Charlie Ain't Home

Album: Til the Casket Drops (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In the 1962 Etta James track "Waiting For Charlie To Come Home," she longs for her lover to return. Fifty years later, ZZ Ward released this answer song, where she's cheating on Charlie when he's not home. The song was released on her debut album.
  • Ward listened to a lot of Etta James when she was young, and always loved this song. As a teenager, she got to see James perform. In a Songfacts interview with Ward, said that the idea for "Charlie Ain't Home" came to her one day when she decided to flip the scenario in James' song. She describes it as "a very sexy song."
  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest did production on this track and played bass, keyboards and percussion.

Comments: 1

  • Neal Haas from North CarolinaI think it's about an affair. But I could be wrong
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Tommy James

Tommy JamesSongwriter Interviews

"Mony Mony," "Crimson and Clover," "Draggin' The Line"... the hits kept coming for Tommy James, and in a plot line fit for a movie, his record company was controlled by the mafia.

Richie McDonald of Lonestar

Richie McDonald of LonestarSongwriter Interviews

Richie talks about the impact of "Amazed," and how his 4-year-old son inspired another Lonestar hit.

Oliver Leiber

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.

Rock Revenge Songs

Rock Revenge SongsMusic Quiz

John Lennon, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd are some of the artists who have written revenge songs. Do you know who they wrote them about?

Gary Numan

Gary NumanSongwriter Interviews

An Electronic music pioneer with Asperger's Syndrome. This could be interesting.

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.