I Can Never Go Home Anymore

Label

Red Bird Records

Genre

Girl Group

Media Type

45s

Duration

3:12

Composer(s)

George "Shadow" Morton

Entered Chart

Nov 6, 1965

Peak Date

Dec 11, 1965

Released

October 1965

Recorded

Unknown

Catalog #

Red Bird 10-043

B-Side

Bull Dog

This is a tale of a teenage girl who threatens to run away if her mother won't let her do as she pleases. The girl is advised not to leave home by another girl (the lead character) who did the same thing and now regrets it. When the lead girl fell in love with a boy, her mother told her to break up with him because she was too young to be in love. Strangely enough, after she left home, she forgot the boy completely, and her mind filled with memories of her caring mother. It's too late for the lead girl to return home because her mother died of a broken heart. This was the last big hit for the Shangri-Las, who are best known for "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" and "Leader Of The Pack." It was written by their producer, George "Shadow" Morton, who liked to ramp up the drama in his songs. Like the group's previous hits, "I Can Never Go Home Anymore" features a long spoken section. Originally, this was not included on the album. It was added after it became a hit single. Later on, the album's name was changed with this as the title track. >> Shangri-Las lead singer Mary Weiss recalled in The Telegraph magazine April 14, 2007, "I had not been speaking to my mother for a few years at that point and when I was in the studios, I was crying."

I'm gonna hide if she don't leave me alone
I'm gonna run away
Don't!!

Cause you can never go home anymore

Listen. Does this sound familiar? You wake up every morning, go to
School every day, spend your nights on the corner just passing the time away.
Your life is so lonely like a child without a toy. Then a miracle-a boy. And that's
Called "glad." Now my mom is a good mom and she loves me with all her heart.
But she said I was too young to be in love and the boy and I would have to part.
And no matter how I ranted and raved, I screamed, I pleaded, I cried-she told me it
Was not really love but only my girlish pride. And that's called "bad."

(Never go home anymore)

Now if that's happened to you, don't let this. I packed my clothes and
Left home that night. Though she begged me to stay, I was sure I was right. And
You know something funny?? I forgot that boy right away. Instead I remember
Being tucked in bed and hearing my mama say

(Hush, little baby, don't you cry)
(Mama won't go away)
Mama!!!

(You can never go home anymore)
Mama!!!
I can never go home anymore

Do you ever get that feeling and want to kiss and hug her? Do it now
Tell her you love her. Don't do to your mom what I did to mine. She grew so lonely
In the end. Angels picked her for a friend.

(Never)
And I can never go home (never) anymore
And that's called "sad".