Her debut album, Cheers to the Fall, was released on August 28, 2015. The album was produced by Adrian Gurvitz and Raphael Saadiq.
She was also featured in Rolling Stone's "10 New Artists You Need to Know" for July 2015. NPR's Katie Presley has praised her singing by saying it has "Eartha Kitt's unflappable confidence, Amy Winehouse's effortless grasp of classic jazz, Billie Holiday's access to raw emotion and Adele's range and pop sensibility."
On December 7, 2015 Day received two nominations at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards including Best R&B Performance for "Rise Up" and Best R&B Album for "Cheers to the Fall".
Rise Up
Andra Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of living life on a merry go round
And you can't find the fighter
But I see it in you so we gonna walk it out
And move mountains
We gonna walk it out
And move mountains
I'll rise like the day
I'll rise up
I'll rise unafraid
I'll rise up
And I'll do it a thousand times again
And I'll rise up
High like the waves
I'll rise up
In spite of the ache
I'll rise up
And I'll do it a thousand times again
For you
For you
For you
For you
When the silence isn't quiet
And it feels like it's getting hard to breathe
And I know you feel like dying
But I promise we'll take the world to its feet
And move mountains
Bring it to its feet
And move mountains
And I'll rise up
I'll rise like the day
I'll rise up
I'll rise unafraid
I'll rise up
And I'll do it a thousand times again
For you
For you
For you
For you
All we need, all we need is hope
And for that we have each other
And for that we have each other
And we will rise
We will rise
We'll rise, oh, oh
We'll rise
I'll rise up
Rise like the day
I'll rise up
In spite of the ache
I will rise a thousand times again
And we'll rise up
High like the waves
We'll rise up
In spite of the ache
We'll rise up
And we'll do it a thousand times again
For you
For you
For you
For you
Ah, ah, ah, ah
The lyrics of Andra Day's "Rise Up" speak to anyone who has faced discouragement, felt defeated, or been worn down by the struggles of life. The word choice of the lyrics and the emotional tone of the song convey the message of persistence and resilience. The opening lines suggest that the person has lost hope and feels defeated. However, the singer sees the potential in that person and assures them that they can make it if they keep pushing forward. The line "And move mountains" is a powerful metaphor, indicating that although the person may feel powerless in the face of their struggles, they have within them the strength and courage to conquer their obstacles.
The chorus emphasizes the idea of rising above the difficulties and not giving up. The repetition of "I'll rise up" and "And I'll do it a thousand times again" reinforces the idea that perseverance is necessary for success. This is not a one-time effort. It's an ongoing journey and requires continuous effort.
The song also talks about the support and hope that comes from being in a community. The singer reminds the person that they have others around them who care about them and that they don't have to face their struggles alone.
Overall, the song is a powerful call to action to keep moving forward, no matter the obstacles. It's a message of hope that encourages people to keep pushing through the tough times and to never give up.
Line by Line Meaning
You're broken down and tired
You feel defeated and exhausted
Of living life on a merry go round
Your life feels repetitive and unfulfilling
And you can't find the fighter
You cannot locate the strength and determination within you
But I see it in you so we gonna walk it out
I see the fighter in you, and we will work through this together
And move mountains
We will overcome the obstacles in our way
We gonna walk it out
We will push through the difficulties step by step
And move mountains
We will conquer the challenges that come our way
And I'll rise up
I will lift myself up
I'll rise like the day
I will rise with the sun, ready to start anew
I'll rise up
I will lift myself up
I'll rise unafraid
I will rise without fear of failure
I'll rise up
I will lift myself up
And I'll do it a thousand times again
I will keep fighting and rising no matter how many times it takes
And I'll rise up
I will lift myself up
High like the waves
I will rise to the top like the waves of the ocean
I'll rise up
I will lift myself up
In spite of the ache
I will rise, even when it hurts
I'll rise up
I will lift myself up
And I'll do it a thousand times again
I will never give up, and I will keep rising time and time again
For you
I am doing this for you
For you
I am doing this for you
For you
I am doing this for you
For you
I am doing this for you
When the silence isn't quiet
When the calm feels unsettling
And it feels like it's getting hard to breathe
When you feel suffocated by fear and anxiety
And I know you feel like dying
I understand that you feel defeated and hopeless
But I promise we'll take the world to its feet
I promise we will rise above this and inspire others to do the same
And move mountains
We will make a difference that seems impossible
Bring it to its feet
We will bring the world to a place of strength and resilience
And move mountains
We will overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable
And I'll rise up
I will lift myself up
I'll rise like the day
I will rise like the bright morning sun
I'll rise up
I will lift myself up
I'll rise unafraid
I will rise without fear of failure
I'll rise up
I will lift myself up
And I'll do it a thousand times again
I will keep fighting and rising no matter how many times it takes
For you
I am doing this for you
For you
I am doing this for you
For you
I am doing this for you
For you
I am doing this for you
All we need, all we need is hope
Hope is all we need to keep going
And for that we have each other
We have each other to rely on
And for that we have each other
We have each other to lean on
And we will rise
We will lift ourselves up
We will rise
We will lift ourselves up
We'll rise, oh, oh
We will rise, no matter what
I'll rise up
I will lift myself up
Rise like the day
Rise with new hope and potential every day
I'll rise up
I will lift myself up
In spite of the ache
Even in pain or discomfort, I will rise
I will rise a thousand times again
I will never give up, and I will keep rising time and time again
And we'll rise up
We will lift ourselves up
High like the waves
We will rise to the top like the waves of the ocean
In spite of the ache
Even in pain or discomfort, we will rise
We'll rise up
We will lift ourselves up
And we'll do it a thousand times again
We will never give up, and we will keep rising time and time again
For you
We are doing this for you
For you
We are doing this for you
For you
We are doing this for you
For you
We are doing this for you
Ah, ah, ah, ah
Vocalization that emphasizes the strength and resilience of rising up
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Cassandra Monique Batie, Jennifer Decilveo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lisa Rogier
on Forever Mine - Live from 11th Street Records
You are the greatest, Andra!! This song touches the very core of my soul. God bless you.