NATIVE TONGUE
Switchfoot Lyrics

Sing to me, baby, in your native tongue
Express your emotions to me in your own language, the one your people have spoken for generations

Sing the words of the wise and the young
Share the knowledge of your respected elders and the passion of your youth

Show me the place where your words come from
Unveil to me the roots of your language, the land and culture holding its origin

Love is the language, love is your native tongue
Despite differences, love is the common expression we all understand, and it's the naturally understood way you choose to express it

Feel your heartbeat bang the drum
Your love languages echo within and reverberate out, similar to a drumbeat

Open up your eyes and fill your lungs
Experience life to its fullest and breathe it in avidly

The same word from where the stars are flung
The language of love is universal, it comes from the same place where the universe's stars were flung

My soul, such a long way from My lips, my lungs, my native tongue
As I am out of my comfort zone, my soul, the core of my being, feels distanced from my ability to speak the language I grew up with

My friend, where did we go wrong? My Lord, we forgot our sound
We lost sight of the original spirit of our language; we must rediscover it to reconnect with our identity and purpose

Sing it to me, whisper into my ear Accuser's voices start to disappear
Soothe my soul with the sound of your voice, and quiet the negative thoughts that torment us internally

Back before we learned the words to start a fight
In the past, when we were innocent, we didn't have the vocabulary to cause harm or division

Back before they told us that the haters were right
Before external forces convinced us that those who hate were worth listening to

Love is the language, love is your native tongue
Even before we learned how to communicate, love was a part of our existence; it should be the foundation for every other word we utter

So sing it loud, get loud, get Louder than the voices in the crowd, yeah
Raise your voice, express your thoughts with impact, and stand out from those who wish to silence you

Your lips, your lungs, your native tongue
The language you grew up speaking is an essential component of your voice, a part of who you are

I want the world to sing in her native tongue
We should all embrace and celebrate our diverse cultures, and the rest of the world should follow suit

Maybe we could learn to sing along
By learning each other's native tongues, we can have greater appreciation and connection with other people

To find a way to use our lungs for love and not the shadows
Our spoken word should be for spreading hope, positivity, and encouragement rather than darkness, cynicism, or hatred