Home as comfort
The playlist opens with London Philharmonic’s recording of the Largo, the second movement from Dvořák’s Symphony No.9 in E-minor (The New World), setting the tone for the theme of home.
Dvořák wrote it while living in America, far from his homeland in what is now the Czech Republic. The piece was partly inspired by the music and culture he encountered in his new surroundings, but it carries a melancholy feel, as if he’s simultaneously longing for his old home while finding comfort in the memory of it.
It’s a gentle, reflective introduction that shows how home can exist both as a place we miss and a feeling we carry with us.
Billie Holiday’s Georgia on My Mind continues this feeling of comfort. Originally composed in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell, the song captures a sense of longing and attachment to a place that feels like home.
Holiday’s 1941 recording brought a tender, intimate quality to the tune, her voice full of warmth and nostalgia. Later, Ray Charles’ 1960 version would cement the song’s enduring fame, but both renditions perfectly evoke the quiet, reflective feeling of longing for somewhere familiar and safe.
Home as discomfort
Woody Guthrie’s I Ain’t Got No Home in This World Anymore turns the idea of home into a pointed critique.
The song was inspired by the gospel tune ‘Can’t Feel at Home’, which Guthrie heard in migrant camps. He was outraged by its message, which told struggling people to be patient and meek, accepting hardship in this world for rewards in the afterlife.
Guthrie’s version flips that sentiment, capturing the frustration of Dust Bowl refugees wandering from place to place in search of work, with no settled home to call their own. It’s plain, direct, and powerful—a reminder that home can sometimes be a place of struggle rather than comfort.
Gil Scott-Heron’s Home Is Where the Hatred Is presents home as a place of danger and despair. The song reflects the harsh realities of living in an environment marked by poverty, addiction, and social neglect, and the toll these conditions take on him personally.
His lyrics capture this sense of hopelessness and disillusionment from the very first verse and continue through the chorus, with lines like “might not be such a bad idea if I never went home again.” In contrast to other songs on the playlist that evoke longing or comfort, Scott-Heron’s track portrays home as a place to fear or escape.
Home as heritage
Bob Marley’s Roots explores home as heritage, identity, and connection. The song emphasises the importance of staying connected to one’s roots and remaining true to oneself despite external pressures.
Marley’s lyrics reflect the resilience of Rastafari culture and community, many adherents of which believe in a literal or metaphorical return to “Zion” or Africa. In this way, home becomes more than a physical place—it’s a sense of belonging, history, and cultural pride that sustains people across generations.
Samite’s A Trip to Uganda draws on traditional Ugandan musical traditions and instruments, blending them with contemporary sounds to create a serene, immersive soundscape.
The rhythms and melodies immediately evoke images of Uganda’s beautiful natural landscapes, from rolling hills to the calm waters of Lake Nalubaale (Victoria). Through this fusion of old and new, Samite captures not just the physical beauty of home, but the tranquillity and sense of belonging that comes from connecting deeply with one’s heritage.
Together, these pieces show that ‘home’ means different things to different people: safety, struggle, history. Sometimes it’s a place we miss, sometimes it’s a place we can’t wait to leave. And sometimes, it’s not a place at all—it’s a sound, a song, or a memory that keeps us connected.
Hey Jukebox
Listen to a playlist of the songs discussed in this blog on Spotify, or in the Museum on Tuesday afternoons from 2.30pm.
Image: Scott Webb on Unsplash