Glory
Common John Legend Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
Oh one day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory (glory, glory)
Oh (glory, glory)

Hands to the Heavens, no man, no weapon
Formed against, yes glory is destined
Every day women and men become legends
Sins that go against our skin become blessings
The movement is a rhythm to us
Freedom is like religion to us
Justice is juxtapositionin' us
Justice for all just ain't specific enough
One son died, his spirit is revisitin' us
Truant livin' livin' in us, resistance is us
That's why Rosa sat on the bus
That's why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up
When it go down we woman and man up
They say, "Stay down", and we stand up
Shots, we on the ground, the camera panned up
King pointed to the mountain top and we ran up

One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
Oh one day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory (glory, glory)
Oh (glory, glory)

Now the war is not over, victory isn't won
And we'll fight on to the finish, then when it's all done
We'll cry glory, oh glory (glory, glory)
Oh (glory, glory)
We'll cry glory, oh glory (glory, glory)
Oh (glory, glory)

Selma's now for every man, woman and child
Even Jesus got his crown in front of a crowd
They marched with the torch, we gon' run with it now
Never look back, we done gone hundreds of miles
From dark roads he rose, to become a hero
Facin' the league of justice, his power was the people
Enemy is lethal, a king became regal
Saw the face of Jim Crow under a bald eagle
The biggest weapon is to stay peaceful
We sing, our music is the cuts that we bleed through
Somewhere in the dream we had an epiphany
Now we right the wrongs in history
No one can win the war individually
It takes the wisdom of the elders and young people's energy
Welcome to the story we call victory
The comin' of the Lord, my eyes have seen the glory

One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
Oh one day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory (glory, glory)
Oh (glory, glory)
Oh glory (Glory, glory)
Hey (glory, glory)

When the war is won, when it's all said and done




We'll cry glory (glory, glory)
Oh (glory, glory)

Overall Meaning

The song "Glory" by Common and John Legend is a powerful and inspiring anthem that was created for the 2014 film "Selma," which tells the story of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches led by Martin Luther King Jr. The lyrics speak to the struggle for civil rights and justice that still continues today. The song begins with the stirring lines, "One day when the glory comes, it will be ours, it will be ours. Oh, one day when the war is won, we will be sure, we will be sure." The chorus repeats the word "glory" to emphasize the idea that someday the fight for justice will be victorious.


The second verse of the song references historical figures such as Rosa Parks and the civil rights marchers at Ferguson. The line, "They say, 'Stay down,' and we stand up" is a direct reference to the continued police brutality and systemic racism that black Americans face. The verse ends with the powerful line, "King pointed to the mountain top and we ran up," referring to Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech and the continued fight for his vision of racial equality.


The final verse acknowledges that the fight is not over yet and that victory is not yet won. But it also expresses hope and determination to continue fighting until justice is achieved. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, with Common and John Legend urging us to never give up hope and to always strive for a better world.


Line by Line Meaning

One day when the glory comes
The day will come when we achieve greatness and achieve our goals


It will be ours, it will be ours
The glory and success will belong to all of us


Oh one day when the war is won
When we overcome the battles and conflicts we currently face


We will be sure, we will be sure
We will have confidence and certainty in our victory


Hands to the Heavens, no man, no weapon
We look to a higher power with hope and faith, and we will not succumb to violence or aggression from others


Formed against, yes glory is destined
Even though we face opposition and obstacles, we are meant to achieve greatness and success


Every day women and men become legends
Every person has the potential to become great and inspire future generations


Sins that go against our skin become blessings
Even though we may face discrimination and oppression, these experiences can lead to growth and inner strength


The movement is a rhythm to us
The fight for justice is ingrained in our way of life and culture


Freedom is like religion to us
We value freedom as much as religious beliefs and hold it as a sacred concept


Justice is juxtapositionin' us
Our desire for justice is always present and has a strong influence on our actions


Justice for all just ain't specific enough
We need to be specific and intentional when pursuing justice, not just aim for broad concepts


One son died, his spirit is revisitin' us
The memory of past injustices and individuals motivates us in the present


Truant livin' livin' in us, resistance is us
The feeling of being outcast or marginalized drives us to resist and fight for change


That's why Rosa sat on the bus
Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat on a segregated bus symbolizes the fight for equal rights and inspires us


That's why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up
The protests in Ferguson were a response to police brutality and systemic racism, and we continue to stand up against these issues


When it go down we woman and man up
During times of crisis or conflict, we rise up and take action regardless of gender or other demographic factors


They say, "Stay down", and we stand up
Even when others try to bring us down or discourage us, we persevere and stand up for what we believe in


Shots, we on the ground, the camera panned up
The media often sensationalizes violence and overlooks the root causes of it


King pointed to the mountain top and we ran up
Martin Luther King Jr. inspired us to pursue our dreams and goals, even if they seem impossible like reaching a mountain top


Now the war is not over, victory isn't won
We still have a long way to go and face many challenges on the path to achieving our goals


And we'll fight on to the finish, then when it's all done
We will continue to fight until we have achieved our goals and then reflect on what we have accomplished


We'll cry glory, oh glory (glory, glory)
We will celebrate our achievements when we have overcome our battles


Selma's now for every man, woman and child
The legacy of the events in Selma, Alabama and the Civil Rights movement belongs to everyone regardless of age, race, gender, etc.


Even Jesus got his crown in front of a crowd
Even the greatest of heroes and leaders can face persecution before they are recognized and celebrated


They marched with the torch, we gon' run with it now
Just like the Civil Rights activists before us, we will take up the mantle and continue the fight


Never look back, we done gone hundreds of miles
We have made progress and must continue to move forward, not dwelling on the past


From dark roads he rose, to become a hero
Someone who had a difficult past or difficult circumstances can rise up to be an inspiration to others


Facin' the league of justice, his power was the people
Even when faced with an unjust system or powerful opponents, the people have the power to create change


Enemy is lethal, a king became regal
Adversity can bring out someone's strength and nobility


Saw the face of Jim Crow under a bald eagle
The symbolism of the U.S. national bird with overt racism highlights the hypocrisy of systemic oppression


The biggest weapon is to stay peaceful
Peaceful resistance and perseverance is a powerful weapon against injustice


We sing, our music is the cuts that we bleed through
Our art and expression reflects the struggles and emotions we face and helps us heal and empower ourselves


Somewhere in the dream we had an epiphany
The realization of the possibility of achieving our dreams and goals led to a shift in our perspective


Now we right the wrongs in history
We address the injustices and mistakes of the past through our actions in the present


No one can win the war individually
We must work together and support each other in the fight for change


It takes the wisdom of the elders and young people's energy
The combination of experience and youth can create a powerful force for progress


Welcome to the story we call victory
The fight for change is an ongoing story, and each victory brings us closer to our ultimate goals


The comin' of the Lord, my eyes have seen the glory
The idea of divine intervention or blessing can inspire us to keep fighting for what we believe in




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Che Smith, John Stephens, Lonnie Lynn

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@samanthanava8886

One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
Oh one day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)

Hands to the Heavens, no man, no weapon
Formed against, yes glory is destined
Every day women and men become legends
Sins that go against our skin become blessings
The movement is a rhythm to us
Freedom is like religion to us
Justice is juxtapositionin' us
Justice for all just ain't specific enough
One son died, his spirit is revisitin' us
Truant livin' livin' in us, resistance is us
That's why Rosa sat on the bus
That's why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up
When it go down we woman and man up
They say, "Stay down", and we stand up
Shots, we on the ground, the camera panned up
King pointed to the mountain top and we ran up

One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
Oh one day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)

Now the war is not over, victory isn't won
And we'll fight on to the finish, then when it's all done
We'll cry glory, oh glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)
We'll cry glory, oh glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)

Selma's now for every man, woman and child
Even Jesus got his crown in front of a crowd
They marched with the torch, we gon' run with it now
Never look back, we done gone hundreds of miles
From dark roads he rose, to become a hero
Facin' the league of justice, his power was the people
Enemy is lethal, a king became regal
Saw the face of Jim Crow under a bald eagle
The biggest weapon is to stay peaceful
We sing, our music is the cuts that we bleed through
Somewhere in the dream we had an epiphany
Now we right the wrongs in history
No one can win the war individually
It takes the wisdom of the elders and young people's energy
Welcome to the story we call victory
The comin' of the Lord, my eyes have seen the glory

One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
Oh one day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)
Oh glory (Glory, glory)
Hey (Glory, glory)

When the war is won, when it's all said and done
We'll cry glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)



All comments from YouTube:

@bubgaming1486

"If you cannot fly, then run. If you cannot run, then walk. If you cannot walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward." - Martin Luther King Jr.

@lateaniahernandez1770

I seen that quote today

@yummyfood3568

What if you can't crawl? :[

@danarius.t5866

+Sharya Meck ask someone to push u :/

@jasmindiaz7329

YESS

@carlosarcila7158

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58 More Replies...

@theredpickle5189

I’m a black teen and I’m glad to say the glory will be ours.

@ashercalerbe3118

I’m a black teen and I have been praying and dream the dream of Martin L. King since I was two. I see glory in the distance brother. I see it and it’s beautiful.

@yoimredeemed1022

Young one be proud. I've received letters of thanks from Barack & Michelle Obama.

@lathanwheeler3925

It is believe it in your heart ❤️ 👧🏾👩🏿‍🦰🧑🏾‍🦲💪🏾🖖🏾☝🏾👌🏾✊🏾💯❤️.

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