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Pamela Edwards McClafferty didn’t grow up hearing war stories. Her father, a WWII veteran, lived in silence with his memories. She noticed that her father-in-law, the quiet sailor, also endured as did many other veterans she met. The silence of these men and women is the spirit behind the haunting ballad, “SOLDIERS NOT FORGOT.”
Released just before Memorial Day, this is a song giving voice to what generations of veterans couldn’t say out loud. It is a tribute “to my father,” Pamela says, “and all who now defend and did defend and protect our country.”
While working on the musical Artland, with Stanley Clarke, the lyrics of this song lingered as she kept thinking about soldiers returning from war. Who did they talk to? How did they feel? How lonely they must have been. This was long before therapy apps or terms like PTSD.
“SOLDIERS NOT FORGOT” is a slow burn. Singer Lain Roy, whose family has a military background, carries the track with a voice that blends soulful grit (reminiscent of John Legend) with deep feeling and memory. As the song reaches its climax, Roy soars into a sustained high note as the music drops out. It’s pure emotion:
In peace, we soldiers live like other men
Yet a hint, a sound, fans memory’s embers again.
“I hope that SOLDIERS NOT FORGOT helps veterans heal from such traumatic experiences of war, helps to raise awareness of the soldier’s true stories, and shows the impact war has on our military members.”
Also performing on the track is Tzuriel Tong, whose piano and cello work weave around Roy’s voice with sparse elegance. Tong plays piano and cello and mixed and mastered the track. Michael Parnell was the arranger.
The song’s co-producer, Pamela’s partner, Mark McClafferty, feels the weight of the song, too. His father served on the USS Laffey in WWII — known as “the ship that would not die.” His father never spoke about the war until he read the lyrics of this song. “My Dad got emotional. It’s the first time I had ever seen him cry,” Mark said.
“SOLDIERS NOT FORGOT” has that kind of power. It opens doors slammed shut by society. Not for explanation, but for recognition. For remembrance. For release.
“Above all, this song is a gift to all veterans, to their families and all people who wonder what happens to the men and women after their uniforms come off,” Pamela says, “because even decades later, for many veterans, the war never ends:
We fight to the death, we fight to live
That’s our Hell, for others to live
That’s what we give
With “Soldiers Not Forgot,” McClafferty has carved out a space for silence to speak. And for all of us, the recipients of the sacrifice of veterans, to finally hear it.
Listen to the song and learn more about the work of Pamela Edwards McClafferty at the links below:
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