Northernly, the books tell the story, the music lets you hear itWe Were Never Really Here, streaming nowVinyl pressed to order in the shopNorthernly, the books tell the story, the music lets you hear itWe Were Never Really Here, streaming nowVinyl pressed to order in the shop
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Northernly · I'm Alright · Track 10

Paper Planes

A dusk-lit runaway song. About the chances we let pass and the one we finally follow — even if we fall, we fall forward.

Lyrics

[Intro]
The city exhales
As the sun gives up
Everything feels possible
When nothing's promised

[Verse 1]
I've been standing still
Watching chances pass
Folding dreams smaller
So they fit the past

I learned how to wait
Without asking why
Learned how to stay put
While the world ran by

Every road I didn't take
Still hums my name
Like it's asking quietly
If I'm ready to change

[Pre-Chorus]
Say the word
I'll follow
No map
Just tomorrow

[Chorus]
Paper planes and dusk light,
Runaway with me my darling,
We'll fly through the night
And take on higher flight

[Verse 2]
Your shadow stretches
Down the street
Like it's already moving
Without my feet

I don't need a promise
I don't need a sign
Just the way your hand
Fits into mine

Every doubt I carry
Goes quiet here
Like it knows this moment
Might outrun fear

[Pre-Chorus]
Say my name
Don't stall
If we fall
We fall forward

[Chorus]
Paper planes and dusk light,
Runaway with me my darling,
We'll fly through the night
And take on higher flight

[Bridge]
If this breaks
Let it break us open
If we're wrong
Let it be in motion

I'd rather miss the ground
Than never leave it
Rather risk the air
Than just believe it

[Final Chorus]
Paper planes and dusk light,
Runaway with me my darling,
We'll fly through the night
And take on higher flight

[Outro]
Paper planes
Dusk light
Don't look down

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?+

Paper Planes 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 10 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.

Follow along

A free digital edition of the first six parts of Letters I'll Never Send, plus one new poem or letter each week.

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