Song Commentary: Who says you can't go home?

                                  "Who Says You Can't Go Home", Bon Jovi

I spent 20 years trying to get out of this place
I was looking for something I couldn't replace
I was running away from the only thing I've ever known
Like a blind dog without a bone
I was a gypsy lost in the twilight zone
I hijacked a rainbow and crashed into a pot of gold
I been there, done that and I ain't lookin' back on the seeds I've sown,
Saving dimes, spending too much time on the telephone
Who says you can't go home

[Chorus]
Who says you can't go home
There's only one place they call me one of their own
Just a hometown boy, born a rolling stone, who says you can't go home
Who says you can't go back, been all around the world and as a matter of fact
There's only one place left I want to go, who says you can't go home
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, its alright

I went as far as I could, I tried to find a new face
There isn't one of these lines that I would erase
I lived a million miles of memories on that road
With every step I take I know that I'm not alone
You take the home from the boy, but not the boy from his home
These are my streets, the only life I've ever known,
who says you can't go home

[Chorus]

I been there, done that and I ain't looking that
It's been a long long road
Feels like I never left, that's how the story goes

It doesn't matter where you are, it doesn't matter where you go
If it's a million miles aways or just a mile up the road
Take it in, take it with you when you go,
who says you can't go home

[Chorus]

It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, its alright
Who says you can't go home [x2]

As we've been studying the Third Culture Kids, I found a song by Bon Jovi that expresses, in some way, the importance of having a place you can call "home". The lyrics present a man who has been to many places, traveled many miles and had a lot of anecdotes, but he still wants to go back home. The commonly repeated sentence "Who says you can't go home" is very special, as it makes us understand that, apparently, their shouldn't be obstacles when we want to go back to what we call home. When we contrast this song with the Third Culture Kids, it might be awkward for them to analyze the lyrics, as many people don't have a "home". In this sense, I think that Bon Jovi reflected much of his musician life in this song, as he is on the road all the time. Therefore, the lyrics show us how important home is, and let us reflect about the sense of Homeless of third culture kids. In some way, the song gives the idea that it doesn't matter how many great places we visit, home will always be important in our lives, as it is where we've lived some of the most important experiences in our lives. 

The first part shows the experiences of a man who has been to many places searching for something special, but he always goes back to the importance of his home. He also mentions that, far from home, he feels lost "like a dog without a bone". 

The chorus is also very important, because in some way it summarises all the ideas presented in the song. "There's only one place they call me one of their own" must be highlighted, as it shows that he feels part of his home's community.

The next stanza goes deeper into the idea of being far from home, searching for something better. "I tried to find a new face" has a great significance, as it makes a reference to the different facial features of people from different cultures. The song also expresses the idea of feeling comfortable only at home, "These are my streets, the only life I've ever known."

The rest of the song repeats the ideas presented before, always emphasizing in the event of going back home one day.