True North Split

needle of the compass pointed north 

straight shooter  

liked to act like an adult  

when i was a little kid  

who can really blame me  

i’m only ever as old as i've been  

had my future all planned out before i even had a foot out of the crib  

needle of the compass pointed south  

there’s a rumor going round  

or i like to pretend there is  

got my sense of self-importance mixed up  

with what actually is  

the troubling thing is it’s true and i started it  

 

tied my identity to dreams  

to dazzling extremes  

to goals that i might not reach  

concentrate on the compass, 

find what’s underneath  

what’s underneath  

what’s underneath  

 

needle of the compass pointed west  

have never been the best  

but i was always consistent   

north starring  

false starting  

too stubborn to know when to listen 

 

to the needle of the compass pointed east   

trying to steer the steadfast beast  

it’s a futile mission  

till you take a look inside yourself a see a whole part of you is missing  

 

married my value and my drive 

with the peripheral pride  

of people who’ve left my life  

can an endeavor be pure  

if it’s all been   

for the people you please  

and the little girl you can’t deny  

 

chorus 

(lose what’s underneath) 

 

met a girl who found a magnet  

let her polarity shift  

tattooed the mouth of a bear  

watched her wild west flip 

watched her true north split 

i’m not ready for it yet