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He Didn't Come Back Alive

by Greg Rank

A deeply personal song about mental illness from the perspective of a caregiver who made a mistake

Lyrics

I signed the orders that let him out Such a busy day I was taking it all in stride Then the phone rang, he'd died
He didn't come back alive He didn't come back alive He didn't come back alive And it's my fault
I was supposed to protect him Keep him from hurting himself But somehow the he convinced me It was OK to let him out
He didn't come back alive He didn't come back alive He didn't come back alive And it's my fault
He just wanted lunch with his son He talked of camping trips And musical midnight jams He was looking forward when He could go camping again
He didn't come back alive He didn't come back alive He didn't come back alive And it's my fault
I think about him every day A mistake on instant replay A jury ruled it was not my fault But I signed the orders that let him out
He didn't come back alive He didn't come back alive He didn't come back alive And it's my fault

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, please reach out for help. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 | Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

Listen Now

🎵 Stream on Spotify 🎵 Listen on Apple Music 🎵 Watch on YouTube 🎵 Amazon Music
🎭 Melancholy Songs
Songs for quiet reflection and deep emotion
1
The Art of Flying
A contemplative journey through life's transitions
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2
The Hurried Child
Reflections on childhood lost too soon
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3
Three Dreams in the Desert
Mystical visions of solitude and searching
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Melancholy Folk Introspective

🎵 Song Information

Title: He Didn't Come Back Alive

Artist: Greg Rank Rank

Year Written: 2021

Album/Collection: He Didn't Come Back Alive

Genre: blues, folk

Mood: melancholy

BPM: 83

Key: G

Duration: 4:16

Structure: verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus

🎤 Recording Details

Studio: Home Studio B

Producer: Greg Rank

Engineer: Greg Rank

Recording Date: 2021-06-12

👥 Musicians

Guest Musicians: Ghost
Sync notes: - **Content Warnings**: Explicit lyrics, sensitive themes: NO - **Similar Artists/References**: Bruce Springsteen - **Possible Sync Uses**: "All" - **Rights Status**: "100% owned, sync-ready" - **Contact Info**: grrf.035ra@passmail.net

🎛️ Equipment

Recording Equipment:
CAD vocal mic, Cubase, Gibson J-45 guitar, acoustic bass, harmonica, korg-n5

🎨 Artwork

He Didn't Come Back Alive Cover Art
🖼️ Image not found
Check the URL: https://bigsong.com/story/alive.png

Artist: Greg Rank

Color Palette: blac

Inspiration: Backyard photography with a Panasonic Lumix on a tripod with a 12x stock 35mm lense

Photo Credits: Greg Rank

Last updated: 2025-08-05