A Song About Change, Truth, and Coming Home to Ourselves

The music by the artist Radical Face aka Ben Cooper has touched my life since I discovered it back around 2012. Back then I was going through some very intense experiences, while also processing and healing from childhood trauma. His lyrics spoke to something deep inside of me, that I didn't know how to express. The music spoke o what I couldn't find the words to say. I have had the honor to see Radical Face perform in Brooklyn twice, once in 2016 and again in May of 2020, right before the world shut down.

In 2016 Radical Face came out with the album "Family Tree: The Leaves" which was the final installment in the Family Tree series. This series is a multi-generational family saga told through songs. The lyrics are deep and hit the soul. I could say a lot of wonderful things about the music of Radical Face. So many songs have their own personal meanings to me.

One particular song I want to share from this album is the song "Ship In Port". At this time I was attending a life coaching certification program, looking at ways to change my career, and doing next level healing work on myself. I was sitting at work listening to the song and the lyrics all of a sudden hit me. I then replayed it a few times, as I felt the song was cheering me on.

Here are the lyrics from "The Ship In Port" by Radical Face (Ben Cooper)

Some say our dreams are a distant road

Down which our hearts would like to go

But I have always stayed in place

Under that old illusion that it's safe

He said, "The ship in port is the safer one

But it's not the reason it was made"

So forgive me if I wander off

And forgive me more if I just stay

Sing another song for the lost ones

We're the ones who need it the most

Every time you run, it'll cost you

But it doesn't stop us running

If a coward dies a thousand times

Then there's a graveyard in my head

'Cause it took me years to say the words

For you did not even need said

Sing another for the lost ones

We're the ones that need it the most

Nothing that your fear is forgotten

It follows you around like

Then everything danced to a stranger tune

And we found our song, and we found our truth

Now that we know, it's that we always knew

Farewell with the change we were born into

And as we danced among the ashes of our lives

We laughed it off

And then we burned our tiny worlds

We found the ocean

Just beyond those bitter walls

Listening to the music while reading the lyrics adds to the emotion of the song. Here is the video from the Radical Face YouTube channel.

What is a song that has touched you? Let me know in the comments.

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Jennifer Shlomovich is a recovering people-pleaser turned confidence coach. As the only vegan in her household, she knows firsthand how challenging it can be to stay true to your values when the people around you aren’t on the same path. For years, she put everyone else’s needs ahead of her own, but through her journey, she discovered the power of setting boundaries, living by her values, and confidently prioritizing her well-being. Now, she helps busy women simplify plant-based living so they can improve their health, save time, and feel supported—even if their family isn’t on board. On her YouTube channel, The Confident Vegan, she shares inspiring interviews, practical tips, and empowering conversations about what it really means to live in alignment with your values. She is also the co-host of That Vegan Morning Show with Kimberly Winters of the Did You Bring The Hummus podcast—where they help you start your day the vegan way, live every Monday at 7 AM ET on YouTube.