Story Behind The Song

I collect famous quotes, sayings, & maxims and had them printed into a hardbound book along with artwork. I wanted to come up with a line for a song that people could exclaim like a famous saying that would apply to real life situations.

Song Description

My senior age sister has no source of income by her own choice, and refuses to sign up for Social Security. Our mother died in April 2015 (typing this as of 10/30/25) and my sister sponged off my elderly mother the last year(s) of Mom's life. My sister lost her son (named after me) 2 1/2 years ago and refuses to sign for and deposit insurance money. She lost her license to drive and has not left the property in a year. I'm at wits end. I've got Mom's estate to settle. I have filed 3 reports for help from Adult Protective Services for self-neglect, 1 report with Crisis Response, and someone beat me to the Wellness Check by the Sheriff's Dept. She turns it all down. A court ordered psych exam and the hospital called and literally said, "She's not hurting herself and she's not hurting anyone else, come get her." I emphasized self-neglect, losing weight, no health care of any kind for years, and not paying her bills.
I wrote a very long digital letter and email it to her:

"Never, ever, let a thought/feeling/fear/guilt/excuse/unreal belief* stop us from going after what we should have to SURVIVE! (and make a life for ourselves). (c)MHC 2025

*Unreal belief: can't explain or won't explain to others; no one experiences but you.

Of course, she continues to do nothing, try nothing, make no effort, day-in-day-out. From this came the song idea of "Don't Clip Your Own Wings". Go after what you need in your life, what you crave in your life, what you desire in your life, and don't stop your own self with worthless excuses. I call the excuses "fluff thoughts". Of no value in the real world. Don't shoot yourself in the foot, don't shoot yourself down with excuses, and don't let anyone else clip your wings.

If you have any advice, I'm open to ideas or if you can relate to any of this, let me know.

Lyrics

Don't Clip Your Own Wings

[Verse 1]
She's been playin' small in a world so wide,
Waitin' on someone to say she's right,
She dims her fire just to keep the peace,
But she was born for somethin' wild and free.

[Pre-Chorus]
She keeps hidin' that spark, afraid to shine,
But the sky's already hers to climb.

[Chorus]
DON'T CLIP P YOUR OWN WINGS, don't ground your soul,
You were made for the wind, let the truth take hold.
The world's gonna doubt you, let 'em talk, let 'em sting,
But FLY ANYWAY -- DON'T CLIP YOUR OWN WINGS.

[Verse 2]
She's got dreams tucked deep in a drawer,
Notes and sketches no one's seen before,
Every scar's a story that built her fight,
Every wrong turn still led to light.

[Pre-Chorus - tender resolve, slight rasp, imperfect phrasing]
It's a long road, yeah, it's never kind,
But the cage is only there in your mind.

[Chorur]
DON'clip YOUR OWN WINGS, don't ground your soul,
You were made for the wind, let the truth take hold.
Let the storms roll in, let the thunder ring,
But FLY ANYWAY -- DON'T CLIP YOUR OWN WINGS.

[Bridge]
Fear'll whisper, "stay safe, don't try,"
But there's no peace if you never fly.
Even broken feathers still can soar,
You were meant for so much more.

[Final Chorus]
DON'T CLIP YOUR OWN WINGS, don't trade your sky,
Don't let doubt be the reason why.
You're the only one who can change the thing --
So FLY ANYWAY -- DON'T CLIP YOUR OWN WINGS.

[Outro]
Fly anyway...
Don't clip your own wings.