From the recording THEY STILL CALL ME SOLDIER
YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAND WATCH ALONE
**Blue Wave Revival | Written by Rick Gaspa**
*From the Album: THEY STILL CALL ME SOLDIER*
When you're in the military, one of the first things you learn is that you look out for the person standing beside you. You don't leave a buddy behind, you don't walk away when things get tough, and you certainly don't expect someone to stand watch all night without knowing somebody has their back.
But somewhere along the way, after we take off the uniform and return to civilian life, a lot of us forget that lesson when it comes to ourselves.
**“YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAND WATCH ALONE”** is one of the most personal and important songs I've written.
I served two tours in Vietnam, and like many veterans, I brought home more than memories. I've lived with PTSD, depression, sleepless nights, and the kind of struggles that aren't always easy to explain to someone who hasn't been there.
There were times when I thought I had to handle everything myself. After all, that's what soldiers do, right? We push through, keep our mouths shut, and tell everybody we're fine, even when we're anything but fine.
But I've learned something over the years. Being strong doesn't mean pretending you're okay when you're not. Sometimes the strongest thing a person can do is reach out and say, "I could use a little help."
That's why this song means so much to me.
It's a reminder to every veteran who's struggling, every family member who's worried, and every caregiver who's exhausted that nobody should have to carry these burdens alone.
It's also part of the reason I created **The War Followed Me Home Initiative**, using music to encourage conversations about PTSD, depression, and veteran suicide prevention. I want veterans to know that asking for help isn't surrendering. It's taking care of yourself and the people who love you.
And sometimes, all it takes to make a difference is one person willing to listen.
So if you're a veteran having a difficult time, please don't disappear into the silence. Call an old buddy. Talk to someone you trust. Reach out to a counselor. There are people who care, even when it doesn't feel that way.
And if you know a veteran who's been unusually quiet lately, check on them. Don't wait for them to ask.
Because after everything we've been through, we still owe each other one
Lyrics
YOU DON’T HAVE TO STAND WATCH ALONE
[INTRO — SOFT PIANO, CELLO, CLEAN ELECTRIC GUITAR]
[NO VOCALS — 8 BARS]
[VERSE 1 — INTIMATE MALE LEAD]
Brother, I know that look you're wearing,
I've seen it in my own.
The room is quiet, but your mind
Won't ever leave you alone.
You tell everybody you're doing fine,
You say you've handled worse before.
But I know what happens after midnight
When those memories find the door.
I've laid awake and watched the ceiling,
I've heard old voices in the dark.
I've felt a war from years ago
Come walking through my heart.
[PRE-CHORUS]
So you don't have to tell me everything,
You don't have to explain.
Sometimes another veteran
Already knows the name of the pain.
[CHORUS — WARM MALE HARMONIES]
You don't have to stand watch alone,
You don't have to carry every night on your own.
You stood your post,
You did your part,
You carried more than most will ever know.
But when the darkness comes around
And the old memories won't let go,
Brother, sit here next to me...
You don't have to stand watch alone.
[SHORT INSTRUMENTAL — PIANO AND GUITAR]
[VERSE 2]
I've had mornings I could barely face,
Days I wanted left unseen.
I've known the weight of depression
And the places PTSD can lead.
I've sat across from VA doctors,
I've talked with nurses who understood.
Some days I couldn't find the words,
So they just listened like they should.
And I learned asking for some help
Doesn't erase the man I've been.
Sometimes strength is opening the door
And finally letting somebody in.
[PRE-CHORUS]
We were taught to keep on moving,
To finish every fight.
But nobody ever taught us
How to surrender one bad night.
[KEY CHANGE #1 — FULLER STRINGS AND DRUMS]
[CHORUS — STRONGER]
You don't have to stand watch alone,
You don't have to fight every battle on your own.
You stood your post,
You did your part,
You gave more than most will ever know.
And if tonight gets hard to carry,
If that darkness starts to grow,
Brother, reach across the distance...
You don't have to stand watch alone.
[BRIDGE — MUSIC DROPS TO PIANO AND CELLO]
I won't tell you that tomorrow
Will erase what happened then.
I won't tell you all the nightmares
Will never come again.
Mine still find me sometimes.
Some nights they still feel real.
But I've learned a wound can stay with you
And still begin to heal.
And if all you do tonight
Is make it through till morning light,
That's enough.
That's enough.
You don't have to win forever.
You just have to make it through tonight.
[STRINGS RISE]
[KEY CHANGE #2 — SOARING]
[FINAL CHORUS — FULL MALE HARMONIES]
You don't have to stand watch alone,
There are thousands of us walking this road.
Different wars,
Different years,
But some wounds speak a language we all know.
So when your hands begin to tremble,
When the memories start coming home,
Brother, call on one of us...
You don't have to stand watch alone.
You stood watch for all of us.
Now let somebody stand with you.
[FINAL REFRAIN — MUSIC SOFTENS]
And if tomorrow finds you tired,
We'll take tomorrow slow.
One hour.
One morning.
One step at a time we go.
I'm still here.
You're still here.
And that's something worth holding on to.
[SOFT MALE HARMONY]
You don't have to stand watch alone...
[LEAD — FINAL LINE]
Not tonight.
Not anymore.
[OUTRO — NO MORE LYRICS]
[PIANO REPRISE]
[CELLO AND CLEAN ELECTRIC GUITAR]
[SOFT WORDLESS MALE HARMONIES]
[LONG INSTRUMENTAL ENDING]