I WAS WATCHING
STORY
A son grows into a man with his father in steady view — imperfect, but always there. I Was Watching traces the small acts that quietly shape a boy, and the lessons that pass between generations without a word.
LYRICS
I used to hear him every mornin’
Before the sun even came up
He would pack up his lunch, kiss my mother goodbye
And leave in that old pickup truck
And I watched him through his struggles
And I learned that you give it your best
He never got down, he just looked around
He said, "There are so many with so much less"
I was watching
I was a young and impressionable kid
And I was watching
See, I was watching everything that he did
And I watched him wrestle with his anger
With the frustrations that every man feels
And when I was eighteen, he was all that stood between
A life without meaning and a purpose to fulfill
And he was watching
I was a teen and at war with myself
He was watching
See, he was there every time that I fell
And I watched him standing by my mother
The family’s foundation in stone
And I watched him walking with his brothers
The day that they carried my grandfather home
And I was watching
Still, every day I’m amazed by the man
And I was watching
Filling those shoes the best that I can
And I was watching
I was a young and impressionable kid
I was watching
See, I was watching everything that he did
I was watching
I was watching
CREDITS
Written and produced by Kelly Collins. Remixed & Remastered at Tidal Light Studios in Beaufort, SC, with sessions between the mountains of North Carolina, Asheville, Beaufort, and Nashville. Featuring contributions from a roster of incredible musicians who lent their talents to the album.
© 2026 Kelly Collins.