Ring My Bell
Ring My Bell is the first full-fledged, professionally produced song and video and the first one to appear under my artist name, “story.”
A true labour of love, I had originally intended to put the song out into the world without monetization of any kind, preferring to see the song as a gift to anyone out there who is fighting their cancer battle and needs some inspiration to keep fighting. I know the importance of having someone be that inspiration and if I can be that for someone else, then I am truly honoured.
However, Pete (of Pete and Bas), the “cancer-killing Cockney rapper” mentioned in the song, suggested that I monetize it anyway and then donate the money to cancer charities. I loved the idea and asked Pete what charity he was fond of and I would split the proceeds between his and mine. He declined, telling me “your work, your charity.” That’s absolutely on-brand for him.
The video is linked below, but watch it by clicking the words “watch on YouTube” in the bottom right corner. That will take you to YouTube to watch it properly and will also count towards views and generate money for charity in the process.
Here are the lyrics - with annotations included.
Funny how I thought that everything was all right
Then my body veered left when it shoulda gone right
So I headed to the doctor to discover my plight
He said, “cancer again” and turned my day into night
But I stepped back, had a look at the scene
I said, “Get back, doc, I need some room to breathe
with your setbacks, always tryna tell me the odds
like they was some kinda gods,
they’re just a number to me.
Yeah, fuck that. You don’t know what I got.
I beat this enemy before, so I don’t care what you thought.
I’m still alive, I’ll survive, and there’s joy in my heart.
The cancer doesn’t stand a chance with me cos I call the shots.”
I had already had two cancer diagnoses and had beat them both. I thought I was done with this shit, but around the holidays in 2025, started having pain in my sternum and ribs. Got a scan that turned up cancer in my sternum, ribs, L3 vertebrae, and right femur. The doctor told me that it was almost certainly the metastatic prostate cancer that I thought I’d beaten, which is somewhat ‘famous’ for getting into the bone marrow and hiding for awhile. He said I would be in severe pain and dead in 18 months. I asked him what the chances are that it could be a different, more treatable cancer instead. He said the chances were almost zero, but he might give it 2% if he was feeling generous.
I beat those odds. It was a different, more treatable cancer. I might have 20 more years left. Never tell me the odds.
Side note: we filmed three takes of the ‘doctor’s office scene’ in the video, with my friend and fellow bell ringer Dallas Smith playing the doctor. On the first take, we sat across from each other and he told me that I had another cancer diagnosis, that the odds didn’t look good, and he was sorry. I didn’t expect it, but it hit me like a truck. I went right back to that day in my mind and it took me awhile to get my composure back (and Miranda having to fix my makeup after I cried all over it). The lighting in that shot doesn’t show the tears on my face, but they were there, and they were real.
[hook]
Oooh, have you heard the news, yeah?
You see, I’m done with the blues, yeah
I picked myself up, did this shit for you, yeah
Mmmm and I feel so well
Gonna ring my bell
So listen up, people, got a story to tell
The backing music, the lyrics to the hook, and the main vocals on the hook were all done by my friend Ryan Sewell, aka Rion S. Pete introduced me to him when I was learning about my new cancer and I needed some music therapy to cope. Specifically, he suggested Ryan’s latest song, “Next to You”, which completely shifted my concept of what genre mashups could be. I described the song as “a bunch of musicians from a Black gospel church all piled in the car and drove out to the roadhouse, where they sat in and played with the local band”. Ryan actually loved that description and we started communicating. I asked him permission to do a handbell adaptation of Next to You, and he agreed.
When I decided to write a song about this latest phase of my journey, I wanted the backing music to be a musical interpretation of “I’ve been through some shit, but I made it and now I have joy”. Without going into details, there is no better person for that job than Ryan. He’s been through his own hell and made it out the other side. The music for Ring My Bell is steeped in the story of his journey as much as it is mine and the song is better for it.
Ryan’s music affects me in ways that I’m still trying to understand. It’s almost as if it affects me down to the cellular level. His work in the EDM scene is legendary, his group Prince Street Bodega is my jam when I need to elevate my mood, but it’s his recent foray into solo material that hits me the hardest. He’s got one of my all-time favourite singing voices and it’s an incredible honour to have his voice on my song. Make no mistake: without Ryan, “Ring My Bell” wouldn’t exist.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t always upbeat
I had some real dark days, had my share of defeat
But fate stepped into the building, introduced me to Pete
A cancer-killing Cockney rapper who can murder a beat
Well, goddamn! I finally got a foothold
Turned my attitude around and if the truth be told
I owe my life to that man, now I’ll get to grow old
His inspiration helped me fight, I knocked the cancer out cold.
POW!
I put on a really good front for friends and family back then, but behind the scenes, I was literally preparing to die. I was writing up all kinds of documents for organizations I’m involved with, explaining how to do what I do, so they could continue after I was gone. I didn’t let my friends and family know because I didn’t want to let them down or be disappointed in me, and frankly, I was sick of hearing the pep talks. “You got this, you can do it, keep your chin up” etc. When the person saying it hasn’t gone through what you’re going through, it’s just empty words.
But Pete was fighting his own fight against cancer. And even though it was a different kind of cancer, the psychological, emotional, and physical toll was close enough that I could identify with him. But instead of sitting at home waiting to die, he was reinventing himself, starting a new career in a field where every odd was against him, and not only was he making it, he was thriving. Having the time of his life. Even if he lost his battle, his last days would be spent living his best life. I was simultaneously inspired and shamed.
The change was immediate. If he can do it, then so can I. My therapist was shocked. She “prescribed” at least half an hour of Pete and Bas music per day to keep the depression at bay.
My oncologist was equally impressed, telling me that if I ended up beating the odds and surviving, that I should find a way to contact Pete and tell him, “thank you for saving my life.”
Which I did.
“Stepped into the Building” is the name of a very popular Pete and Bas song, a little shout-out to them. Thanks to friend and fellow rapper Shawn Lemay for suggesting that line (the line originally said “fate stepped in”).
And YES, that’s really Pete providing the “POW!” vocals both here and at the end of the song. Many thanks to him for that.
But cancer don’t play
I took it down and buried it, I thought it would stay
dead, but then it resurfaced in a whole new place.
You wanna take away my joy and send me off to the grave?
Well that’s BULLSHIT, cancer, you don’t know me like that
I got a lot of good friends and they got my back
With their support, I can fend off any attack
While my handbell family supplies the soundtrack
Having the ability to push worry aside and live my best life in spite of the odds is my superpower. But not a superpower like a Marvel superhero might possess - more like Underdog, who has the potential for superhuman (super-dog?) feats, but he’s gotta take that pill first. My pill was the unwavering support of Rob, my friends, and my handbell family. Even if I didn’t always call on them for help, just knowing that help was available gave me strength and confidence. And the members of Bow River Handbell Musicians Society, where I both play in and conduct handbell teams, gave me not only support but the ability to make music as a team, which is one of the most powerful medicines there is.
And that’s not just my own belief. My therapist asked me, “do you have a way to make music?” I said I did. She asked, “do you have a way to make music with other people?” I said that I did. She said, “do as much of that as you possibly can.” I said I would. Gladly.
I’ve been through hell and I’m facing my rival
Gonna celebrate life like it’s a tent revival
I know the fight ain’t over, I’m not the queen of denial
But when the last bell rings, I’ll be holding the title
Rap music is usually full of “bars” - lines that contain wordplay, double meanings, and other such layers. That’s not really my style, nor something I strive to include in my songs. This verse is about as close as I’ve come to dropping bars, but it’s still very basic. There’s the “queen of denial” line that is a reference to “Cleopatra, queen of the Nile” and also uses ‘queen’ as a self-imposed tease about me being gay. Also, there is double meaning with “fight ain’t over’ and “last bell rings” conjuring up a boxing match while also referring to the fight against cancer and the ringing of the victory bell when treatment is done.
But every story doesn’t end like mine
Warriors defeated, taken down in their prime
But it’s not about the end, it’s how you spend your time
Wake up every day and say, “THIS ONE’S MINE”
I know it’s hard, when you’ve run out of luck
Your body turns traitor, make you wanna give up
But don’t do it, push through it, your fire will erupt
The fact that you’re still here means you’re strong as fuck
This was the other big lesson I learned from Pete. Sometimes, no matter what we do or how hard we fight, it’s not enough. Cancer could end up winning the battle.
But if you’ve got limited days left on this earth and you spend those days moping about, waiting to die, then you actually died much sooner.
Live your life to the fullest extent possible, since tomorrow is not guaranteed. This was the biggest shift in my psyche and I think it’s also the biggest weapon I had to fight with.
I made an inventory of all the things I’d seen and done in my life and I celebrated those. If I got to do more things on top of that, even better!
When you face mortality, you better believe
Every day is a gift, you don’t surrender to grief
If you need some inspiration, you can look to me
I’d consider it a privilege to be your Pete.
Here it is, the reason for the song in a nutshell. I was extraordinarily lucky to have Pete and Bas drop into my life when I needed that inspiration. Even luckier to get to know them outside of their stage personas.
But not everyone has that kind of luck or opportunity, and I know what it’s like to be surrounded by friends and loved ones who support you, yet still not be able to find the inspiration that makes you want to fight again.
It’s my sincere wish that this song reaches someone who’s at that low point and it gives them the same kind of inspiration and hope that I got when I needed it most. A lot of time, effort, and money went into this song and video, but if even one person gets their ‘switch flipped’ when they hear it, then it was all worth it.
You’re not alone in this fight, cos we’re here to help you
We’re an army of survivors and we’ve been through hell, too
We’ve all got your back, so you stand up and yell
“Fuck you, cancer, I’ma ring my bell!”
During the month of radiation treatments I went through, I’d pass the victory bell every day on the way to the elevator. Honestly, I thought that it was a nice enough tradition, but not really something that would have meaning for me. I almost didn’t ring it at all. But on my last day of treatment, the elevator took a long time to show up and the bell was right there so I gave it a ring.
Twenty or thirty people within earshot of the bell stopped what they were doing and applauded. Some cheered. These were total strangers, people I’d likely never see again, and they took a moment to stop what they were doing and show me support and shared in my triumph.
I barely made it back to the car before I had a complete meltdown. I spent a good half hour in the car sobbing uncontrollably, a combination of relief that my ordeal was over and the unexpected show of support from total strangers. I still can’t explain it fully, that wave of emotions, but every time I think about it the tears return. It was one of the most devastatingly powerful moments of my life.
I’m writing this in early July 2026 - and the new cancer centre in Calgary has swapped out their bell for a gong. I’m going to ring my bell again on July 21 - incredibly, the same day that Pete is going to ring his bell across the pond in London. I’m not going to bang the gong, though, I’m going to bring that same G4 handbell to the hospital that Pete is shown ringing at the beginning of the video. In some ways, that’s even better.