Uploaded January 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I had a short call with a fellow non-coercion explorer, Pim, from twitter, who I'd just recently met, and something he said prompted me to say something I thought other people might find useful to hear, so I suggested we record and share it here!
Pim on Twitter: twitter.com/impartialpim
me on Twitter: twitter.com/malcolm_ocean
I had a short call with a fellow non-coercion explorer, Pim, from twitter, who I'd just recently met, and something he said prompted me to say something I thought other people might find useful to hear, so I suggested we record and share it here!
Pim on Twitter: twitter.com/impartialpim
me on Twitter: twitter.com/malcolm_ocean


![The Courage to Leave (original song by Malcolm Ocean)
I wrote this song over the last few months.
Lyrics:
[verse 1]
theres a tiny note of sadness, every time I hear a love song
Ive been trying not to notice but its getting kinda hard to ignore
and the more the song resonates with what I want, the more something in me feels wrong
I look towards the future... what am I in for?
[bridge]
its been hard, but itll always be hard they say
how hard is too hard? its been all work and no play
with a sense that something better is waiting ever just around the bend
so it never feels like the moment to end
...well maybe theres not gonna be a right moment
[chorus 1]
to find the courage to leave
Im learning to listen to myself, and go slow
after years of being proud, that I had the courage to say “yes”
I’m finding the courage to say “no”
[verse 2]
we doubled down and tried harder, every time the going got tough
our friends admire how weve stuck it through
but it seems to me now: no amount of fighting ourselves, was ever gonna make us feel like enough
I cant accept myself not accepting you... what do I do?
[chorus 2]
Im finding the courage to leave
Im learning to listen to myself, and go slow
after years of thinking that I had it all figured out
I’m finding the courage to say “I don’t know”
[suspiciously familiar instrumental interlude]
[verse 3]
my heart swelled with determination, every time I sang I Wont Give Up
yeah that song truly helped me face a whole lot of my fears
but I sang so loud I drowned out the voices saying hey, I never signed up for this
I rushed into it—where am I?—what am I doing here?
[chorus 3 & 4]
Im finding the courage to leave
Im learning to listen to myself, and go slow
after years of being proud, that I had the courage to stay
I’m finding the courage to go
Im finding the courage to leave
Im learning to listen to myself, and take time
after years of trying to become someone who could fulfill all your dreams
I’m finding the courage to own mine
Lyrics with chords: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FqRH7_z2hvXiIfSETtjsy2onK65UpWT54oXAI81CVc0/edit The Courage to Leave (original song by Malcolm Ocean)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SaDvHT0IxBw/mqdefault.jpg)







