Steve Winwood

Can't Find My Way Home

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Can't Find My Way Home Lyrics

Come down off your throne and leave your body alone - somebody must change
You are the reason I've been waiting so long - somebody holds the key
Well, I'm near the end and I just ain't got the time
And I'm wasted and I can't find my way home

Come down on your own and leave your body alone - somebody must change
You are the reason I've been waiting all these years - somebody holds the key
Well, I'm near the end and I just ain't got the time
And I'm wasted and I can't find my way home

Submitted by

ruben On Jun 22, 2002

Higher Love

Valerie

Back In The High Life Again

While You See A Chance

Arc Of A Diver

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ruben

Submitter

2002-06-22 15:33:21

6 Meanings

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by perigrintook713

19y ago

i always took the chorus to be this

"WHEN i'm near the end and I just ain't got the time, WHEN i'm wasted [you can hear them say when a bit before this in some live versions rather than "and"] and I can't find my way home

i took this to mean a battle over religious authority b/c also there is an "Oh Lord" thrown in a couple live versions and i even think it's subtly heard in the recording with Winwood on vocals.. anywho - the oh lord is generated towards God, and the singer is saying when im near the end, (the "end" of life), and I just ain't got the time (i no longer have time to do the things that I enjoy doing right now) When i'm wasted (mucho possibilities) and I can't find my way home... (is having one final trip maybe? or not even trip, maybe out of Sobriety the singer is saying when he just cant go on deviating about what else might lie out there.

great song. melodious and even well done with harmony vocals live.

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by vikster

17y ago

Love, love, love this song! I think it's about all the crap we do to try to be happy and for what? "Come down off your throne" - I think thats the ego. "leave your body alone" - physical doesnt equal happiness either. Then it's like we get to the end and we're so weary cuz we've wasted it all. Basically, we all just want to go home...

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by jan4evahYoung 14y ago

Ya, I think you guys are on to something, vikster and veriloud too. Definitely a spiritual song. It seemed to make sense once I read the context of Clapton's life - the throne/ego thing and wearing out the body, getting so wasted that you lose your way, not to mention that one could die from an overdose without the deepest questions of life being answered -"What am I on this earth for? How did I get here? Does the God my parents believe in really exist? How can I know the comfort they experience from having a relationship with God? and most importantly, "Where will I go when I die?,etc. When you're strung out on drugs, you lose your way home literally, spiritually, and musically. "Getting back home" means to the familiar comforts one grew up with; dare I say faith and family? These are the foundations of a civilized society. (Haters need not reply.) I give high credence to the quotes of the actual songwriter, since no one else can really know what is going on upstairs! That's what the guy said, in the interview, I'm not making it up. I liked the guesses in the comments. Read the quote from an interview with the songwriter. He likened the song to as kind of a hymn about faith. (btw-a person who rejects God, & Jesus as the Creator &supreme authority over man's life, is considered to be on the "throne" of one's own life. (The only one who ever claimed to be able to save man from the penalty of his sin would have supreme authority man's life) Abusing one's body is an offense to God's creation, since we are the objects of his love. " Someone holds the key" - He knows someone can help him find his way back home and has the Truth he knew as a child. He doesn't have all the wisdom to solve the problem, he needs help. Romantic verses: A great device of songwriting that some lyricists have discovered, is that spiritual passion often uses the same words to describe romantic passion. There is a pleasing cross over songs that appeals to a larger audience for those of us who have experienced this passion and hunger that burns in our souls to know God, Jesus intimately. That's why I love the song Higher Love. While I was not even searching for Higher Love, He found me - in pieces and mended me. <3 I am in Love forever.

Ya, I think you guys are on to something, vikster and veriloud too. Definitely a spiritual song. It seemed to make sense once I read the context of Clapton's life - the throne/ego thing and wearing out the body, getting so wasted that you lose your way, not to mention that one could die from an overdose without the deepest questions of life being answered -"What am I on this earth for? How did I get here?  Does the God my parents believe in really exist? How can I know the comfort they experience from having a relationship with God?  and most importantly, "Where will I go when I die?,etc. When you're strung out on drugs, you lose your way home literally, spiritually, and musically. "Getting back home"  means to the familiar comforts one grew up with; dare I say faith and family? These are the foundations of a civilized society. (Haters need not reply.)  I give high credence to the quotes of the actual songwriter, since no one else can really know what is going on upstairs! That's what the guy said, in the interview, I'm not making it up.  I liked the guesses in the comments. Read the quote from an interview with the songwriter. He likened the song to as kind of a hymn about faith. (btw-a person who rejects God, & Jesus as the Creator &supreme authority over man's life, is considered to be on the "throne" of one's own life. (The only one who ever claimed to be able to save man from the penalty of his sin would have supreme authority man's life) Abusing one's body is an offense to God's creation, since we are the objects of his love.  " Someone holds the key" - He knows someone can help him find his way back home and has the Truth he knew as a child. He doesn't have all the wisdom to solve the problem, he needs help. Romantic verses: A great device of songwriting that some lyricists have discovered, is that spiritual passion often uses the same words to describe romantic passion. There is a pleasing cross over songs that appeals to a larger audience for those of us who have experienced this passion and hunger that burns in our souls to know God, Jesus intimately. That's why I love the song Higher Love. While I was not even searching for Higher Love, He found me - in pieces and mended me. <3 I am in Love forever.

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by veriloud

16y ago

This song is specifically about Eric Clapton. Eric was like a big brother to Steve when Steve first came to London. They played music Eric took Steve under his wing so to speak. They had a bond too as they approached music in a similar way... There was a understanding that one day they would play together in a common band..

Eric went on to form Cream with G baker and J Bruce - literaly the first super group. Eric went through the legendary experience and when it was finally over he was exausted mentally and from the world stage and drugs.

Timing was such that Blind Faith could come together with Steve taking the leadership and fronting the band- Eric did not want the spotlight. Blind Faith another super group had expectations by the public higher then Creams... One (great) album - one so so tour where Eric was introduced and found a grounding with Delaneny and Bonnie - the music and the culture..

This song is Steve's message to stop seeing yourself as a rock god, stop abusing your body with hard drugs etc.... then wasted can't find the way home, where home is" the music" that these two shared in common earlier...

Taking himself out of the super group spotlight Eric bolted on Steve and Blind Faith found time with D and B matured....

rest is history with the two great ones finally reuniting last year... It was a beautiful thing to see and hear...

The Blind Faith recording is real in that the music tells a story of what going on with the players at that time - It has aged like fine wine too.

peace

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by zillerzill

10y ago

Waiting for Jesus. But you have it within you all this time. Follow your heart.

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by 1133983080

7y ago

IMHO this song is sung by the person who stays behind in a small town while the other is off seeing the world or gone to the big city. The person who left is on their throne - thinks they are too good for the small town or the home town. The person behind is not chasing them, but staying put. - only the 'gone person' has the "key". Although the person left behind has been "waiting so long" they do not plan to do so indefinitely. They are "wasted" exhausted. "aint got the time" - Time is ticking. If female, bio-clock is running. Either sex, the good ones are getting hitched. They risk being single and never having a family or "home".

It makes sense either way: as a monologue to one's self. "Get your act together or you will end up alone", or to the person who left, "Hey you have a good thing here you are about to lose forever."I think it is a combination.

Check out "The Judds" song "Why not me" for a country example of the same topic. Listen to that song and re-read the lyrics again.

I don't think this is about drug abuse or addiction. In the 60's, 99% of songs glorified drugs. Exceptions Steppenwolf: "DG the pusher man" and Lynyrd Skynyrd: "that smell". few others. Early rock songs were heavily influenced by jazz, blues, country that show cased a lot of problem relationships. That is still the major topic in all popular music.

My Interpretation

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by susan10754

4y ago

I M still singing, yes, Emerald City, local in Visalia ca. Surviving 20 years of a D/D artist son. I have been to hell and back side car to his journey. I sing Can't Find My Way, say I won't cry, but no way. Every word of that song is gospel, Buddha, truth. It is cathartic. With my thanks for my music exhale. Susan Hopkins

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