About The Song
“No Place Like Home” was written by Paul Overstreet and recorded by Randy Travis in 1986. The song was released as the fourth and final single from his breakthrough debut album “Storms of Life” on Warner Bros. Records. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in early 1987, becoming another major hit for Travis during his career-launching period.
Paul Overstreet wrote the song as a reflection on the importance of family and returning to one’s roots. Overstreet was establishing himself as one of Nashville’s premier songwriters during this period, and his collaboration with Travis proved to be highly successful throughout the 1980s.
The recording was produced by Kyle Lehning at various Nashville studios. Lehning’s production emphasized Travis’s distinctive baritone voice and traditional country instrumentation, which helped define the neo-traditional country sound that Travis pioneered in the mid-1980s.
The “Storms of Life” album was a groundbreaking release that helped revive traditional country music during a period when the genre had become heavily pop-influenced. The album went on to sell over 3 million copies and established Travis as a major force in country music.
The song followed three previous hits from the same album: “On the Other Hand” (#1), “1982” (#6), and “Diggin’ Up Bones” (#1). This string of successful singles from one album was remarkable for a debut release and demonstrated the strength of Travis’s material and appeal.
The track dealt with themes of family values and the comfort of home, which became central to Travis’s image and musical identity. These traditional country themes resonated strongly with audiences who were seeking more authentic country music after the urban cowboy era.
Travis’s performance of the song helped establish him as a major concert draw, and “No Place Like Home” became a staple of his live performances throughout his career. The song’s success contributed to his rapid rise from unknown artist to country superstar.
The success of “No Place Like Home” and the entire “Storms of Life” album helped launch the neo-traditional country movement of the late 1980s, influencing numerous other artists to return to more traditional country sounds and themes.
Video
Lyric
Well there’s my easy chair
Just sittin’ there
I’ve spent a lot of time
Thinkin’ of this perfect love
I know is yours and mine
And oh how I love
That old picture on the wall
Of you and me and the kids
My most favorite times in life
I’ve spent right here where we live
There’s no place like home
There’s no place like home
It just hit me
As I was leaving
There’s no place like home
From the bedroom
I smell perfume
My favorite kind your wore
And it brings back memories
Of all those nights
Behind our bedroom door
And the saddest thing
I think I’ve ever seen
Was my closet all cleaned out
It’s sad to think
That one must leave
‘Cause we can’t work things out
There’s no place like home
There’s no place like home
It just hit me
As I was leaving
There’s no place like home
So baby say that I can stay
For just a day or so
Then maybe I can change your mind
And I won’t have to go
Just look into
These baby blues
And tell me it’s okay
I love that smile
It drives me wild
No love won’t die today
There’s no place like home
There’s no place like home
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