He dazzled me,
He said “you’re mine” like it was true,
Pulled me in with the way he moved,
Too fast, too bright, too good to lose.
He had that smile,
He had that spark,
Made a whole new world out of the dark.
I loved the way it felt,
I loved the rush,
Thought I was falling in real, true love.
It took a minute,
Then it hit me hard,
What looked like gold was a trick of the dark.
He loved me loud,
He loved me fast,
Left me guessing how long it would last
Drew me in,
Pulled me close,
Made me believe I was all he chose.
Loved bombed, loved blind,
Now I see,
It was never love,
It was just a fantasy.
Those eyes pulled me like a tide at sea,
Made me think he was the one.
Every word felt sweet as sin,
Like I was the only one.
He had that look,
He had that way,
Made a heartbeat feel like it could stay.
I loved the feeling,
I loved the shine,
I didn’t see the warning signs.
Then the truth came out,
The spell broke through,
And everything he said turned out untrue.
He loved me loud,
He loved me fast,
Left me wondering how long that could last.
Drew me in,
Pulled me close,
Made me believe I was all he chose.
Loved bombed, loved blind,
Now I see,
It was never love,
It was just a fantasy.
Now the glitter dimes, the games all fade,
No more echoes of a masquerade.
I know my worth, I know my light,
I’m done with chasing fires that burn too bright.
He loved me loud,
He loved me fast,
Left me guessing how long it would last
Drew me in,
Pulled me close,
Made me believe I was all he chose.
Loved bombed, loved blind,
Now I’m free,
It was never love,
It was just a fantasy.
I can love again,
I've loved and lost,
Thought that was it,
The final cost.
No one to look after,
No one to care,
Just shadows and silence,
No one there.
But something changed,
I didn't see it coming,
Out of nowhere,
My heart started running
(Chorus)
They walked into my life,
Without fanfare,
Like a bright light,
Cutting through the air.
I can love again,
I lost love,
But I found it again.
I can love again,
The story's not over,
It's just the next chapter, yeah!
I closed the door,
Turned off the glow,
Said, "That's enough,
I don't wanna know."
But love doesn't listen,
It finds a way,
Walks right through the walls,
You built to stay.
And something changed,
I didn't plan for this,
Out of nowhere,
It's a second chance I can't miss
(Chorus)
They walked into my life,
Without fanfare,
Like a bright light,
Cutting through the air.
I can love again,
I lost love,
But I found it again.
I can love again,
The story's not over,
It's just the next chapter, yeah!
I thought the end was written,
No more rewriting the past,
But they came in quiet,
Like the sun after the clouds passed.
No drama, no warning,
Just a spark, then a flame,
And suddenly I remembered
How to say my own name.
(Chorus)
They walked into my life,
Without fanfare,
Like a bright light,
Lighting up the air.
I can love again,
I lost love,
But I found it again.
I can love again,
The story's not over,
It's just the next chapter, yeah!
I can love again,
I can love again,
Yeah, I can love again
Verse 1
I left with nothing but a suitcase and a prayer
Sixteen and stubborn with nowhere to go from there
Every door I knocked on told me I wasn't enough
But I kept on knocking, kept on calling their bluff
Pre-Chorus
I didn't know then what I know now
Every scar was showing me how
Chorus
It took courage, it took light
It took falling to learn how to fight
It took darkness to show me the way
It took losing to find what to say
It took courage, it took light
To become who I am tonight
It took courage
It took light
Verse 2
I played the game that everyone said to play
Smiled in the hallway, shrunk myself away
Then one morning I heard my own voice say
"You were never meant to live this way"
Pre-Chorus
I didn't break, I just bent for a while
Every wound was teaching me to smile
Chorus
It took courage, it took light
It took falling to learn how to fight
It took darkness to show me the way
It took losing to find what to say
It took courage, it took light
To become who I am tonight
It took courage
It took light
Bridge
*(spoken/half sung - gets quieter before the final explosion)*
It took every door that closed in my face
Every hand that wouldn't give me a place
Every year I waited, every tear I cried
Every time I almost gave up inside
Every single one of those moments was mine
Every single one was part of the design
(pause - then burst into final chorus)
Chant / Hook
It took courage - courage
It took light - the light
It took courage - courage
To make it right
It took courage - courage
It took light - the light
It took courage - courage
Watch me rise tonight
Final Chorus
It took courage, it took light
Every stumble, every fight
It took darkness, it took pain
It took walking through the rain
It took courage, it took light
To become who I am tonight
It took everything
It took courage
It took light
Outro (repeat and fade)
Courage... light
Courage... light
It took everything
To step into the light
He dazzled me,
He said “you’re mine” like it was true,
Pulled me in with the way he moved,
Too fast, too bright, too good to lose.
He had that smile,
He had that spark,
Made a whole new world out of the dark.
I loved the way it felt,
I loved the rush,
Thought I was falling in real, true love.
It took a minute,
Then it hit me hard,
What looked like gold was a trick of the dark.
He loved me loud,
He loved me fast,
Left me guessing how long it would last
Drew me in,
Pulled me close,
Made me believe I was all he chose.
Loved bombed, loved blind,
Now I see,
It was never love,
It was just a fantasy.
Those eyes pulled me like a tide at sea,
Made me think he was the one.
Every word felt sweet as sin,
Like I was the only one.
He had that look,
He had that way,
Made a heartbeat feel like it could stay.
I loved the feeling,
I loved the shine,
I didn’t see the warning signs.
Then the truth came out,
The spell broke through,
And everything he said turned out untrue.
He loved me loud,
He loved me fast,
Left me wondering how long that could last.
Drew me in,
Pulled me close,
Made me believe I was all he chose.
Loved bombed, loved blind,
Now I see,
It was never love,
It was just a fantasy.
Now the glitter dimes, the games all fade,
No more echoes of a masquerade.
I know my worth, I know my light,
I’m done with chasing fires that burn too bright.
He loved me loud,
He loved me fast,
Left me guessing how long it would last
Drew me in,
Pulled me close,
Made me believe I was all he chose.
Loved bombed, loved blind,
Now I’m free,
It was never love,
It was just a fantasy.
I can love again,
I've loved and lost,
Thought that was it,
The final cost.
No one to look after,
No one to care,
Just shadows and silence,
No one there.
But something changed,
I didn't see it coming,
Out of nowhere,
My heart started running
(Chorus)
They walked into my life,
Without fanfare,
Like a bright light,
Cutting through the air.
I can love again,
I lost love,
But I found it again.
I can love again,
The story's not over,
It's just the next chapter, yeah!
I closed the door,
Turned off the glow,
Said, "That's enough,
I don't wanna know."
But love doesn't listen,
It finds a way,
Walks right through the walls,
You built to stay.
And something changed,
I didn't plan for this,
Out of nowhere,
It's a second chance I can't miss
(Chorus)
They walked into my life,
Without fanfare,
Like a bright light,
Cutting through the air.
I can love again,
I lost love,
But I found it again.
I can love again,
The story's not over,
It's just the next chapter, yeah!
I thought the end was written,
No more rewriting the past,
But they came in quiet,
Like the sun after the clouds passed.
No drama, no warning,
Just a spark, then a flame,
And suddenly I remembered
How to say my own name.
(Chorus)
They walked into my life,
Without fanfare,
Like a bright light,
Lighting up the air.
I can love again,
I lost love,
But I found it again.
I can love again,
The story's not over,
It's just the next chapter, yeah!
I can love again,
I can love again,
Yeah, I can love again
Verse 1
I left with nothing but a suitcase and a prayer
Sixteen and stubborn with nowhere to go from there
Every door I knocked on told me I wasn't enough
But I kept on knocking, kept on calling their bluff
Pre-Chorus
I didn't know then what I know now
Every scar was showing me how
Chorus
It took courage, it took light
It took falling to learn how to fight
It took darkness to show me the way
It took losing to find what to say
It took courage, it took light
To become who I am tonight
It took courage
It took light
Verse 2
I played the game that everyone said to play
Smiled in the hallway, shrunk myself away
Then one morning I heard my own voice say
"You were never meant to live this way"
Pre-Chorus
I didn't break, I just bent for a while
Every wound was teaching me to smile
Chorus
It took courage, it took light
It took falling to learn how to fight
It took darkness to show me the way
It took losing to find what to say
It took courage, it took light
To become who I am tonight
It took courage
It took light
Bridge
*(spoken/half sung - gets quieter before the final explosion)*
It took every door that closed in my face
Every hand that wouldn't give me a place
Every year I waited, every tear I cried
Every time I almost gave up inside
Every single one of those moments was mine
Every single one was part of the design
(pause - then burst into final chorus)
Chant / Hook
It took courage - courage
It took light - the light
It took courage - courage
To make it right
It took courage - courage
It took light - the light
It took courage - courage
Watch me rise tonight
Final Chorus
It took courage, it took light
Every stumble, every fight
It took darkness, it took pain
It took walking through the rain
It took courage, it took light
To become who I am tonight
It took everything
It took courage
It took light
Outro (repeat and fade)
Courage... light
Courage... light
It took everything
To step into the light
Verse 1
She was running from five years old
Never fit the picture-perfect mould
At eighteen packed a bag and ran
Found a guy who called her his plan
Thought escape was what she needed most
Chased a love that hurt her like a ghost
But deep down she knew it wasn’t right
Held on tight through the longest night
Pre-Chorus 1
We never said the words out loud
Just carried pain we couldn’t name
Chorus
But she walked away, she broke the chain
Took her baby, started over again
No looking back, no more pretend
Found her fire, found her friend
She’s better than before
Stronger than the hurt she wore
Yeah she’s living for the light
Better than before, shining bright
Verse 2
Married fast, bought a house to call home
But the bruises proved she wasn’t alone
Baby came, opened up her eyes
Saw the truth through all the pretty lies
Left it all with nothing but her hands
No family net, no safety plans
Part-time job, books under her arm
Built a life from pieces of the storm
Pre-Chorus 2
Then a artist with a gentle soul
Showed her colours she’d never known
Chorus
And she walked away, she broke the chain
Took her baby, started over again
No looking back, no more pretend
Found her fire, found her friend
She’s better than before
Stronger than the hurt she wore
Yeah she’s living for the light
Better than before, shining bright
Bridge
I saw her struggle, wished I’d said more
We were quiet kids behind closed doors
But she taught me what it means to rise
Leave the wreckage, claim the skies
Final Chorus
Yeah she walked away, she broke the chain
Took her baby, started over again
No looking back, no more pretend
Found her fire, found her friend
She’s better than before
Stronger than the hurt she wore
Now she’s teaching, now she’s free
Better than before, that’s her victory
She gets up every morning, puts her armour on
Plays the part they handed her and just moves along
Somewhere in the background, nobody looks her way
She swallows what she's feeling and gets through the day
But there's a storm behind those eyes they never bother to find
A whole damn universe they left behind
She was seventeen and fearless, had a fire in her chest
Walked into the working world and they took her best
Quietly she folded, learned to shrink and stay small
But you can only hold that back for so long before it breaks the wall
She's got a voice that shakes the ceiling
Got a brain that won't quit
A heart so full of feeling
They nearly buried it
She's not just somebody passing by
She's the thunder they mistook for quiet
Strong, alive and done with playing small
Watch her rise, watch her rise
She's bringing everything inside her to the outside
And she's done apologising for the fire
Strangeness all around her, everyone's a climber
Nobody gave her a hand unless they needed to find her
But she learned to build the bridges, kick the roadblocks down
Reached back for that teenage courage and she turned it all around
Stopped waiting to be chosen, stopped shrinking in her seat
Stood up in the middle of the room and found her feet
No more folding, no more fading out
No more silence when she's got so much to shout
She took every wall they built and made it a door
She's not who she was, she's so much more
She's got a voice that shakes the ceiling
Got a brain that won't quit
A heart so full of feeling
They nearly buried it
She's not just somebody passing by
She's the thunder they mistook for quiet
Strong, alive and done with playing small
Watch her rise, watch her rise
She's bringing everything inside her to the outside
And she's done apologising for the fire
You thought the quiet meant she had nothing to say
You thought the stillness meant she'd just fade away
But every single thing you overlooked and dismissed
Was building something bigger than you could have ever missed
She didn't break – she just waited for her moment
And honey, this is it
Inside out, outside in
She was always going to win
Inside out, outside in
She's letting all that light back in
Inside out – watch her begin
She's got a voice that shakes the ceiling
And she's done holding it in
A heart that kept on beating
Through everything
She's not just somebody you walk past anymore
She's the lightning and the thunder and the rain and the roar
Strong, alive, completely whole at last
Watch her rise, watch her rise
She brought everything inside her to the outside
And the world finally sees what we almost missed
She was always this
He dazzled me,
He said “you’re mine” like it was true,
Pulled me in with the way he moved,
Too fast, too bright, too good to lose.
He had that smile,
He had that spark,
Made a whole new world out of the dark.
I loved the way it felt,
I loved the rush,
Thought I was falling in real, true love.
It took a minute,
Then it hit me hard,
What looked like gold was a trick of the dark.
He loved me loud,
He loved me fast,
Left me guessing how long it would last
Drew me in,
Pulled me close,
Made me believe I was all he chose.
Loved bombed, loved blind,
Now I see,
It was never love,
It was just a fantasy.
Those eyes pulled me like a tide at sea,
Made me think he was the one.
Every word felt sweet as sin,
Like I was the only one.
He had that look,
He had that way,
Made a heartbeat feel like it could stay.
I loved the feeling,
I loved the shine,
I didn’t see the warning signs.
Then the truth came out,
The spell broke through,
And everything he said turned out untrue.
He loved me loud,
He loved me fast,
Left me wondering how long that could last.
Drew me in,
Pulled me close,
Made me believe I was all he chose.
Loved bombed, loved blind,
Now I see,
It was never love,
It was just a fantasy.
Now the glitter dimes, the games all fade,
No more echoes of a masquerade.
I know my worth, I know my light,
I’m done with chasing fires that burn too bright.
He loved me loud,
He loved me fast,
Left me guessing how long it would last
Drew me in,
Pulled me close,
Made me believe I was all he chose.
Loved bombed, loved blind,
Now I’m free,
It was never love,
It was just a fantasy.
I can love again,
I've loved and lost,
Thought that was it,
The final cost.
No one to look after,
No one to care,
Just shadows and silence,
No one there.
But something changed,
I didn't see it coming,
Out of nowhere,
My heart started running
(Chorus)
They walked into my life,
Without fanfare,
Like a bright light,
Cutting through the air.
I can love again,
I lost love,
But I found it again.
I can love again,
The story's not over,
It's just the next chapter, yeah!
I closed the door,
Turned off the glow,
Said, "That's enough,
I don't wanna know."
But love doesn't listen,
It finds a way,
Walks right through the walls,
You built to stay.
And something changed,
I didn't plan for this,
Out of nowhere,
It's a second chance I can't miss
(Chorus)
They walked into my life,
Without fanfare,
Like a bright light,
Cutting through the air.
I can love again,
I lost love,
But I found it again.
I can love again,
The story's not over,
It's just the next chapter, yeah!
I thought the end was written,
No more rewriting the past,
But they came in quiet,
Like the sun after the clouds passed.
No drama, no warning,
Just a spark, then a flame,
And suddenly I remembered
How to say my own name.
(Chorus)
They walked into my life,
Without fanfare,
Like a bright light,
Lighting up the air.
I can love again,
I lost love,
But I found it again.
I can love again,
The story's not over,
It's just the next chapter, yeah!
I can love again,
I can love again,
Yeah, I can love again
Verse 1
I left with nothing but a suitcase and a prayer
Sixteen and stubborn with nowhere to go from there
Every door I knocked on told me I wasn't enough
But I kept on knocking, kept on calling their bluff
Pre-Chorus
I didn't know then what I know now
Every scar was showing me how
Chorus
It took courage, it took light
It took falling to learn how to fight
It took darkness to show me the way
It took losing to find what to say
It took courage, it took light
To become who I am tonight
It took courage
It took light
Verse 2
I played the game that everyone said to play
Smiled in the hallway, shrunk myself away
Then one morning I heard my own voice say
"You were never meant to live this way"
Pre-Chorus
I didn't break, I just bent for a while
Every wound was teaching me to smile
Chorus
It took courage, it took light
It took falling to learn how to fight
It took darkness to show me the way
It took losing to find what to say
It took courage, it took light
To become who I am tonight
It took courage
It took light
Bridge
*(spoken/half sung - gets quieter before the final explosion)*
It took every door that closed in my face
Every hand that wouldn't give me a place
Every year I waited, every tear I cried
Every time I almost gave up inside
Every single one of those moments was mine
Every single one was part of the design
(pause - then burst into final chorus)
Chant / Hook
It took courage - courage
It took light - the light
It took courage - courage
To make it right
It took courage - courage
It took light - the light
It took courage - courage
Watch me rise tonight
Final Chorus
It took courage, it took light
Every stumble, every fight
It took darkness, it took pain
It took walking through the rain
It took courage, it took light
To become who I am tonight
It took everything
It took courage
It took light
Outro (repeat and fade)
Courage... light
Courage... light
It took everything
To step into the light
Verse 1
She was running from five years old
Never fit the picture-perfect mould
At eighteen packed a bag and ran
Found a guy who called her his plan
Thought escape was what she needed most
Chased a love that hurt her like a ghost
But deep down she knew it wasn’t right
Held on tight through the longest night
Pre-Chorus 1
We never said the words out loud
Just carried pain we couldn’t name
Chorus
But she walked away, she broke the chain
Took her baby, started over again
No looking back, no more pretend
Found her fire, found her friend
She’s better than before
Stronger than the hurt she wore
Yeah she’s living for the light
Better than before, shining bright
Verse 2
Married fast, bought a house to call home
But the bruises proved she wasn’t alone
Baby came, opened up her eyes
Saw the truth through all the pretty lies
Left it all with nothing but her hands
No family net, no safety plans
Part-time job, books under her arm
Built a life from pieces of the storm
Pre-Chorus 2
Then a artist with a gentle soul
Showed her colours she’d never known
Chorus
And she walked away, she broke the chain
Took her baby, started over again
No looking back, no more pretend
Found her fire, found her friend
She’s better than before
Stronger than the hurt she wore
Yeah she’s living for the light
Better than before, shining bright
Bridge
I saw her struggle, wished I’d said more
We were quiet kids behind closed doors
But she taught me what it means to rise
Leave the wreckage, claim the skies
Final Chorus
Yeah she walked away, she broke the chain
Took her baby, started over again
No looking back, no more pretend
Found her fire, found her friend
She’s better than before
Stronger than the hurt she wore
Now she’s teaching, now she’s free
Better than before, that’s her victory
Australian-based songwriter crafting big, heart-on-sleeve songs about unity, courage and better futures. After a lifetime in the 9–5 world, I’m now focused on socially conscious songs that cele
ate shared humanity and the power of uniting people who care.
My life has been a series of reinventions shaped by grit, curiosity, and a refusal to stay in one box. I left home at 16, worked whatever jobs I could find and raised my son. Finally able to choose my own direction, I drew on years of leading complex reforms across government, nonprofit, and corporate sectors, co-designing Indigenous strategies, steering major infrastructure change, and helping communities navigate ambiguity to start writing what I wanted.
Despite leaving school in Year 10 and being told I’d never finish university, I pushed through the foreign language of academia and earned two master’s degrees. Those qualifications proved the system doesn’t always recognise who’s capable. Later, craving more colour and freedom, I leapt into a classical French cooking course in the South of France with zero professional kitchen experience, emerging with a perfect soufflé and a chef’s praise.
Today I’m an author, creative entrepreneur, writing songs and a lifelong learner, blending career lessons and kitchen experiments into fiction, memoir, culinary storytelling and music that remind us it’s never too late to reinvent ourselves.
