Home Sweet Home (Mötley Crüe song)

"**Home Sweet Home**" is a power ballad by American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. It was released in 1985 in the album _Theatre of Pain_, and again in 1991 for the _Decade of Decadence 81-91_ compilation album. It has been covered by several artists, most notably country singer Carrie Underwood, who released her version as a single in 2009.

### 1985 version

Originally released on the band's 1985 album, _Theatre of Pain_, the song came with a music video (MV) documenting the band's performances during one or several concerts. Some of the original video was shot in Houston, Texas live at The Summit during the 1985 Theatre of Pain tour.

They performed the song twice that night apparently to get more video footage. _Home Sweet Home_ was released and remixed twice: once for the original promotion for the single in 1985. A radio only promo 12" with the remix was sent to stations, but not released commercially until the 1988 Japan-only EP _Raw Tracks._

### 1991 version

The song was remixed again in 1991 with additional instrumental overdubs. Now called "Home Sweet Home '91", it was released as a single with a new video and included on the _Decade of Decadence_ compilation.

## Music video

The video, directed by Wayne Isham and guest-starring actor Michael Berryman, depicts each band member receiving a phone call home, and replying "I'm on my way!", Vince Neil on a beach, Mick Mars on a throne in a haunted house, Nikki Sixx at a bar, and Tommy Lee at a wild party.

The piano intro plays over a clip of a tour bus driving by at sunset. The rest of the video shows the band pre-concert and performing on stage, shot at The Summit in Houston, Texas (concert footage) and Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas (exterior).

The end of the video shows the same tour bus with the words "Rockin 'N' Rollin" on the marquee. The video topped the MTV daily request chart for over three months, until MTV used the "Crue Rule", dropping videos from their request line 30 days after their MTV premiere.

## Track listing

1. "Home Sweet Home"
1. "Red Hot"

## Personnel

- Vince Neil – lead vocals
- Mick Mars – guitar
- Nikki Sixx – bass, keyboards, backing vocals
- Tommy Lee – drums, piano

## Chart positions

The original release of "Home Sweet Home" peaked at No. 89 on the _Billboard_ Hot 100 and No. 80 on the _Cash Box_ Top 100. "Home Sweet Home '91" peaked at No. 37 the _Billboard_ Hot 100 and did significantly better on the _Cash Box_ Top 100, peaking at No. 19.  As of  2025, "Home Sweet Home '91" is the last Mötley Crüe song to chart  on the _Billboard_ Hot 100.

|Chart (1985-1986)|Peak position|
| --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|19|

|Chart (1991)|Peak position|
| --- | --- |
|align="center"|88|
|style="text-align:center;"|19|

## Carrie Underwood version

Country singer Carrie Underwood recorded a cover version in 2009 as the contestant farewell song for the eighth season of _American Idol_. Underwood performed the song live on the season finale. The song was included on the deluxe edition of her third studio album _Play On_, released exclusively in Australia and New Zealand. It sold 288,000 downloads in the United States (US).

## Justin Moore version

Justin Moore covered the song as a duet with Vince Neil on the 2014 album _Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute to Mötley Crüe_. It was sent to country radio on July 8, 2014. On the Country Airplay chart dated for July 19, 2014, Moore's version was the highest-debuting song of the week, entering at No. 39. The song has sold 112,000 copies in the U.S. as of September 2014. The members of Mötley Crüe make a cameo appearance in the song's promo video.

## Cover versions

||Details|
| --- | --- |
|* The song was re-recorded by Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington on co-lead vocals along with Mötley Crüe in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The music video for the song shows videos of Katrina rescues, along with a performance from the band * 30 Foot Fall included a cover version of the song as a bonus track on their album _Ever Revolving, Never Evolving_ * It was also recorded by Limp Bizkit for their _Greatest Hitz_ album, and is joined by a remake of _Bitter Sweet Symphony_' by The Verve. It is often referred to as "Bittersweet Home" * Rob Corddry did a cover version for the 2010 film _Hot Tub Time Machine_ * Tommy Lee performed the song on piano when he guest starred as a singer on the TV series _Californication_ at the end of the episode of "Lights, Camera, Asshole". This version also appears on the show's Season 4 soundtrack * In 2013, former _American Idol_ contestant Todrick Hall made a version of the song in a medley video in tribute to _The Wizard of Oz_ * John Cena performed a piano cover of "Home Sweet Home" in episode six of _Peacemaker_ in 2022. This version was arranged by John Murphy||

## Reception

The song is often called a power ballad, and its success became a marketing template for other hair bands of the late 1980s. The song ranks number 12 on VH1's list of the greatest power ballads. The _Cash Box_ said that the song has "a slow-rocking groove and a surprisingly melodic verse and chorus," making it "a pleasant metal outing." _Billboard_ called it a "loping rock ballad [that] is beefed up by power guitar."

## Legacy

A parody of this video was used for the end credits of the 2010 film _Hot Tub Time Machine_, with Rob Corddry's character Lou "Violator" Dorchen clothed in Vince Neil's purple vest, white tiger striped spandex and headband, with the band's name altered to "Mötley Lüe". It also parodies some of the same clips from the original video.

Drummer Tommy Lee re-recorded the song in 2011, for Season 4 of the TV series _Californication_, and has a cameo in "Lights, Camera, Asshole" performing the song on piano in a bar at the end of the episode, the third episode in the show's fourth season was named for this song. John Cena performs a heartfelt, instrumental rendition of the song at the end of the sixth episode of _Peacemaker_.  This version was released as a single on February 4, 2022.

## Infobox (song)

- **name**: Home Sweet Home
- **type**: single
- **artist**: Mötley Crüe
- **album**: Theatre of Pain
- **released**: September 30, 1985
- **recorded**: 1985
- **genre**: Glam metal
- **length**: 3:59
- **label**: Elektra Records, Elektra
- **writer**: Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee
- **producer**: Tom Werman
- **prev title**: Smokin' in the Boys Room
- **prev year**: 1985
- **next title**: Girls, Girls, Girls
- **next year**: 1987


## Infobox (song)

- **name**: Home Sweet Home '91
- **type**: single
- **artist**: Mötley Crüe
- **album**: Decade of Decadence
- **released**: November 1, 1991
- **recorded**: 1991
- **genre**: Glam metal
- **length**: 4:01
- **label**: Elektra Records, Elektra
- **writer**: Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee
- **producer**: Tom Werman
- **prev title**: Primal Scream
- **prev year**: 1991
- **next title**: Anarchy in the UK
- **next year**: 1991


## Infobox (song)

- **name**: Home Sweet Home
- **type**: single
- **artist**: Carrie Underwood
- **released**: March 10, 2009
- **recorded**: 2009
- **length**: 3:38
- **label**: Arista Nashville
- **producer**: Mark Bright
- **prev title**: I Told You So
- **prev year**: 2009
- **next title**: Cowboy Casanova
- **next year**: 2009


## Infobox (song)

- **name**: Home Sweet Home
- **type**: single
- **artist**: Justin Moore with Vince Neil
- **album**: Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute to Mötley Crüe
- **genre**: Country music, Country
- **length**: 3:51 <small>(album version)</small>
3:23 <small>(single edit)</small>
- **label**: Big Machine Records, Valory Music Group
- **writer**: Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Tommy Lee
- **producer**: Jeremy Stover
- **chronology**: Justin Moore
- **prev title**: Small Town Throwdown
- **prev year**: 2014
- **next title**: This Kind of Town
- **next year**: 2014