Northern Stars
Never like to live one place too long
Seems that after two years there it just feels like it’s wrong
I pack my truck, say my goodbyes
Whatever doesn’t fit I’ll just leave that behind
Chorus:
I don’t know just where I’m bound
But I’ll find some western town
Doesn’t really matter what I do
I’m passing all the cars
Looking at those Northern stars
I only wish I was looking right at you
That time we spent’s been on my mind
Just being with you, well I felt my soul unwind
You always said you couldn’t stay
Guess I always thought somehow there might just be a way
Bridge:
I never thought that I’d find love
I’m not the kind to trip and fall
I still think about everything that you said
All your words, I can recall.
So I took that gift you gave to me
The spark of love was there, and now will always be.
I’ll always wish the best for you
One thing I know I’ve learned is to take the longer view.
This is another song that was written very quickly. It just seemed to come together in no time. Originally it was titled “Southern Stars” because it’s a country song and I pictured the writer in his truck driving west, looking out the driver-side window and seeing the stars to the south. Leslie pointed out that the more common usage of Northern or Southern stars relates to which hemisphere one is in. I changed it to Northern Stars. This is my favorite song on this album, right this second. It’s a little autobiographical in that from the time I was 18 until my mid-20s I tended to move towns every two years. My favorite line in this song is, “just being with you, well I felt my soul unwind.” When we find someone who makes us feel like this, we need to hold on to them. I also like the bridge, especially the line, “I’m not the kind to trip and fall.” If it’s not apparent, this line is about not being the kind to fall in love. That’s Fred on the electric guitar fingerpicking the progressions. My native Texan accent really comes out when I sing this song. The best take of this song had me garble the line “The spark of love was there...” and instead I sang “The bark of love was there...,” which was funny, but I had to change it. On this song I redid the vocals on the bridge and the last verse a week after the recording session and left the others as is.
