Will You Be Here When I Wake?

[Intro – whispered/spoken, ambient background] Will you be here… when I wake? ⸻ [Verse 1 – soft, reflective male vocal] Have you ever had to lie to a child? Not about toys, or bedtime tales… But about life and death the kind that leaves trails. ⸻ [Chorus – emotional, harmonized male/female vocals, building] Will you be here when I wake? Where’s the bus going? Why are they crying? How can I explain what’s at stake That this war might end with dying? ⸻ [Verse 2 – voice slightly hardened, drums begin to pulse] I don’t even know if I’ll return. So I lie. Not today, maybe not next. But I’ll try. ⸻ [Bridge – tense, rhythmic repetition, swelling strings] I will be home… Before you know it. Before you know it. Before… you know it. ⸻ [Chorus – repeat with added emotional weight] Will you be here when I wake? Where’s the bus going? Why are they crying? How can I explain what’s at stake That this war might end with dying? ⸻ [Verse 3 – stripped down to acoustic + voice] May you never know this kind of pain. I’m leaving, praying I’ll return again. I wear a brave face for your sake, But I feel my whole soul shake. ⸻ [Chorus – crowd singalong style, full instrumentation] Will you be here when I wake? Where’s the bus going? Why are they crying? How can I explain what’s at stake That this war might end with dying? ⸻ [Verse 4 – slow, final resolve] Every journey has to start. Every goodbye breaks a heart. Maybe I’ll tell you everything, one day But for now, I march away. ⸻ [Outro – fading solo vocal, echo effect] Will you be here… when I wake?