM

Yeah, it's fun to sing. Still wish I knew where it came from originally.

Haruo

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Way Home
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Sep 08 - 05:35 AM

Hi, Haruo-
This page (click) says it was written by Tom Chapin (Harry Chapin's brother) (Note: John Forster was a co-writer). Tom has written some wonderful children's songs. I used to listen to him with my kids, many moons ago. This song is on Tom's Family Tree album, which is a gem.

-Joe-

P.S. I enjoyed exploring the Bold Horizon Website. I even found a recording of "Key of R" there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Way Home (Tom Chapin)
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 27 Sep 08 - 07:39 AM

The Chapin's run a campground in Lunenburg Co. Nova Scotia. I'm told that there's lots of good music there.

http://www.ovenspark.com/music.shtml

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Way Home (Tom Chapin)
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 27 Sep 08 - 07:40 AM

"Chapin's)!! :-}

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Way Home (Tom Chapin)
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 27 Sep 08 - 07:42 AM

Ovens Park

Subject: Lyr Add: LONG WAY HOME (Forster & Chapin)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Sep 08 - 02:22 PM

It was too late to do it last night, so I checked the Tom Chapin Family Tree CD this morning. The song was written by John Forster and Tom Chapin. Forster may be known to some of you as the man who wrote Entering Marion, which was posted at Mudcat by Haruo back in 2004.

-Joe-

---

For the sake of having things completely correct, here are the exact lyrics from the Tom Chapin Family Tree album. They're only slightly different from what Haruo posted.

LONG WAY HOME
(John Forster and Tom Chapin)

I was coming home, in a yellow bus,
But the bus broke down, and stranded us.
Coming home in a yellow bus,
But the bus broke down and stranded us.
It was a long, long, long, long, long way home.

So I hopped a train, coming down the line.
The caboose came loose, I got left behind.
Hopped a train coming down the line,
The caboose came loose, I got left behind.
It was a long, long, long, long, long way home.

So I found a boat, by the river bank,
But we hit a rock, and it promptly sank.
Found a boat by the river bank,
But we hit a rock and it promptly sank.
It was a long, long, long, long, long way home.

So I got picked up, by a submarine,
But they left me off, in the Philippines.
Got picked up by a submarine,
But they left me off in the Philippines.
It was a long, long, long, long, long way home.

Then I took a jet, but I couldn't pay,
So they threw me out, of the cargo bay.
Took a jet but I couldn't pay,
So they threw me out of the cargo bay.
It was a long, long, long, long, long way home.

Oh, my parachute kept me safe from harm,
But I landed in a tree, on the neighbors' farm.
My parachute kept me safe from harm,
But I landed in a tree on the neighbors' farm.
It was a long, long, long, long, long way home.

So I jumped a horse, but it threw a shoe,
And I had to walk, back home to you.
Jumped a horse, but it threw a shoe,
And I had to walk back home to you.
It was a long, long, long, long, long way home.

So I'm sorry, Mom, that I'm home so late,
And that dinner's cold, and I made you wait.
Sorry, Mom, that I'm home so late,
And that dinner's cold and I made you wait.
It was just a long, long, long, long, long way home.

from the CD booklet of the Tom Chapin Family Tree album.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Way Home (Forster & Chapin)
From: Haruo
Date: 27 Sep 08 - 04:20 PM

Thanks, Joe and Sandy, three years is not too long to wait for such news. ;-) I have my doubts if I'll ever be in Nova Scotia in August, but if I am I know what I want to do there.

Haruo

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Way Home (Forster & Chapin)
From: GUEST,Megan and kate and alexa
Date: 19 Jun 09 - 12:21 PM

Dear reader,
this song is mine and kates favorite however alexa would rather put needles in her eye. HER FAVORITE SONG IS UNO DOS TRES QUATRO CALLE OCHO. BYEEE

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Way Home (Forster & Chapin)
From: Haruo
Date: 19 Jun 09 - 03:00 PM

How does it go, Megan? The only thing I remember from Third Grade Spanish (we had a lady from Guatemala who came in and taught us for an hour each Wednesday) is a song that starts that way, but it goes

Uno dos y tres
cuatro cinco seis
siete ocho nueve
y uno más es diez

HASTAAAA (trying to get into the culture)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Way Home (Forster & Chapin)
From: GUEST,Jackie
Date: 15 Sep 09 - 11:01 PM

i luv that song! i go to camp anokijig too and i luv it!!!!!!!! i don't have any info on that song but do u know where i can buy it?????

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Way Home (Forster & Tom Chapin)
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 12 Sep 10 - 02:46 PM

I also heard this song at anokigi and loved it i am looking for it but there is know music video or anything i can find

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Way Home (Forster & Tom Chapin)
From: GUEST,s.k.a.
Date: 02 Dec 13 - 04:57 PM

I looked this song up when my brother came home from music class and tried to teach it to me. I think its an interesting song. I want tosay to the writer keep writing.
                                 
                               -s.k.a.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Long Way Home (Forster & Tom Chapin)
From: GUEST,aks
Date: 02 Dec 13 - 05:01 PM

2 cute