Stay | They Called Him Cavalry - Track 25

They Called Him Cavalry - Act III: Collapse Track 25 - Sgt. George McGraw “Stay” [Intro] (Echoing) Stay… Stay… [Verse 1] The tent don’t smell like mercy or prayer, Just blood sunk deep in canvas and air. They peel him out of my arms too fast, Like the worst part’s over, like this will pass. Lantern light makes his face look wrong, Too quiet for a man who’s held on this long. They tell me step back if I want him to live. I step back. It’s all I give. [Chorus] Stay. Just stay right here with me. Breathe. That’s all you gotta be. I don’t need brave, I don’t need strong— Just stay where you belong. Stay. [Verse 2] They cut him open, no warning given, He screams like something’s being taken from him. Not the field—this is thinner than that, Like the sound of a soul getting pulled back. He says “Mama” like it’s a door, Like if he says it once more—once more— I tell him lies I hope are true, Tell him it’s almost through. [Chorus] Stay. Hear my voice, hold on. Breathe. You ain’t wrong, you ain’t gone. I don’t need time, I don’t need proof— Just stay. That’s the truth. [Verse 3] They bind him tight and move us aside, Say fever’s the thing that decides who survives. He’s burning now, heat through bone, Like the war followed us all the way home. I count his breaths when they slip too fast, One—two—three—don’t let this be the last. I’ve got water, I’ve got cloth, I’ve got will, I’ve got nothing else. So I’m still. [Bridge — fractured, circling] Akron. Mama. A name I don’t know. Orders half-spoken, nowhere to go. Promises made with blood on the ground. Counting keeps breaking, I count it out loud. He laughs once—God help me—then cries. Says he told the boy he’d make it right. I say it wasn’t yours to fix. I say it fierce. I say it sticks. [Chorus — quieter, worn] Stay. You did everything you could. Breathe. I know you understood. You ain’t God. You ain’t to blame. Stay with me. Stay. [Verse 4] Hours fold in on themselves, Lanterns dim, then get filled again. Men moan prayers into dirty sheets, Surgeons walk past us, don’t even speak. His hands claw air like he’s back out there, I hold him down, tell him I’m here. He looks at me like I’m far away, Then nods once— Like that’s okay. [Final Chorus — bare] Stay. Just stay till morning comes. Breathe. Just breathe, just one by one. Say my name or don’t say a thing— Stay where I can keep you breathing. Stay. Just stay. [Outro] If you leave, you take part of me. So don’t. Just stay. ----- They Called Him Cavalry was made with the use of AI for the instrumental and vocal elements. The story, characters, songwriting, etc. were done by me (For the Record Folks).