Chris’s Story
Chris is a current military member for 35 years. He started playing guitar years ago and music has become a great tool for his own mental health. Over the past 10 years, he played with a lot of veterans and realized it was an effective way for many of them to communicate, meet fellow veterans and provide in some ways a sense of belonging.
For Chris, writing songs is about storytelling and a way to get a message out. After seeing many members struggle with PTSD, he wrote “Break the Silence”. Many people he met with PTSD kept telling him the same thing “I should have talked to someone earlier”.
“Having been selected for the Music for the Mind: Veterans Edition is important for me. It not only validates my songwriting ability but more importantly it gets my song out there for others to hear. If it only helps one person, I have reached success” – Chris Kane
Lyrics
He wakes up every morning to big pile of pills
It’s supposed to give him the strength to climb the next hill
As he stands in front of a mirror, a stranger talks to him
Building the courage as another day begins
If his friends only knew of his tortured mind
They would have listened and made the time
Break this silence forever more
Free those troubled minds and
Talk to a friend I’m sure they won’t mind
Out the door by eight o’clock down to the coffee shop
Grab a cup to go and sit in the parking lot
No one will see him there and he won’t have to talk
About his troubled mind or his dark silent thoughts
If his friends only knew of his tortured mind
They would have listened and made the time
Break this silence forever more
Free those troubled minds and
Talk to a friend I’m sure they won’t mind
He meets his wife at the end of the day with a smile and a grin
She has no idea of the demons he holds within
They make small talk through the evening, and he tucks his children in
All the while dreading another day will begin
If his friends only knew of his tortured mind
They would have listened and made the time
Break this silence forever more
Free those troubled minds and
Talk to a friend I’m sure they won’t mind
Far too often this story ends on a mournful note
We forget our friends can help when we need them most
Break this sound of silence once and for all
Let’s all do our part and help a friend
Over the next wall
If his friends only knew of his tortured mind
They would have listened and made the time
Break this silence forever more
Free those troubled minds and
Talk to a friend I’m sure they won’t mind
Talk to a friend, I’m sure they have the time