Coming Home
System Of A Down
The Longing for Home in the Life of a Touring Musician
System Of A Down's song "Coming Home" delves into the emotional and psychological experiences of a musician on tour. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the disorientation and longing that come with life on the road. The opening lines, "Every morning when I wake up yawning, I'm still far away," capture the sense of perpetual motion and distance from home that touring musicians often feel. The repetition of waking up in different places, yet never truly feeling settled, underscores the transient nature of their lifestyle.
The chorus, "Dream we're going out on stage, it feels like coming home again," introduces a poignant metaphor. For the artist, the stage becomes a surrogate home, a place where they find a sense of belonging and familiarity amidst the chaos of constant travel. This duality of feeling both at home and away highlights the complex emotional landscape of a touring musician. The stage is where they connect with their audience and their art, providing a temporary respite from the physical and emotional distance from their actual home.
The song also touches on the theme of dreams versus reality. The lines, "Boy you're home, you're dreaming, don't you know, the tour's still far away," suggest a blurring of the lines between the two. The musician's dreams of being on stage and the reality of their grueling tour schedule intermingle, creating a sense of confusion and longing. This reflects the sacrifices and challenges that come with pursuing a career in music, where the dream of performing can sometimes feel like the only constant in an otherwise unpredictable life.