Emberlyn · An album in three acts
For the child we were.
For the people we’re becoming.
The album’s story
The Child I Used to Be follows the distance between what happened to us and who we choose to become. Two voices carry stories of childhood fear, bullying, isolation, addiction, absence and loss.
Across three acts, those voices move towards recognition, connection and the courage to speak. At the heart of this Emberlyn album is a shared conviction: we were worthy of love then, and we are worthy of it now.
Act I · Tracks 01—04
The wounds that shaped us.
We begin with the children who learned to be quiet. With the words that stayed, the loneliness nobody noticed, and the smiles that hid more than they revealed.
Two adults look back at the frightened children they once were. The duet traces how childhood fear follows them into relationships and self-belief, before promising those younger selves safety and love.
Read lyrics for The Child I Used to Be↗Bullying does not end when the words stop. Schoolyard cruelty, online abuse and workplace humiliation leave voices that persist into adulthood; the singers begin reclaiming their worth from those judgements.
Read lyrics for Words Leave Scars↗Always the reliable friend, yet alone when support is needed: two voices describe being valued for what they give rather than who they are. Their plea is for someone to notice, listen and stay.
Read lyrics for Invisible↗Smiles and everyday routines conceal exhaustion and distress. As both singers admit how hard it is to say they are not okay, the mask begins to fall and shared understanding offers a way through.
Read lyrics for Behind the Smile↗Act II · Tracks 05—08
The battles nobody sees.
Addiction. An absent parent. A final goodbye. A familiar face becoming a stranger. Four different kinds of loss, held together by the need to be heard and the courage to keep reaching out.
Addiction turns an escape into a cycle of secrecy, broken promises and shame. The duet moves towards honesty, asking for help and accepting that a setback does not erase the possibility of recovery.
Read lyrics for War Within↗A parent's absence leaves an empty place at birthdays, school events and ordinary family moments. Growing up means releasing the blame for someone else's decision to leave and choosing people who will stay.
Read lyrics for The Empty Chair↗An ordinary parting becomes a final goodbye. Familiar objects and an old voicemail hold the ache of bereavement, while the singers learn that love is larger than the words they never had time to say.
Read lyrics for The Last Goodbye↗Adult children stay beside parents whose memories are fading. Brief moments of recognition sit alongside the grief of being forgotten, and a promise to keep loving the person beyond what they can remember.
Read lyrics for When You Forget My Name↗Act III · Tracks 09—12
Reclaiming our voices.
The story turns towards a life beyond the names we were given. Towards boundaries, gentler homes and voices that refuse to disappear. The scars remain part of the story; so does the possibility of change.
Gaslighting and control have taught two people to doubt their memories, feelings and worth. Recognising the manipulation, they reclaim their identities, set boundaries and refuse to let someone else write their future.
Read lyrics for I'm Not Who You Said I Was↗The patterns of fear and anger passed through families can stop here. The singers commit to listening, gentleness and homes where children do not have to earn affection or be ashamed of their feelings.
Read lyrics for It Ends With Us↗Worry about what tomorrow brings can make today feel impossible. Two singers move through sleepless nights, self-doubt and the fear of asking for help, discovering that healing happens one day at a time and that struggling does not diminish anyone's worth.
Read lyrics for One More Tomorrow↗Two survivors of abuse find the courage to leave, speak and begin again. Healing still carries fear and scars, but neither silence nor someone else's cruelty gets to define their worth.
Read lyrics for We're Still Here↗The final word belongs to us
Still healing. Still finding our voices.
Still more than what happened to us.
Emberlyn