Johnny recorded as a member of the 1980's southern rock band The Johnny Van Zant Band which released albums in 1980, 1981 and 1982. The band shortened its name to Van Zant for the release of its fourth album in 1985, the eponymous Van Zant, which saw some chart success with "You've Got to Believe in Love" and "I'm a Fighter". However, this band was not the same as the current version of Van Zant and did not include brother Donnie.
Johnny released another album under his full name in 1990, but spent most of his time in that period singing for the Lynyrd Skynyrd reunion group. He joined up with Donnie, and they revived the Van Zant name to release an album in 1998, which led to a follow up album in 2001. They have also released two albums to the country music format: 2005's Get Right with the Man and 2007's My Kind of Country. Overall, the group has had two singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks charts (the prior incarnation of Van Zant also had two), and six on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
We Can't Do It Alone
Van Zant Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He shed His precious blood so I'd be saved
And daddy had to gold one just like me
But when he died he wore it to his grave
I wear this cross 'cause I believe
He shed His precious blood so I'd be saved
And daddy had a gold one just like me
But when he died he wore it to his grave
He said, 'Don't you cry, son
Cause in the long run we'll all be together again'
Cause we're all God's children
Sinners tryin' to make it to the light
Ain't no easy livin' so hold on to one another
We're all sisters, we're all brothers
Just tryin' to find our way back home
You know we can't do it alone
No, no, no, no, no
Now I see the world through my child's eyes
And I wonder where it's all gonna go
Things are hard, these are troubled times
You know the devil's always tryin' to steal your soul
And the older I get, the more I see that
More love is always what we need
Cause we're all God's children
Sinners tryin' to make it to the light
There ain't no easy livin' so hold on to one another
We're all sisters, we're all brothers
Jut tryin' to find our way back home
And we can't do it alone
And no one can be that strong
We can't make it on our own
Oh, we can't do it alone
Cause we're all God's children
Sinners tryin' to make it to the light
There ain't no easy livin' so hold on to one another
We're all sisters, we're all brothers
Just tryin' to find our way back home
And we can't do it alone
No, no, we can't do it alone, alone, oh
No way, no way, can't make it alone
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
(No, no, no, no, no)
No, no, no, no, no
(No, no, no, no, no)
No, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no
He said, 'Don't you cry, son
Cause in the long run we'll all be together again'
Cause we're all God's children
Sinners tryin' to make it to the light
Ain't no easy livin' so hold on to one another
We're all sisters, we're all brothers
Jut tryin' to find our way back home
You know we can't do it alone
No, no, no, no, no
Now I see the world through my child's eyes
And I wonder where it's all gonna go
Things are hard, these are troubled times
You know the devil's always tryin' to steal your soul
And the older I get, the more I see that
More love is always what we need
Cause we're all God's children
Sinners tryin' to make it to the light
There ain't no easy livin' so hold on to one another
We're all sisters, we're all brothers
Jut tryin' to find our way back home
And we can't do it alone
And no one can be that strong
We can't make it on our own
Oh, we can't do it alone
Cause we're all God's children
Sinners tryin' to make it to the light
There ain't no easy livin' so hold on to one another
We're all sisters, we're all brothers
Just tryin' to find our way back home
And we can't do it alone
No, no, we can't do it alone, alone, oh
No way, no way, can't make it alone
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
(No, no, no, no, no)
No, no, no, no, no
(No, no, no, no, no)
No, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no
In Van Zant's song "We Can't Do It Alone," the singer talks about the importance of relying on others to make it through life. The opening verses focus on the cross that he wears and the one his father wore, emphasizing the belief that through Jesus' sacrifice, we are saved. The chorus talks about how we are all God's children, all trying to make it to the light, but it's not an easy journey. Therefore, we need to hold on to one another and help each other through life's challenges.
The bridge of the song shifts to the singer's perspective as he reflects on the world he sees through his child's eyes. He notes that times are hard, and the devil is always trying to steal our souls. However, he also notes that the older he gets, the more he realizes that love is what we need to thrive in life.
The song's message is one of hope, emphasizing our need for human connection and the importance of relying on each other, even during difficult times. It's a reminder that we are not alone in our struggles and that by holding on to one another, we can make it to the light.
Line by Line Meaning
I wear this cross 'cause I believe
I wear this cross, a symbol of my faith, because I believe in the sacrifice that Jesus made for us
He shed His precious blood so I'd be saved
Jesus gave up His life and shed His blood to save us from our sins, so we could have eternal life
And daddy had to gold one just like me
My father also had a cross like mine, an indicator of his faith
But when he died he wore it to his grave
My father wore his cross until the very end, showing his dedication to his faith
He said, 'Don't you cry, son
My father passed on a message of hope and comfort to me
Cause in the long run we'll all be together again'
In the end, we will all be reunited with our loved ones who have passed on
Cause we're all God's children
As human beings, we are all created in God's image and are therefore His children
Sinners tryin' to make it to the light
We all make mistakes and are imperfect, but we strive to do better and make it to the light, or heaven
Ain't no easy livin' so hold on to one another
Life is difficult and we need to lean on and support one another through tough times
We're all sisters, we're all brothers
We are all one human family, and related to each other through our common humanity
Just tryin' to find our way back home
We are all trying to find our way back to God, our Heavenly home
You know we can't do it alone
We cannot make it through life or find our way back to God without the help and support of others, and ultimately God Himself
Now I see the world through my child's eyes
Having a child has given me a new perspective on the world, and how important it is to pass on faith and values to future generations
And I wonder where it's all gonna go
I am unsure what kind of world my child will grow up in, and what challenges he or she will face
Things are hard, these are troubled times
The world is filled with difficulties and challenges, and we must remain strong in our faith through these difficult times
You know the devil's always tryin' to steal your soul
Evil forces are always working to draw us away from our faith and pull us down a path of destruction
And the older I get, the more I see that
With age comes wisdom and perspective, and I am beginning to understand what is truly important in life
More love is always what we need
Love is the most important thing in life, and we should seek to love others as much as we can
And no one can be that strong
No one is strong enough to make it through life alone, and we need each other for support and encouragement
We can't make it on our own
We need each other, and ultimately God, to make it through life and find our way home
No way, no way, can't make it alone
It is impossible to make it through life alone, and we need to rely on others for support and guidance
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRETT JAMES, DONNIE VAN ZANT, JOHNNY VAN ZANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sebastian Celesner
Great song and lyrics, though I do not share all it says. We need more of this type of music, with positive messages. Music is a strong means of communication and inspitation. Let's have it inspire us, not bring us down.
Christopher Carney
Awesome! Simply awesome!!!
Arthur Marks
God family and country,this is what America was built on