“Home Sweet Home” is the fifth song on the 1968 album The World In A Sea Shell by Strawberry Alarm Clock. Although written by the same songwriters who contributed “Sea Shell” to the album, John Carter and Tim Gilbert, “Home Sweet Home” is peppier than that drowsy song, even funky. “Home Sweet Home” is one of the more recommended songs from side 1 of the controversial LP.
“Home Sweet Home” features a punchy horn section that’s smoothed out by the velvety orchestral washes. The dramatic, funkified chord sequence during the verses is irresistible. An ultra-dense vocal chorus delivers the words, and the whole piece is soaked in echo, just so the song doesn’t sound out of place on the album.
And it doesn’t — “Home Sweet Home” is fun but unquestionably cut from the same murky cloth as the LP’s other tracks.
The lyrics of the song are sung from the point of view of a wanderer, who seems to both brag about his adaptability and lament his loneliness. He updates the old phrase “anywhere I hang my hat is home” with disassociated urban angst:
“Any place I hang my head is home
Sweet home”
Ultimately, “Home Sweet Home” manages to just rise above its sickly sweet musical arrangement to establish itself as an enjoyable tune with a vaguely defiant air. Not necessarily one of the band’s better songs — at least, not in the top tier — but certainly one of the album’s better songs and worth checking out. This song was later covered by Mötley Crüe.
Just kidding.
“Home Sweet Home” appears on…
The World In A Sea Shell (1969)
Nice horn work and musicianship salvage an otherwise unmemorable song.