[Intro | 0:00–0:16] (gentle acoustic guitar intro, sparse) [Verse 1 | 0:17–0:55] When I was twenty, the house was sold Back in Melbourne, brick and cold Mum and Dad chased open ground Red dirt roads where silence sounds They packed their lives and drove away To twenty acres and a different day I stayed behind with borrowed space Trying to work out my own place [Chorus | 0:56–1:20] You don’t always see where the road will bend You just take the step and trust your legs Life don’t hand you a straight-line plan You learn as you go, you do what you can [Verse 2 | 1:21–1:59] The year that followed, I made my call Wanted a classroom, chalk and all I’d never had what others knew Just wanted the same shot, same view When I was seven, they said my name With labels that stuck like quiet shame Put me somewhere they thought I’d fit Before I knew what I could give [Chorus | 2:00–2:24] They’ll tell you who you’re meant to be Before you’ve had the chance to see There’s more in you than words can say If someone lets you have your day [Verse 3 | 2:25–3:03] I walked into Year Ten, no safety net Missed a lot, but I wasn’t done yet Years I never sat inside Still I passed, still I tried That’s when I learned what matters most Not where you start, not what you’re told Just one good chance, one open door And the will to walk through it, nothing more [Verse 4 | 3:04–3:42] At twenty-two I hit the road Two years carrying someone else’s load Teaching faith, just listening too Finding myself in what I do Purpose isn’t money or name It’s lifting others, sharing the flame You don’t grow standing still You grow when you choose the harder will [Chorus | 3:43–4:07] Life wears you down, then builds you back Teaches you slow, then clears the track You don’t arrive all at once You become yourself in little chunks [Bridge | 4:08–4:32] (instrumental lift, emotional but restrained) Years rolled past like country rain Hard at first, then clear again Not lost, just finding shape Learning patience, learning weight [Verse 5 | 4:33–5:11] Then one day life changed the tune At forty-four, a flight that June Nigeria, drums beating loud I was welcomed by the crowd Her mother stood, her voice rang clear “You’re family now, you’re welcome here” Blessings spoken, hands held tight I knew I’d landed right [Verse 6 | 5:12–5:50] Sixteen months later she crossed the sea Left her home to stand with me Different land, same heart, same flame Laughing daily, still the same Love like that don’t make a sound It just keeps your feet on the ground Every smile, every day Tells me I’m on the right way [Final Chorus | 5:51–6:15] If life feels heavy where you stand If nothing’s gone the way you planned Hold your head up, stay the course Storms don’t last, they run their course [Outro | 6:16–6:40] (strip back to guitar only, intimate) Life never gave me a straight-line run But it gave me love, it gave me one Good reason to keep going on That’s more than enough (instrument fades)
