Daddy sits on the front porch swinging
Looking out on a vacant field
Used to be filled with burley t'bacca
Now he knows it never will

My brother found work in Indiana
Sister's a nurse at the old folks home
Mama's still cooking too much for supper
And me, I've been a long time gone

Been a long time gone
No, I ain't hoed a row since I don't know when
Long time gone, and it ain't coming back again

Delia plays that ol' church piano
Sittin' out on her daddy's farm
She always thought that we'd be together
Lord, I never meant to do her harm

Said she could hear me singin' in the choir
Me, I heard another song
I caught wind and hit the road runnin'
And Lord, I've been a long time gone

Been a long time gone
Lord, I ain't had a prayer since I don't know when
Long time gone, and it ain't comin' back again

Now me, I went to Nashville
Tryin' to beat the big deal
Playin' down on Broadway
Gettin' there the hard way
Living from a tip jar
Sleeping in my car
Hocking my guitar
Yeah, I'm gonna be a star

Now, me and Delia singing every Sunday
Watching the children and the garden grow
We listen to the radio to hear what's cookin'
But the music ain't got no soul

Now they sound tired but they don't sound Haggard
They've got money but they don't have Cash
They got Junior but they don't have Hank
I think, I think, I think, the rest is
A long time gone

No, I ain't hit the roof since I don't know when
Long time gone, and it ain't coming back

I said a long time gone
No, I ain't honked the horn since I don't know when
Long time gone, and it ain't coming back again

I said a long time, long time, long time gone
Well, it's been a long time

Long time, long time, long time gone
Oh, it's been a long time gone

Long time, long time, long time gone
Yeah, yeah


Lyrics submitted by meggymac31

Long Time Gone Lyrics as written by Darrell Scott

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Long Time Gone song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

20 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    I am from a small town in MS and this song just hits home for me, I have been a long time gone!!

    RcKsHwGrL1969on July 05, 2002   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve. The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future. Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere" The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.