Homeless Persons' Memorial Day Top 100 Songs
​Song #8

Craig Morgan
​"I Was Almost Home"

"Almost Home" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Craig Morgan. It was released in November 2002 the second single from his album I Love It. The song was Morgan's first Top 10 hit on the U.S. country music charts. In addition, the song earned him a "Song of the Year" award from BMI, and a Songwriter's Achievement Award from the Nashville Songwriters' Association International. The song was written
​ ​by Morgan and Kerry Kurt Phillips.

The song tells of the singer's encounter with an old, homeless man who is sleeping behind a trash can on a cold winter day. Presuming that the homeless man may be dead, the singer then rouses him. Upon being awakened, the homeless man says that he is "almost home", and then lists off the activities that he had been doing in his dream. The narrator then offers to drive the old man to a shelter, but the old man refuses.

According to songwriter Kerry Kurt Phillips, the homeless man's explanation that he is "almost home" is intentionally open-ended, and can mean that the man had almost reached home in his dream, or that he is about to die and go to Heaven.

I'm not sure if this style of music is considered Country or Western, but it does have a deliberate twang. We used to call songs like this "real tear-jerkers" back in the day.
​
Please enjoy this beautiful, but sad song.

He had plastic bags wapped 'round his shoes​
he was covered with the evening news
Had a pair of old wool socks on his hands
The bank sign was flashing 5 below
It was freezing rain and spittin' snow
He was curled up behind some garbage cans

I was afraid that he was dead, I gave him a gentle shake
when he opened up his eyes,  I said, "Old man are you OK?"

He said, "I just climbed out of a cottonwood tree
I was running from some honey bees
Drip-dryin' in the summer breeze
After jumpin' into Calico Creek
I was walkin' down an old dirt road
Past a field of hay that had just been mowed
Man I wish you'd just left me alone
'Cause I was almost home"

He said, "I was just comin' 'round the barn
'Bout the time you grabbed my arm
When I heard mama holler, "Son, hurry up"
I was close enough for my old nose
To smell fresh cobbler on the stove
And I saw daddy loadin' up the truck

"Cane poles on the tailgate, bobbers blowin' in the wind
Since July of '55, that's as close as I've been"

"Yeah, I just climbed out of a cottonwood tree
I was runnin' from some honey bees
Drip-dryin' in the summer breeze
After jumpin' into Calico Creek
I was walking down an old dirt road
Past a field that had just been mowed
Man, I wish you'd just left me alone
I was almost home"

I said, "Old man your goin' to freeze to death
Let me drive you to the mission"
He said, "Boy if you'd left me alone
Right now I'd be fishin'"

"I just climbed out of a cottonwood tree
I was runnin' from some honey bees
Drip-dryin' in the summer breeze
After jumpin' in to Calico Creek
I was walkin' down an old dirt road
Past a field of hay that had just been mowed"
Man, I wished you'd just left me alone
'Cause I was almost home