Verse 1 Day one— Build the walls. Day two— Raise the towers. Day three— Count the dead. Day four— Watch the trees. The Forerunners wrecked behind us, Black against the setting sky. Temporary shelters rising, Children asking why. The civilians sleep behind us, Marines sleep beside their guns. Every hour someone's watching. Every hour... Nothing comes. Chorus THE LONG WATCH! Eyes into the night! No one sleeps... No one leaves... Everybody's ready to fight! THE LONG WATCH! Waiting for the call! We're the wall between the darkness... And the people down below! Verse 2 Motion tracker— Nothing. Thermal scan— Clear. Distant thunder— Lightning. Then silence... Just the fear. A sentry turns slowly in the dark, Searching through the trees. A Marine whispers— "Did you hear that?" Nobody answers. Then— Beep. Chorus THE LONG WATCH! Keep your weapons near! Something's moving... Something's watching... Something's getting near! THE LONG WATCH! Hold the perimeter! Until the ships come... Until help comes... We're the ones who've got to stay! Bridge Weeks pass. Food gets rationed. Ammo gets counted. The children learn the sound of the sentry guns. Some Marines stop asking when rescue is coming. They start asking: "How long can we hold?" Jason answers: "As long as it takes." Breakdown Shift change! Check the wall! Check the guns! Check them all! Drone patrol! Lights online! Watch the line! Hold the line! Final Chorus THE LONG WATCH! Through the endless night! If tomorrow brings the swarm... Then tomorrow brings the fight! THE LONG WATCH! We don't need to know! How long we're here... How far rescue is... We'll protect them... Till it's here! Outro A Marine looks toward the horizon. "Think they'll find us?" Jason watches the stars. "They better." A motion tracker chirps. Everyone turns. Nothing. Jason raises his rifle. "Back to your posts." The watch continues.
