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