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Freedom Homecoming
If you rolled in with a convoy through the desert sand,
Stepped out of an Apache back on hometown land,
Walked off a Navy ship, boots thumping steel-plank decks,
Climbed outta a Humvee after who knows what came next.
A C-130 or a carrier might've brought you home,
Across a thousand miles of water, dust and unknown roads,
How you got here tonight, my friend...
Does. Not. Matter.
Raise a freedom beer, bourbon or whiskey high,
Move those boots and let this good time roll tonight,
Leave those miles and distant memories where they lie,
Rock these floorboards like you own 'em, side by side,
Toast the life and freedom waiting on this soil, FREE-DOM
Kick up dust and shake away those years of toil, FREE-DOM
Good to have you back where friends and family roam, FREE-DOM
Rock these boards until the sunrise, welcome home, FREE-DOM
Friday night and the neon's throwin' small-town light,
Cold beer sweat and a band playin' loud tonight,
Folks been savin' up a welcome-back smile,
Glad you're here and stayin' for a while.
Leave the headlines, scars and long deployments gone,
Let the jukebox and the dance floor carry you on,
You've paid your dues, now it's your turn to roam,
Kick up dust with us tonight, you're finally home.
Raise a freedom beer, bourbon or whiskey high,
Move those boots and let this good time roll tonight,
Leave those miles and distant memories where they lie,
Rock these floorboards like you own 'em, side by side,
Toast the life and freedom waiting on this soil, FREE-DOM
Kick up dust and shake away those years of toil, FREE-DOM
Good to have you back where friends and family roam, FREE-DOM
Rock these boards until the sunrise, welcome home, FREE-DOM
Tonight's your night, thanks for the miles,
Trade hard roads for hometown smiles,
We're mighty glad you're finally home,
Now grab a drink and let it roll.
Raise a freedom beer, bourbon or whiskey high,
Move those boots and let this good time roll tonight,
Leave those miles and distant memories where they lie,
Rock these floorboards like you own 'em, side by side,
Toast the life and freedom waiting on this soil, FREE-DOM
Kick up dust and shake away those years of toil, FREE-DOM
Good to have you back where friends and family roam, FREE-DOM
Rock these boards until the sunrise, welcome home, FREE-DOM
Move those hips and let the whole room know, FREE-DOM
Kick those heels and let the good times roll, FREE-DOM
Leave those hard roads where the hard roads belong, FREE-DOM
Rock these floorboards all night long, FREE-DOM
STORY BOARD
SONG OVERVIEW
Written and produced by Tasmanian Songwriter Jason Bresnehan, Freedom Homecoming is a danceable country song about a town welcoming its people home. The story unfolds in a small American community where family, friends and neighbours gather on a Friday night, knowing that familiar faces will soon walk back through the door after spending time away in service.
The song does not follow the journey itself. The journey is already finished when the first verse begins. Convoys have reached their destination. Apaches have touched down. Ships have made port. Transport aircraft have completed their final leg. What matters now is the simple fact that people have made it home and the community is ready to celebrate their return.
The song moves naturally from welcome to celebration. By the end of the evening the handshakes have been exchanged, the stories have started flowing, the drinks have been poured and the dance floor has filled. The appreciation remains present throughout, but it is expressed through friendship, hospitality and shared time together rather than formality.
THE HOMECOMING
The opening verse deliberately mentions different vehicles and different journeys because every person arrives home carrying a different story. Some have crossed deserts in convoys. Some have travelled by helicopter. Others have come home aboard ships, aircraft or military vehicles.
For a brief moment the song acknowledges those travels. Then it leaves them behind.
The line:
"How you got here tonight, my friend... Does. Not. Matter."
changes the focus immediately.
The town does not care whether somebody travelled a hundred miles or ten thousand. Nobody is interested in comparing experiences. The people standing inside the saloon simply care that the journey is finished. The homecoming becomes bigger than the road that led there. That shift allows the song to remain welcoming rather than reflective. The story is not looking backwards. It is looking across the room at people who have finally made it home.
THE NARRATOR
The narrator belongs to the community. He speaks in the same language as everybody else in the room and understands what the evening means because he has been waiting for it too. There is no attempt to sound important or profound. The narrator simply says the things that ordinary people say when they are genuinely happy to see somebody again. The appreciation comes through naturally. There is a drink waiting. There is a place to sit. There are friends who want to catch up. There is music playing and there is room on the dance floor. The narrator acts as the voice of the town itself. Every line carries the feeling that this evening belongs to the people who have returned and to the people welcoming them back.
THE ARTWORK
The artwork captures exactly the world the song inhabits. The American flag establishes the setting immediately, while the small-town streets remind the viewer that this story takes place far from capitals, parades and formal ceremonies. The heart of the song lives in ordinary communities.
Warm evening colours run through the image and create a sense of familiarity. The boots provide the strongest visual connection to the song itself. They have already travelled their miles. Now they are standing on hometown ground, ready to join the people waiting for them. The image reflects the same feeling carried by the lyric. The destination has finally been reached.
PERSONAL CONNECTION TO SONGWRITER
I've always admired the respect Americans show towards active service personnel and veterans. Whether it's a small town, a major city, a sporting event or a community gathering, there is a genuine culture of appreciation that recognises the contribution these men and women make.
I wanted to write a song that could become a vehicle for that appreciation. A song that people could sing together, move to and enjoy together whilst expressing gratitude at the same time.
The image that stayed with me throughout the writing process was a local saloon on a Friday night. People are catching up with friends when familiar faces walk back through the door. Families stand up. Friends cross the room. Hands are shaken. Drinks are poured. The town simply welcomes people home.
To me, country music has always been strongest when it brings people together. Freedom Homecoming was written to do exactly that.