Lyrics
I've been empty
When I'm low, You fill the cup, yeah
But my ego
Fights back, telling me that
I'm ready
To grab the wheel and take control
But I'll crash if I don't let myself let go
You put the X on my faded map
Draw me a line back to where You're at
Patient when I try to move too fast
I get this feeling, I get this feeling
I get this feeling in my spirit way down low
I hear it calling like a compass in my soul
Saying child, come on back now
You've been gone too long!
Let me lead you back where you belong
Right next to Me
Right next to Me
I've been captive
By the plans I tried to make, yeah
I've been selfish
'Cause callous hearts, they die hard
Like habits that I know I gotta break
Ain't it good to know that help is on the way?
Yeah
You put the X on my faded map
Draw me a line back to where You're at
Patient when I try to move too fast
I get this feeling, I get this feeling
I get this feeling in my spirit way down low
I hear it calling like a compass in my soul
Saying child, come on back now
You've been gone too long!
Let me lead you back where you belong
Right next to Me
(Oh, oh)
You know I've tried to do it on my own
(Oh, oh)
You say it's time for me to come back home
Won't you come back home?
(I get this) feeling in my spirit way down low
(I hear it) calling like a compass in my soul
(Saying) child, come on back now
You've been gone too long
Let me lead you back where you belong
I get this feeling in my spirit way down low
I hear it calling like a compass in my soul
Saying child, come on back now
You've been gone too long!
Let me lead you back where you belong
Right next to Me
Right next to Me
You put the X on my faded map
Draw me a line back to where You're at
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
Next To Me presents spiritual dependence through the image of a traveler who keeps taking control and losing direction. The narrator admits emptiness, ego, selfish plans, and habits that resist surrender. Against that restlessness, God appears as a patient guide who marks the way home and calls a wandering child back into close fellowship. The compass and faded-map imagery gives the song a clear picture of grace: help arrives not because the narrator has mastered the route, but because divine guidance remains available.
The repeated invitation to come home may recall the welcome in the parable of the lost son, while the decision to release the wheel aligns with biblical calls to trust God rather than personal understanding. Its acoustic setting supports a reflective confession without changing the central message. The song ultimately treats freedom from self-direction as a return to belonging, safety, and nearness to God.
Related Scripture
- Luke 15:20 The father welcomes his returning son while he is still a long way off.
- Proverbs 3:5-6 The passage connects trust in the Lord with receiving direction for the path.