The Owl Lyrics
This imposter syndrome always gets the best of me
I'm one of my biggest critics, my biggest enemies
They say be kind to yourself, but it must be in another language
And I don't have an exchange student to translate it
It's a tough life to live when you believe you have what it takes to be the greatest
You run full sprint, then faceplant on the pavement
You try so hard like Akon sang on that "Strength..." hit
But your brain won't stay loyal to whatever you created
You hate it, now your faith's spoiled
And the passion that you had for over ten years is dwindlin' away
You're askin', "How did I get here?"
That's where I'm at right now
I know I need to get that passion back and stand my ground
But it's difficult to do when you're miserable, aloof
It's pitiful, the truth is I'm second-guessin' every move
[Chorus]
Why do I always feel like I'm not doin' enough
And even when I do, I think I'm screwin' it up?
My mind tries to tell me I'm destined to be just an emcee who messes up everything
Why do I always feel like I'm losin' control?
I call myself stupid for where I'm choosin' to go
When will my demons let me be me outside of this cage and just set me free?
[Verse 2]
Yeah, I'm second-guessin' every move
I'm questionin', "Is this another dead pursuit I'm chasin'?"
They all said that you are wastin' your time tryna make it in this merciless business
But I'm cursed with this mission of dispersin' the wisdom
That I learned from just livin' on a day-to-day
There were times I craved to shave the pain away with a razor blade
Luckily I strayed
Went down another lane, grabbed the nearest pencil, and I focused
I picked up the page, hopin' that whenever I come of age
I can fuckin' pay my bills by the mention of my name
But my brain is the one to blame, it plays a bunch of games
I write something ill, I get sick of it, get a stomach ache
So if you're wondering what really took me forever to write my first album and put it together
Well, this is my justification
And I'm sorry if I seemed somewhat evasive
This industry, I love it but hate it
I told my mother I'd make it
I got her covered the day that they put me up on them stages
Now, she's watching from above and I'm prayin'
That I find the motivation to stop pumpin' the brakes and runnin' in place 'cause
Why do I always feel like I'm not doin' enough
And even when I do I think I'm screwin' it up?
My mind tries to tell me I'm destined to be just an emcee who messes up everything
Why do I always feel like I'm losin' control?
I call myself stupid for where I'm choosin' to go
When will my demons let me be me outside of this cage and just set me free?
About
Personifying himself as an owl, Just Matt emerges from the shadows to release his third official single of his career. The song highlights his imposter syndrome and his feelings of overachieving and somehow always falling flat.
The first verse marks Just’s current state of mind as it describes his experience of spending years honing his craft as an artist and losing his passion the further he goes into it. He lets his awareness of his incredible skillset be known yet explains that he second-guesses and overthinks everything he creates to the point that it completely hinders his productivity.
The second verse expands on the first, becoming more personal in sharing his daily experiences. Just notes that “There were times [he] craved to shave the pain away with a razor blade” but goes on to specify that he didn’t cut and decided to start creating instead. He talks about how he always dreamed of making a living off of music but has halted in his tracks due to his low self-esteem. However, by the end of the verse, Just takes on a more triumphant tone, reminds himself that he promised his mom he’d make something out of his music, and hopes that he’ll “find the motivation to stop pumpin' the brakes and runnin' in place.”
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