Entertainment Music Country Darryl Worley Releases Sequel to 'Have You Forgotten' with a New Message of Unity: Listen (Exclusive) "I believe the message is very clear: We are better in every way when we are pulling together," the country crooner told PEOPLE By Bailey Richards Bailey Richards Bailey Richards is a writer-reporter at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2023 and interned with the brand in 2022. Her work has previously appeared in digital publications like Paper Magazine and TV Insider. People Editorial Guidelines and Sarah Michaud Sarah Michaud Sarah Michaud is the senior news editor of PEOPLE's music vertical. She has been working at PEOPLE for 15 years. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 29, 2023 04:00PM EDT Close Darryl Worley has a new message for his listeners. Two decades after his biggest hit to date, “Have You Forgotten,” singer-songwriter has recorded a sequel to the track, titled “Have We Forgotten.” Penned with Wynn Varble, who co-wrote the original song with Worley, the follow-up is intended to carry a message of unity, and the writing duo changed more than just one word in the song’s title to accomplish this. “The message is that we as a people here in America need to think about what we can do to help with the problem of division,” Worley told PEOPLE. Darryl Worley Remembers Joy and Pain of 'Have You Forgotten' 18 Years Later To convey this, Worley and Varble rewrote most of the 2003 track’s lyrics. Instead of “I hear people saying we don't need this war / I say there's some things worth fighting for,” for example, Worley now croons, “I hear people saying our best days are gone / A people once united can’t even get along.” In “Have We Forgotten,” lines that described the events and aftermath of 9/11 in the original song have been replaced with calls to action urging people to set aside their differences and unite: “The whole wide world is watching as we go ‘round and ‘round / We need to come together y’all and we better do it now.” Darryl Worley's "Have We Forgotten". Courtesy of The Valory Music Co. Darryl Worley's "Have You Forgotten". Courtesy DreamWorks Records “If everyone that hears this song makes an effort to do what they can to help with this, it will make a huge difference,” Worley said. “We need to do something at this point to bring about unity. United we stand.” Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The updated anthem was not actually the country singer’s idea, he told PEOPLE. “A friend of mine suggested we should write a new lyric for the 20th anniversary,” he said. “We decided to go for it.” In a 2021 interview with PEOPLE, Worley said that he and writing partner “didn't try to follow anybody's formula” while writing the 2003 track. “We said what we wanted to say and spoke our hearts,” he said in the interview. Darryl Worley. Amy Allmand The Children of 9/11 Are Honoring the Dads They Never Knew: 'I'm the Last Thing He Left Behind' When asked if this philosophy was used while penning “Have We Forgotten,” the country crooner said, “The exact same holds true for this song.” He continued, “It had to be honest to have a chance. We used simple language and it goes straight to the point. This wasn’t as easy as the first one.” “It took a little more time to get this right,” he told PEOPLE. “But I believe the message is very clear: We are better in every way when we are pulling together.”