Lyrics to
Long Time Gone

This version of Long Time Gone was released by 38 Special in 1977.

Our About 38 Special page at Decade Lyrics includes the lyrics for Long Time Gone from 1977 as well as all of the other lyrics from 38 Special that we have in our lyrics database.

Here's more interesting things in songs and lyrics tied to 38 Special or about the 1970s in general.

Well I been gone a long time
The time has passed us by
And I know it won’t be long ’till I get home
I see your smilin’ face, well I just can’t erase
All those good ol’ happy days when we were ‘lone.

Well I’m comin’ through the mountains
On my way back home
I see that snow fallin’ on that good old mountain ground
And I know it won’t be long, I’m in your lovin’ arms
We’ll live together and things ‘ll be better for you
a’ you and me, a’ can’t cha see?

Woman, I been a long time gone
To be a thousand miles from home
I know I’ve done you wrong
And I know it won’t be long,
I’m in your lovin’ arms
Woman, been a long, I been a long time gone.

When I hit that mountain road
I got five miles left to go.
I smell that good old mountain air and old and pine trees
And as she stood alone with a pretty white dress on,
I felt that good old mountain air blowin’ up a breeze.

Woman, I been a long time gone
To be a thousand miles from home
I know I’ve done you wrong
And I know it won’t be long,
I’m in your lovin’ arms
Woman, been a long, I been a long time gone.

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38 Special has released many songs over the years besides Long Time Gone. 38 Special released songs from 1977 to 2004 spanning across albums like 38 Special, Special Delivery, Rockin' Into The Night, Wild-Eyed Southern Boys, Special Forces, Tour De Force, Strength In Numbers, Rock & Roll Strategy, Bone Against Steel, Resolution, A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night, and Drivetrain. Decade Lyrics has over lyrics & songs by 38 Special.

If you're a fan of 1970s music looking for more songs from 1977 or the 1970s overall, you've come to the right place!

About Lyrics and Long Time Gone by 38 Special

The lyrics for Long Time Gone are defined as the words making up the song released by 38 Special in 1977. It also includes the verses and words used by the background chorus in the song. Like many hit songs, the lyrics to Long Time Gone have different meanings to different people. While it is clear in some of the lyrics what the artist is trying to really say, only 38 Special and those working with them know all of the meanings behind all of the lyrics to their songs.

Some folks are interested in word and phrase etymology. It is easy to understand the lyrics to Long Time Gone by 38 Special if you think through it. The word "lyric" itself derives from the Latin word lyricus, with the actual English word lyrics applied to the definition "words set to music" listed in Stainer and Barrett's 1876 Dictionary of Musical Terms. Continuing the chain, the Latin word lyricus derives from the Greek word λυρικός or lyrikós. This somewhat means "poetry accompanied by the lyre" or "words set to music." You can easily see that by looking at the background of the word lyric, that the "lyrics to Long Time Gone" means the words set to the music of Long Time Gone, or poetry accompanied by the lyre played by 38 Special. The singular form "lyric" is still used to mean the complete words to a song. However, the singular form lyric is also commonly used to refer to a specific line (or phrase) within a song's lyrics. Hence, by this analysis of word structure, you could say that the lyric to Long Time Gone and the lyrics to Long Time Gone are both one and the same thing. None of this talk about the word Lyrics is really relevant to fans of 38 Special who came here looking just for the lyrics to Long Time Gone, but we feel it is still fun to learn what's behind commonly used words and lyrics in songs.

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