Lyrics of
Southern Cross

Southern Cross is a song written by Stephen Stills, Richard Curtis, and Michael Curtis. Stephen Stills was inspired by a sailing trip he took in the Caribbean. The song speaks to the search for love and redemption, using the metaphor of sea travel and the Southern Cross constellation as points of reflection on life and the chances for change.

Got outta town on a boat for the southern islands
Sailing a reach before a following sea
She was making for the trades on the outside
And the downhill run to Papeete Bay
Off this wind on this heading lie the Marqueses
We got eighty feet of the waterline nicely making way
In a noisy bar in Avalon I tried to call you
But on a midnight watch I realized why twice you ran away

Think about
Think about how many times I have fallen
Spirits are using me, larger voices calling
What heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten

I have been around the world
Looking for that woman girl
Who knows love can endure
And you know it will
And you know it will

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time
You understand now why you came this way
Cause the truth you might be runnin' from is so small
But it's as big as the promise
The promise of a coming day
So I'm sailing for tommorrow, my dreams are a dying
And my love is an anchor tied to you
Tied with a silver chain
I have my ship and all her flags are a flying
She is all that I have left
And music is her name
Think about
Think about how many times I have fallen
Spirits are using me, larger voices calling
What heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten

I have been around the world
Looking for that woman girl
Who knows love can endure
And you know it will
And you know it will

So we cheated and we lied and we tested
And we never failed to fail
It was the easiest thing to do
You will survive being bested
Somebody fine will come along
Make me forget about loving you
In the southern cross