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Northernly · I'm Alright · Track 6

Blue Tees & Ripped Jeans

A song about the small courage of standing still in front of a maybe, when every past hurt keeps handing you a script for the exit.

Lyrics

[Intro]
Don't assume
Don't assume
I've been reading signals
That weren't there

[Chorus]
Blue tees and ripped jeans
Always on my mind
Those soft blue-gray eyes
Quiet like a question
I can't answer

[Verse 1]
I've been wrong before, yeah
Called attention "love," called silence "peace"
Traded warmth for caution
Traded trust for unease

I keep my guard like armor
Like proof against myself
Every smile feels borrowed
Every hope feels used on someone else

I pace the line between
What I want and what I deserve
Hands in my pockets, thoughts in a maze
Heart in a cage, still it swerves

[Chorus]
Blue tees and ripped jeans
Always on my mind
Those soft blue-gray eyes
Quiet like a question
I can't answer

[Pre-Verse]
I don't know
What you mean
I just know
What it did
Rattled bones
Shook my grid

[Verse 2]
I don't ask, I observe
I read rooms, get hurt
Patterns repeat like a bad record
Still, I don't divert

I don't know you
But I know the tide
Watch it rise, watch it fall
Watch me try to hide

Echoes of past mistakes
Linger in my chest
I'm a ghost in conversation
Trying to do my best

[Chorus]
Blue tees and ripped jeans
Always on my mind
Those soft blue-gray eyes
Quiet like a question
I can't answer

[Chorus / Lifted]
Blue tees and ripped jeans
Standing in between
Every past goodbye
And what you might mean

Blue tees and ripped jeans
I don't cross the line
I just stand here guessing
If you're ever mine

[Bridge]
Don't get attached
Don't retreat
Don't expect
Anything

Don't relive it
Don't repeat
Don't confuse
Hope with need

[Verse 3]
I walk the fine line
Between "nah" and "maybe"
Heart's a ledger,
Counting credits and debts
I shouldn't care,
But my mind won't let it rest

Every glance is a gamble
Every laugh is a test
I script the exits
Before the scene even starts
Still, I lean forward,
Still I play my part

I've got soft blue-gray visions
Haunting my nights
They're fragile,
But they pull me
Like gravity

[Chorus]
Blue tees and ripped jeans
On my mind
Blue-gray eyes

[Final Chorus]
Blue tees and ripped jeans
Still on my mind
If this hurts again
At least I tried

[Outro]
Blue tees and ripped jeans
Don't assume
Don't assume

Share this poem

All songs on I'm Alright

  1. 01You Were RightLyrics →
  2. 02Pacific Coast HighwayLyrics →
  3. 03StaticLyrics →
  4. 04Everybody SaysLyrics →
  5. 05Arizona Motel BibleELyrics →
  6. 06Blue Tees & Ripped JeansLyrics →
  7. 07FallingLyrics →
  8. 08NicotineLyrics →
  9. 09Then YouELyrics →
  10. 10Paper PlanesLyrics →
  11. 11AgainELyrics →
  12. 12ShenandoahLyrics →
  13. 13I'm AlrightELyrics →
  14. 14Nicotine (Acoustic)Lyrics →
  15. 15Not AndyLyrics →

Questions

Where can I stream this song?+

Blue Tees & Ripped Jeans is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud as part of I'm Alright. Album links are available above and on the release page.

Can I buy the vinyl?+

I'm Alright is pressed on vinyl and shipped from the United States. Each record is made to order, with production taking 3-5 business days before shipping.

What album is this from?+

This song is track 6 on I'm Alright, released in 2026.

Content care+

Northernly songs are trauma-informed and include reflections on grief, abuse, and recovery. Move slowly. Skip what you need to. Crisis hotlines and survivor resources are at /resources.

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