It’s taken me years

8/4/2021

Cartoon: Natasha Williams-Novak

By Christine Grayden

I WAS extremely disturbed to read about the gay man at Wimbledon Heights who was verbally attacked and threatened by his neighbour simply for wanting to paint his house in rainbow colours.

In this day and age there would not be too many people who do not know of a member of the LGBQTI community and understand or at least are aware of the huge barriers they face.

My lyric reflects on the amount of wasted time and energy LGBQTI people have to spend in order to become themselves and be accepted for themselves.

To the incredibly strong LGBQTI community

Verse one
It’s taken me years to find myself
going blindly through wrong doors
taking on what others thought
living in a made-up land of someone else’s making

Chorus
I wish I hadn’t had the pain
I wish it hadn’t been that way
I wish the path had been so plain
‘cause it’s taken me years

Verse two
It’s taken me years to trust myself
slowly falling through dark nights
bearing weights I must make light
crashing through a doubting wall of someone else’s making

Chorus
I wish I hadn’t had the pain
I wish it hadn’t been that way
I wish the path had been so plain
‘cause it’s taken me years

Verse three
It’s taken me years to free myself
breaking chains that made me cry
rising, soaring bird in flight
surging with the energy from everyone who loves me.

Bridge
I know I couldn’t please them all no matter what I tried
our lives are just too different
I bared myself with pride
they wanted me to bury all the vision held inside
but now through years of highs and lows I just refuse to hide

Chorus
I wish I hadn’t had the pain
I wish it hadn’t been that way
I wish the path had been so plain
‘cause it’s taken me years

© Christine Grayden

7 Comments

john

10/4/2021 08:29:10 am

Very powerful and thought provoking.

Tess Moore

10/4/2021 09:54:17 am

Verses that would resonate with so many of us ho gave been on that journey. Stay strong Christine

Christine Grayden

10/4/2021 10:15:30 am

Thank you for the comment Tess and John. I would just like to point out that I am not myself a member of the lgbtqi community but have many friends and associates who are and it pains me to see them have to go through this so much. This is a lyric to a song I have yet to compose the music for. It has been written specifically for a gay singer and although it is not finished I wanted to share it if possible in the light of the recent ugly event publicised on Phillip Island.

Jane Westworth

10/4/2021 05:09:26 pm

Your voice is so strong, Christine. Thank you for speaking your thoughts, your questions, your honesty.

Phyllis Papps

11/4/2021 10:16:04 am

As an Elder of the LGBTQI+ community, I would like to convey my sincere thanks to Christine.

Her wonderful lyrics expressed such passion and respect for the pain of BEING DIFFERENT, wanting to be accepted and an integral part of society.

Some of our very good friends are heterosexual (including Christine).

But guess what?
We don't judge them. We don't try to prevent them from painting their houses in a different colour.

What are they afraid of?

Greg Tingate

11/4/2021 12:25:01 pm

Christine many thanks for such beautiful words and wonderful support for our community. For those of us who have bared ourselves with pride , the still bumpy, fearful journey is made less so through allies such as you . . .

Margaret Byrne

11/4/2021 07:08:40 pm

Well done in raising these issues in such a creative, thoughtful way. Such a powerful and peaceful reaction to such a cruel and violent action by those neighbours. Can’t wait for the music.

​It’s taken me years