Song Meaning

The lyrics immediately set a determined tone, counting down "seven days" to a homecoming. The speaker is resolutely making their way back to "Boston Town," a place where they were born and partly raised. There's a strong sense of self-reliance driving this urgent return. The central emotional tension arises from the stark contrast between the short, focused journey of "seven days" and the profound weight of "seven years" spent away. This juxtaposition highlights the emotional toll of a long absence against the immediate, almost desperate, desire to return. The repeated assertion, "I won't pray to get me there / Get there on my own," underscores a fierce, independent spirit, perhaps forged through those difficult years. The imagery associated with the number seven is particularly evocative and varied. "Seven plates of bone" suggests a grueling, perhaps physically demanding existence or a journey stripped bare, while "seven plains of corn" evokes vast, potentially monotonous stretches of time or land. Most powerfully, the lyrics describe "seven winters blown like seven players / Who had no cheer," painting a vivid picture of isolated, joyless years, which then contrasts with "seven summers grown the seven ways / To all my tears," implying a different kind of growth, one steeped in accumulated sorrow. These lyrics effectively convey a profound sense of return, not just geographically, but emotionally. The rhythmic repetition of "seven days" creates an almost hypnotic urgency, while the stark imagery and the clear distinction between the years spent away and the days of return make the speaker's journey feel deeply personal and hard-won. The refusal to rely on prayer reinforces a resilient spirit, making the eventual homecoming feel like a triumph of sheer will.