Homeward Bound by Marta Keen sung by Fraser Walters of the Canadian Tenors

Homeward Bound by Marta Keen Thompson sung by Fraser Walters of the "Canadian Tenors" at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto Canada. This arrangement left out some verses that I think are some of the most beautiful parts of this song. Truly, without these verses, the meaning of the song changes slightly from the original "Prodigal Son" feel to more of a song about someone travelling and being missed by loved-ones at home. Regardless, Fraser's rendering of this song is extremely moving and beautiful in its simplicity and sincerity.
The story of the Prodigal Son is something very close to my heart and has been for the last ten years. When I heard this song a few weeks ago, I had a new revelation. I've always thought about the Prodigal Son running away as being something very negative. This song opened my eyes to a new idea. The revelation is that sometimes you need to run away from home in order to find yourself and to find out who you are in God. Then you also learn to appreciate what you used to have and what you left behind. Maybe God is quite alright when we sometimes run away from family, friends, and even from Him.
What a homecoming it will be when the wind sets us racing as our journey nears its end and we spy our loved-ones at the end of the road running to meet us too.
Listen to the choral arrangement of this piece that include all the lyrics here: • Homeward Bound (2014) ...
Below are the original lyrics with the missing verses in-between the stars ***
Homeward Bound
In the quiet misty morning
When the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing
And the sky is clear and red,
***When the summer's ceased its gleaming,
When the corn is past its prime,
When adventure's lost its meaning,
I'll be homeward bound in time.***
Bind me not to the pasture;
Chain me not to the plow.
Set me free to find my calling
And I'll return to you somehow.
If you find it's me you're missing,
If you're hoping I'll return,
To your thoughts I'll soon be list'ning,
In the road I'll stop and turn.
Then the wind will set me racing
As my journey nears its end,
And the path I'll be retracing
When I'm homeward bound again.
Bind me not to pasture;
Chain me not to the plow.
Set me free to find my calling
And I'll return to you somehow.
In the quiet misty morning
When the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing,
I'll be homeward bound again.