Almost Home (Craig Morgan song)
Encyclopedia
"Almost Home" is the name of a song by country music
singer Craig Morgan. It was the second single from his 2003 album I Love It
. The song was Morgan's first Top 10 hit on the U.S. country music charts. In addition, the song earned him a "Song of the Year" award from BMI
, and a Songwriter's Achievement Award from the Nashville Songwriters' Association International.
. It tells of the singer's encounter with an old, homeless man who is sleeping behind a trash can on a cold winter day. Presuming that the homeless man may be dead, the singer then rouses him. Upon being awakened, the homeless man says that he is "almost home", and then lists off the activities that he had been doing in his dream. The narrator then offers to drive the old man to a shelter, but the old man refuses.
According to songwriter Kerry Kurt Phillips, the homeless man's explanation that he is "almost home" is intentionally open-ended, and can mean that the man had almost reached home in his dream, or that he is about to die and go to Heaven: "A lot of people ask me if the guy almost died[…] was he dying or dreaming? It's funny how people have different interpretations. That's the neat thing about a song, and I think understatement is the key to a good song...leaving enough room for the listener to draw their own conclusion[…] so I never answer them on that. I guess it's up to the listener."
gave the song a positive review and wrote, "Always an affecting vocalist, Morgan gives a sensitive, nuanced performance of the poignant lyric. The song is sure to stir emotions and should be a welcome addition to playlists."
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Craig Morgan. It was the second single from his 2003 album I Love It
I Love It
-Tracks 1-10:*Larry Beard – acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin*Mike Brignardello – bass guitar*Glen Duncan – fiddle*Rob Hajacos – fiddle*Mike Johnson – steel guitar, Dobro*Jeff King – electric guitar*Paul Leim – drums*Chris McHugh – drums...
. The song was Morgan's first Top 10 hit on the U.S. country music charts. In addition, the song earned him a "Song of the Year" award from BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
, and a Songwriter's Achievement Award from the Nashville Songwriters' Association International.
Content
The song is a mid-tempo mostly backed by acoustic guitarAcoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
. It tells of the singer's encounter with an old, homeless man who is sleeping behind a trash can on a cold winter day. Presuming that the homeless man may be dead, the singer then rouses him. Upon being awakened, the homeless man says that he is "almost home", and then lists off the activities that he had been doing in his dream. The narrator then offers to drive the old man to a shelter, but the old man refuses.
According to songwriter Kerry Kurt Phillips, the homeless man's explanation that he is "almost home" is intentionally open-ended, and can mean that the man had almost reached home in his dream, or that he is about to die and go to Heaven: "A lot of people ask me if the guy almost died[…] was he dying or dreaming? It's funny how people have different interpretations. That's the neat thing about a song, and I think understatement is the key to a good song...leaving enough room for the listener to draw their own conclusion[…] so I never answer them on that. I guess it's up to the listener."
Reception
Chuck Taylor of BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
gave the song a positive review and wrote, "Always an affecting vocalist, Morgan gives a sensitive, nuanced performance of the poignant lyric. The song is sure to stir emotions and should be a welcome addition to playlists."
Chart positions
| Chart (2002–2003) | Peak position |
|---|
External links
- Lyrics at Yahoo! MusicYahoo! MusicYahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...