Take the Long Way Home (Ironic Revision)
1970s Progressive Rock, Soft Rock, Piano Rock, British Band, Supertramp's style . Wistful, Melancholic, Anthemic, Saxophone Solo. Male Vocals, clear and expressive with a slight rasp. Instruments: Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Grand Piano, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drums, Tenor Saxophone, Mellotron, backing vocals. Bob Siebemberg's style sax, Rick Davies's style , Roger Hodgsonize voice , , John Helliwell's style
Take the Long Way Home (Ironic Revision)
1970s Progressive Rock, Soft Rock, Piano Rock, British Band, Supertramp's style . Wistful, Melancholic, Anthemic, Saxophone Solo. Male Vocals, clear and expressive with a slight rasp. Instruments: Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Grand Piano, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drums, Tenor Saxophone, Mellotron, backing vocals. Bob Siebemberg's style sax, Rick Davies's style , Roger Hodgsonize voice , , John Helliwell's style
Lyrics
(Intro with a slightly out-of-tune honky-tonk piano and a weary, spoken sigh)
Verse 1
So you think your smartwatch's battery's dying?
And your podcast app has stopped replying?
You got another notification 'bout your team's "synergy"
And you'd rather chew glass than face that reality.
You left your lunch box on the kitchen counter,
And the thought of going back now just makes you flounder...
Chorus
So you take the long way home...
Yeah, you take the long way home...
You stop for a coffee you don't even need,
And stare at a wall with incredible speed,
'Cause the long way home is a beautiful deed...
When you're avoiding your life, you take the long way home.
Verse 2
Your partner texted, "We need to talk, it's no big drama."
And you instantly feel the cold breath of karma.
You see the recycling's due, and it's your turn to take it,
A Herculean task, you simply can't make it.
You'll drive past the house where your old boss now lives,
And give a small wave that the universe forgives.
Chorus
So you take the long way home...
Oh, you take the long way home...
You sit in the car park of a supermarket,
Listening to a song that breaks your heart, just for the art of it.
Yes, the long way home is a state of mind, you see...
It's the last bastion of a man who's thirty-three and free... (ish).
Bridge
And you're never there to hear the question...
"Did you remember the dry cleaning?" or "Your mother's suggestion?"
You feel like a poet, a lone, misunderstood artist,
Ignoring the fact that your behavior's the smartest...
Kind of sad. But strategic!
Sax Solo
(But it's played on a kazoo, badly, and then cuts off as if someone's dropped it.)
Chorus
So you take the long way home...
Yeah, you take the long, long, long way home...
You've memorized every pothole on this scenic route,
You've questioned all your life choices, there is no doubt,
This isn't peace and quiet, it's just a prolonged pout...
Yes, to avoid all responsibility, you take the long way home.
Outro
(Honky-tonk piano fades, replaced by the sound of a car indicator ticking)
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock...
Maybe I'll just do one more loop around the block...
Tick-tock, tick-tock...
Or two.
...
(Sound of a car door opening, followed by a distant, weary shout: "Honey, is that you?")
(Sigh) "Yeah... I'm home."