Homeboy

This is a good song. I like to drive through the hood in Detroit and blast this. I've only been shot 12 times.

I love this song, well I love eric church anyway you look at it... but " we both know who you are ", I get it....

This song made me extremely uncomfortable after the first listen. I was thinking Eric Church was being narrow-minded and talking trash on a different lifestyle. After a few more listens, though, it became apparent that it was about a fake "homeboy," not one born in the ghetto. The kind that was brought up in a good home and a good neighborhood but wants to act "gangsta" because he thinks it's cool. The line about tearing off in Daddy's car indicates he didn't grow up in poverty, but that he was spoiled rotten, since he had access to his parents' car. Then the line about unloading hay takes it a step further, implying that he got sent to a farm to learn the value of discipline and hard work, not to mention change his outlook on life and straighten out his bad attitude.

You guys aren't looking at it with an open mind- just because its called "homeboy" doesn't mean its really about a homeboy. watch the video, watch the seriousness eric sings this song with. its a lot deeper then it sounds at first listen. i haven't decided if its about his actual BROTHER, or a close friend. (he uses the term brother which isnt common with country type people unless it is their brother) Take a look at these lines tho.... "We both know who you are" (eric knows this guy) "If you don't do anything else for me just do this for me brother, come on home, boy.." (called him brother like i said earlier, also asks him to come home, like they shared the same home at some point, hes asking him to do something for him) "I was haulin' hay to Uncle Joes farm, thought of us barefoot, just kids in the yard" (he says uncle joe like it is his and this guys uncle, and talks about them being kids together) "I wish you'd come on back and make it all right before their called home, boy." (come back and make it alright with their parents before they pass away)

The song is about a kid growing up in the country- "Thought of us barefoot kids in the yard, seems we were just catching snakes in the barn", who has left the "country" lifestyle for that of a more "thuggish" lifestyle. We all have these kinds of people in our hometown's and it isn't just in the inner city (the "homeboy in the song is still in his hometown). Church tells his brother (homeboy) of how Church is making a simple "blue collar forty" life unloading hay and working while his "homeboy" brother is out "runnin' these dirty ol' streets". "Got the hood here snowed but you can't fool me, we both know who you are", is in summary what the song is about. Church grew up country just like his brother, but his brother chose to leave for a different lifestyle and ignores his simple roots. The song was co written by Casey Beathard. Casey came up with the idea of the song after he heard his son saying to his friend "c'mon homeboy".

I love the sound of this song, especially the chorus. But the lyrics themselves really bother me. It's a very rare "homeboy" who chooses the life they have over some farm and family dream, most are born and raised into it. They don't run the streets to rebel against their parents or family, they do it to respect them, or provide for them. It's a different world, with different morals and values. This song combines the two in a strange way, and it comes off wrong to me.

cuz u would know huh? hahahahah

This song has been taken waaay out of context. If I had only one sentence to describe what I believe this song is about. That is, what I believe the message he is trying to convey to us and his brother is "what good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?"

He gave up the security of a life around people who love him and who would give their lives for him, all for money. That is the message of this song.

I always took this song as his brother had taken off, and gotten involved in bad stuff in the city, and this is Eric's way of reaching him to just please come home, before his parents pass, and he can't forgive himself. Or worse...

Overall, its a great song, i love how he uses "homeboy" to describe this character as a fake thug, and then uses it in the same chorus to say the statement "Come on home boy."

If you watch the video, you can see Eric take off his hat and glasses as the first thing he does, with and eerie look of truth and sadness in his face. You can really tell this ones from the heart. 8 million views on that video, but i think it was only made for one person, makes you wonder, has "homeboy" seen it?

For a very long time I was convinced that this "Homeboy" was someone very close to him. Either a brother or a great friend. With the detail Eric knows about the man's actions- pushing mama around, cussing out daddy, heading out to Uncle Joe's farm- it seems only logical that he knows this person pretty well. The more I thought about it I think it may actually be referring to himself. Although this would be quite an abstract way to think of it two lines made me believe this "We both know who you are" and then the final lines of "Mama's going grey and so is Daddy's mind'. I think that perhaps him as a rebel at the time was viewed as rebellious and he's just using a metaphor to compare the two by calling himself "Homeboy". Having said that, these lines would also make sense if it was a brother who needed to come home to his parents before they pass "Can't hold back the hands of time". Either way, great tune from a great writer in Eric Church.