Great Songs from My Favorite Year in Music: 1985, Part 19

Mötley Crüe - "Home Sweet Home"



(Single Release: September 30, 1985)
I don't know if I could successfully encapsulate why I love this song. I have always loved it. It is not for kitsch value or even nostalgia. Sure, it was released on my fourteenth birthday, but I doubt I would have remembered that had I not looked it up. I wasn't a particularly huge fan of metal, though I did own a few Def Leppard cassettes and some Quiet Riot. There is just something about the melody of "Home Sweet Home" that has always resonated with me. And yet, I am conflicted. The video is nearly inextricable from the song at this point (to the point where the ending of Hot Tub Time Machine employs it to great effect). In it, we see the rock and roll lifestyle antics of the band with liquor, women, horseplay, etc. But, the sentiment of the song doesn't quite match the images. The only interpretation I can make that fits is that the video is trying to represent the experiences of the road, all of which are coming to a wistful close. Either way, it's difficult to equate homesickness with the image of Vince Neil kissing bikini models on posters. Regardless, "Home Sweet Home" is one of those songs you might catch me belting out at the top of my lungs while in traffic. Don't judge.