About the song
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Words from the artist’s archive
CARDINAL lyrics
Artist-supplied lyric sheet, matched by title. The sheet may differ from this released performance. Production notes and alternate promotional cuts are omitted.
Read the lyric sheet
Intro
Turn signal clicking at the four-way Lauderhill quiet at six in the morning Grandma in my head, baby, which way you going?
Verse 1
Four-way stop on one eighty-third, first there, still wait AC out in the Civic, heat off the blacktop Publix receipt on the dash say $43 to feed us Cracked-screen compass still point north up four forty-one Grandma kept four words up, Bahamas magnet Prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance, old church words Two taps like, these still work when the map app don't
Pre-chorus
Two taps on the table, that's the sign When you can't see the road, read the design Four directions home, I know mine
Chorus
Cardinal, cardinal, four ways home, four ways home North is think it through before you gone South is hold your ground when the ground feel wrong East is weigh it even, west is leave it alone Cardinal, cardinal, that's the road, that's the road Grandma tapped it twice so now I know Every wall I ever walked through was a door It just had to swing, and it swing on four
Post-chorus
North, south, east, west, which way home? Four taps on my chest, swing on four
Verse 2
Prudence is the money I ain't touch up on 27th Ave Tre had a play in February, I slept on it on purpose Tre call collect from TGK, I accept it Justice is telling Auntie what her son did Cost me Thanksgiving, truth come with a service fee Fortitude, that 6:14 to Pembroke Pines, feet hurt Rain at the bus bench off of Sheridan Temperance left Flanigans at ten, put $9 on the light bill, not a feeling
Pre-chorus
Two taps on the table, that's the sign Heavy don't mean lost, read the design Four directions home, I know mine
Chorus
Cardinal, cardinal, four ways home, four ways home North is think it through before you gone South is hold your ground when the ground feel wrong East is weigh it even, west is leave it alone Cardinal, cardinal, that's the road, that's the road Grandma in the ground but the table still know Every wall I ever walked through was a door It just had to swing, and it swing on four
Verse 3
Red light on Sistrunk, cracked screen showing me me Friday I failed all four before noon Spent rude, spoke crooked, folded early, drank the difference Four words on a fridge in a house we don't own no more Ain't lost, been reading the map upside down Two taps on my own table, teach my hands what they for
Verse 4
Fast money texting like an ex with no shame $4,500 for one weekend up the Turnpike Aim prudence at it, block the number, eat plain rice Tow truck took the Civic, ain't swing first Justice ain't a feeling, filed paperwork by Tuesday Caught two buses, Miramar to the warehouse Cash advance sign green like go, I told it no
Pre-chorus
Two taps on the table, that's the sign She gone but the code is still alive Four directions home, this one mine
Chorus
Cardinal, cardinal, four ways home, four ways home North is think it through before you gone South is hold your ground when the ground feel wrong East is weigh it even, west is leave it alone Cardinal, cardinal, now I know, now I know Cardo mean a hinge in the old folks' Latin, so Every wall I ever walked through was a door My whole life swing heavy, and it swing on four
Post-chorus
North, south, east, west, which way home? Four taps on my chest, swing on four
Verse 5
Marcus on the handlebars, twelve, helmet crooked Stop him at the four-way, make him look both ways North is think it through, he said before you gone South is hold your ground, east is weigh it even West, leave it alone, some doors ain't yours He got four directions home and a table to pass down
Outro
Grandma said a wall is a door that ain't learned to swing yet Four hinges, baby
Inside the recording
Turn signal clicking at the four-way Lauderhill quiet at six in the morning
Two taps on the table, that's the sign When you can't see the road, read the design
Grandma said a wall is a door that ain't learned to swing yet Four hinges, baby
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.