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Home by Another Way Lyrics

Those magic men, the Magi
Some people call them wise
Or Oriental, even kings,
Well anyway, those guys
They visited with Jesus
They sure enjoyed their stay
Then warned in a dream
of King Herod's scheme
They went home by another way

Yes, they went home by another way
Home by another way
Maybe me and you can be wise guys too
And go home by another way
We can make it another way
‘Safe home’ as they used to say
Keep a weather eye to the chart on high
And go home another way

Steer clear of royal welcomes
Avoid a big to-do
A king who would slaughter the innocents
Will not cut a deal for you
He really, really wants those presents
He’ll comb your camel’s fur
’Til his boys announce they've found trace amounts
Of your frankincense, gold and myrrh

Time to go home by another way, home by another way
You have to figure the Gods sayin’ “play the odds
And go home by another way”
We can make it another way
‘Safe home’ as they used to say
Keep a weather eye to the chart on high
And go home another way

Home is where they want you now
You can more or less assume that you'll be welcomed in the end
Mustn't let King Herod haunt you so
Or fantasize his features when you're looking at a friend

Well it pleasures me to be here
And to sing this song tonight
They tell me that life is a miracle
And I figure that they're right
But Herod's always out there
He's got our cards on file
It's a lead pipe cinch, if we give an inch
Old Herod will take a mile

Best to go home by another way, home by another way
We got this far to a lucky star
But tomorrow is another day
We can make it another way
‘Safe home’ as they used to say
Keep a weather eye to the chart on high
And go home another way
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Cover art for Home by Another Way lyrics by James Taylor

Great song. I was rehearsing it for a holiday concert (Go Siskiyou Singers in Ashland OR!) and the talented Mr. Michael Zuzel who accompanied me on guitar noticed something that only a musician would notice. In the last chorus, there's a different chord path for getting to "home" - James Taylor literally went home by another way!

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