From the recording Like a Viking
Confronting self-judgment and reclaiming authority over one’s own story.
Lyrics
There’s a quiet room in my mind
Where the echoes like to gather in a line
They shuffle papers filled with yesterday
And whisper all the things I didn’t say
But somewhere in the noise, I still hear me
Trying to speak above the memories
Some voices come from long ago
From a chapter I forgot I wrote
Some are gentle, some are sharp with doubt
Some pretend they know what I'm about
But I keep searching for the one that’s mine
The voice that learns and grows with time
I’ve been walking with the weight of every side
Trying to understand what they decide
’Cause the jury inside
They talk, they argue, they testify
They hold up mirrors to the parts I try to hide
But they don’t always get it right
No, they don’t know the whole of my life
So I breathe in deep and remind them I’m alive
Yeah, I stand before the jury inside
They call witnesses from my past
Questions heavy as the doubts they cast
But I’ve learned the truth lives in the in-between
Not in every fear or every dream
I’m finding space to let my choices be
A quiet vote of confidence from me
And I’m learning that it’s me who holds the gavel
Even when the thoughts begin to unravel
’Cause the jury inside
They talk, they argue, they testify
They hold up mirrors to the parts I try to hide
But they don’t always get it right
No, they don’t know the whole of my life
So I breathe in deep and remind them I’m alive
Yeah, I stand before the jury inside
I used to think their verdict was the truth
But now I see they only know a view
And when the room gets loud
I rise above the crowd
And gently say, I’ll choose what’s right for me
So let the jury inside
Keep talking, they can speak their mind
But I’ll be the judge of how my story is defined
They don’t always get it right
They don’t get to dim my light
And I breathe in deep, step forward with my own pride
Yeah, I stand before the jury inside
And this time… I’m on my side