Song Description

Below is information about the song Never Forget in the authors own words: This song was written a few days after the tragic events of September 11th. It was inspired by the emotions that I felt and by the emotions that I witnessed being expressed in the words and faces of friends, family and strangers. As Americans, we were all deeply affected by those attacks, but those who lost friends and family that day carry a burden that few of us will ever experience. I did not want this song to dwell on the death and destruction, or on revenge and hate. I was compelled, rather, to write a reflective song that is about the past, present and future of the American spirit, for this, more than any other time in my lifetime, is what I saw emerge in the days after the attack. This spirit of the people more that anything is what helped me deal with the death and destruction and my own personal feelings of revenge and hate. I wanted this to be a song that could have just as easily been written sixty years ago after the attack on Pearl Harbor, or for any other time in our nations history when we were shocked into the realization that our freedom and way of life were under attack. I wanted the music to somehow convey a feeling of respect while also ending on a positive note of hope and determination. This song, therefore, is more a song for 9-11 than a song about the events of 9-11. It is a reminder of our responsibility to never forget to honor the sacrifices made by all of the heroes and the innocent lives lost in the name of freedom and lost defending our way of life. John Ryan

Lyrics

NEVER FORGET
Words & Music by John Ryan
© 2002 John Patrick Ryan (ASCAP) Ryanwood Music
www.ryanmusic.com


Why does it take,
An act of hate;
To make us see,
Our unity?
We must stay strong,
And carry on,
Forever to be free?


Summoned to fight,
And sacrifice;
Called to wars,
On distant shores.
Giving our lives,
To keep the light,
Of Freedom burning bright.


Refrain:
Gone are the days,
Of our innocent ways,
Thinking that no harm could ever,
Come to us;
But try, as they will,
There?s no way they can ever kill,
The spirit of the people of America.


Never forget,
Those who died;
Honor their memory,
With your pride.
Fallen heroes,
And innocent lives;
The pain is hard to hide.


Never forget,
Our timeless debt,
Generations,
Built this dream.
We can?t expect,
That our freedom is free,
And comes without a price.



Refrain:
Gone are the days,
Of our innocent ways,
Thinking that no harm could ever,
Come to us;
But we?ll gather strength,
And we?ll go?to any length,
To Honor the heroes of America.




This is the challenge,
Of our times;
Our resolve,
Is on the line.
We?ll put our differences,
Behind;
Like brothers we?ll unite.


We?ll never cower,
And we?ll not hide;
Working together,
Side by side;
No force of evil,
Can divide,
A people unified.

Refrain:
Gone are the days,
Of our innocent ways,
Thinking that no harm could ever,
Come to us;
But we?ll gather strength,
And we?ll go to any length,
Defending the future of America.

For try as they will,
There?s no way they can ever kill?
The spirit of the people of America.

Copyright ©2002 John Patrick Ryan c/o Ryanwood Music (ASCAP)
International Copyright Secured; All Rights Reserved
www.ryanmusic.com