We Remember
We Remember grew out of the reflection behind the blog post I made this morning, The World Changed That Morning .
The song begins where that day began for so many people: in the middle of an ordinary morning. Coffee was brewing, kids were getting ready, cars were heading to work, and nobody knew how quickly the world was about to change.
I did not want this to be a song only about towers, smoke, sirens, or the images we have all seen for twenty-five years. I wanted it to remember the people: the lives lost, the families forever changed, the heroes who ran toward danger, and the ordinary people who showed extraordinary courage.
And I wanted the words never forget to mean more than something we say once a year. Remembering should show up in how we live: in the door we hold, the call we make, the grace we give, the hand we take, and the way we choose to treat one another.
We Remember is a tribute to September 11, 2001, but it is also a reminder that remembrance carries a responsibility. We honor the people we lost not only by looking back, but by carrying something good forward.
We Remember
Verse 1
It started with the morning,
Coffee on the stove,
Kids were tying sneakers,
Cars were on the road.
Blue sky over rooftops,
Workday on its way,
Nobody knew the world would change
Before the noon bell rang.
Verse 2
Then every room went silent,
Every screen stood still,
People reached for someone
Just to know they will
Make it home by evening,
Answer when they call,
And somewhere in the smoke and fear,
Heroes gave their all.
Chorus
We remember,
We remember,
The names we cannot see.
We remember,
We remember,
Who they used to be.
Not just towers,
Not just thunder,
Not just ash and flame.
Every soul was someone’s whole world,
Every life had a name.
Verse 3
Some ran toward the danger,
Some knelt down to pray,
Some held hands with strangers
Through the darkest day.
Some wore boots and badges,
Some wore no disguise,
Just ordinary people
With courage in their eyes.
Chorus 2
We remember,
We remember,
The brave who took the stairs.
We remember,
We remember,
The ones who waited there.
Not just sirens,
Not just sorrow,
Not just history,
Every soul was someone’s whole world,
Still alive in memory.
Bridge
And if we say we’ll never forget,
Let it be more than words.
Let it be the way we love,
The way we serve.
Let it be the door we hold,
The call we make,
The grace we give,
The hand we take.
Final Chorus
We remember,
We remember,
The light they left behind.
We remember,
We remember,
The ties that still bind.
Not just one day,
Not just one prayer,
Not just flags we raise,
Let us live a little kinder
Every time we say their names.
Outro
So when September finds us,
And the bells begin to play,
May we hold each other closer,
Because it’s never just a day.