Brendan Pyper’s song “You Call Yourself A Man”

Singer songwriter Brendan Pyper has kindly shared his song “You Call Yourself A Man” with us. Brendan began studying music at Wintec when he was 23 and was then part of the band The Latest Fallout. Now aged 32 and based in Auckland, he is recording as a solo artist.

This very personal song took him a long time to release. It was written 4 years ago when his mum was still in a relationship with her abusive partner. For many reasons, including her safety, he decided to wait to record and share it. His mum had been with her abuser since he was a teenager and the way he treated Brendan and his mum led him to move out and live with his girlfriend at a young age as he didn’t want to be in that environment.

After almost two decades Brendan’s mum left her abusive husband with the support of her sons and is starting to rebuild her life. When he finally played the song for her she said “I love that. You should’ve gone harder.”

Brendan approached White Ribbon with his powerful song as he wants to help others who are struggling. Please share it and the message that violence is never okay and respect is at the heart of a healthy relationship. For more of Brendan’s songs or to get in contact you can find him on Facebook.  If you want more information about healthy relationships, please take a look at our toolboxes.