‘Take the Long Way Home’ is the third US single and sixth track of English rock band Supertramp's 1979 album Breakfast in America. It was the last song written for the album, being penned during the nine-month recording cycle. The single reached number 10 on the U.S. charts and number 4 in the Canadian charts. In 1980, the live version from Paris became a minor hit in various European countries.
According to its composer Roger Hodgson, the song deals with how the desire to go home can go both ways: “I'm talking about not wanting to go home to the wife, take the long way home to the wife because she treats you like part of the furniture, but there's a deeper level to the song, too. I really believe we all want to find our home, find that place in us where we feel at home, and to me, home is in the heart and that is really, when we are in touch with our heart and we're living our life from our heart, then we do feel like we found our home.”
Billboard magazine contributor David Farrell praised the "convincing melody with a crafty hook", although he felt the music contrasted with the "pessimistic lyric about man's loss of identity in an increasingly complex world." Cash Box called it "a bouncy, uptempo number, laden with pop-symphonic instrumentals, high-pitched vocals and harmonies and a jaunty harmonic figure". Record World said that "brisk keyboards slice through the bouncy rhythm and trademark vocals." Ultimate Classic Rock critic Nick DeRiso rated it as Supertramp's 8th best song. Gary Graff of Billboard rated ‘Take the Long Way Home’ as Supertramp's 7th best song, noting its "bouncy melody awash with keyboards" and the "rich sax-and-harmonica exchange between [John] Helliwell and [Rick] Davies."
Roger Hodgson rated it as one of the top 10 songs he ever wrote. The band refused a $5 million offer from the Greyhound company to use this song in bus commercials. ‘Take The Long Way Home’ has endured as a favorite: it was chosen as the #5 favorite song in Mojo magazine's readers' poll in 2006.
Label – A&M
Songwriter – Roger Hodgson
Producers – Supertramp, Peter Henderson
SONG LYRICS
[Instrumental intro][Verse 1]
So you think you're a Romeo
You're playing a part in a picture-show
Well, take the long way home
Take the long way home
[Verse 2]
'Cause you're the joke of the neighbourhood
Why should you care if you're feeling good?
Well, take the long way home
Take the long way home
[Chorus 1]
There are times that you feel you're part of the scenery
All the greenery
Is comin' down, boy
And then your wife seems to think you're part of the furniture
Oh, it's peculiar
She used to be so nice
[Verse 3]
When lonely days turn to lonely nights
You take a trip to the city lights
And take the long way home
Take the long way home
[Verse 4]
You never see what you wanna see
Forever playing to the gallery
You take the long way home
Take the long way home
[Chorus 2]
And when you're up on the stage, it's so unbelievable
Oh, unforgettable
How they adore you
But then your wife seems to think you're losing your sanity
Oh, calamity
Or is there no way out?
Oh yeah!
[Instrumental Bridge]
[Chorus 3]
Does it feel that your life's become a catastrophe?
Oh, it has to be
For you to grow, boy
When you look through the years and see what you could have been
Oh, what you might have been
If you would have more time
[Verse 5]
So when the day comes to settle down
Who's to blame if you're not around?
You took the long way home
You took the long way home
[Bridge]
You took the long way home
Do it again
You took the long way home
You took the long way home
Oh, yah!
You took the long way home
You took the long way home
Ooh, yeah
You took the long way home
[Break]
Aah, aah, aah, aah
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Aah, aah, aah, aah
[Outro]
Long way home
Long way home
Long way home
Long way home
Long way home
Long way home
Long way home