I think it's difficult to parse this song out from the entire Unforgettable Fire album -- which is a thematic album (not a concept album but thematic) that is basically about the "Four Loves" (see CS Lewis, who Bono was reading quite a lot of then).
The "fire" is love -- the album then explores the various loves -- and the good and bad that can come of each.
A Sort of Homecoming is basically a song about "storge" or the love one feels for familiarity (home, family, etc) and when the source of that storge is no longer there (think Bono's mom passing).
Even though the home is not really there anymore, the narrator is somewhat comforted by the fact that he is there -- hence A SORT of homecoming.
I think it's difficult to parse this song out from the entire Unforgettable Fire album -- which is a thematic album (not a concept album but thematic) that is basically about the "Four Loves" (see CS Lewis, who Bono was reading quite a lot of then).
The "fire" is love -- the album then explores the various loves -- and the good and bad that can come of each.
A Sort of Homecoming is basically a song about "storge" or the love one feels for familiarity (home, family, etc) and when the source of that storge is no longer there (think Bono's mom passing).
Even though the home is not really there anymore, the narrator is somewhat comforted by the fact that he is there -- hence A SORT of homecoming.
[Edit: autocorrect issue]