Roar
Glee Cast ft. Adam Lambert Lyrics
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I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath
Scared to rock the boat and make a mess
Unique:
So I sat quietly, agreed politely
I guess that I forgot I had a choice
I let you push me past the breaking point
I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything
Sam with New Directions:
You held me down, but I got up (New Directions: Hey)
Already brushing off the dust
Unique with Sam and New Directions:
You hear my voice, you hear that sound
Like thunder gonna shake your ground
Kitty with Tina and New Directions:
You held me down, but I got up (New Directions: Hey)
Get ready, 'cause I've had enough
I see it all, I see it now
Tina with New Directions:
I got the eye of the tiger, the fighter
Dancing through the fire
'Cause I am a champion
And you're gonna hear me roar
Unique with Kitty and New Directions:
Louder, louder than a lion
'Cause I am a champion
Unique with New Directions (with Kitty):
And you're gonna (hear me roar)
Tina with New Directions:
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Tina and Unique with New Directions:
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Tina and Unique with New Directions:
You're gonna hear me roar
Rachel:
Now I'm floating like a butterfly
Stinging like a bee, I earned my stripes
Rachel and Dani:
I went from zero to my own hero
Elliott with Pamela Lansbury:
You held me down, (Rachel: Oh) but I got up (Rachel: Oh)
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, you hear that sound
Like thunder gonna shake your ground
Santana with Dani and Pamela Lansbury:
You held me down, but I got up (Elliott: Oh yeah)
Get ready 'cause (with Elliott: I've had enough)
I see it all, I see it now
Elliott and Rachel:
I got the eye of the tiger
Rachel with Pamela Lansbury:
The fighter (Elliott: Oh yeah!)
Dancing through the fire
'Cause I am a champion (Elliott: Oh!)
And you're gonna hear me roar
Elliott with Rachel and Pamela Lansbury:
Louder, louder than a lion
'Cause I am a champion (Dani: Yeah!)
And you're gonna hear me roar
New Directions:
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh (Elliott: Yeah yeah!)
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Elliott and Dani with Pamela Lansbury:
You're gonna hear me roar
New Directions:
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh (Elliott: Hey)
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh (Elliott: You'll hear me roar!)
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Elliott and Santana with Pamela Lansbury and New Directions:
You're gonna hear me roar
Santana with Pamela Lansbury and New Directions:
Roar, roar, roar, roar, roar
Dani:
I got the eye of the
Rachel and Tina with New Directions:
(Dani and Rachel: Tiger) The fighter
Dancing through the fire (Dani: Dancing through the fire)
'Cause I am a champion
And you're gonna hear me roar
Dani:
Oh louder
Elliott with Rachel and Pamela Lansbury and New Directions:
Louder, louder than a lion
'Cause I am a champion
And you're gonna (with Dani: hear me roar)
Rachel, Santana and Tina with New Directions:
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh (Dani: Yeah)
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh (Unique: Yeah yeah)
Rachel and Elliott with Pamela Lansbury and New Directions:
You're gonna hear me roar
Rachel, Santana and Tina with New Directions:
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh (Unique: Whoa oh oh)
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh (Dani: You'll hear me roar)
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh (Unique: Oh yeah)
Rachel, Elliott, Unique, and Tina with Pamela Lansbury and New Directions:
You're gonna hear me roar
The Glee Cast's song "Roar" is a powerful anthem about finding one's strength and standing up for oneself. Each verse is sung by a different character, each with their own story and experience of being held down and feeling like they have no voice. The chorus is a unifying, empowering call to action, with each character declaring that they have the "eye of the tiger" and will not be held back anymore.
Tina starts the song, admitting that she used to hold back and not speak up for herself, but that she has now found her voice. Unique goes on to talk about how she forgot she had a choice in the past, and how she let others push her around. Kitty talks about how she stood for nothing and fell for everything. Sam and New Directions then come in to declare that even though they have been held down, they are getting back up and brushing off the dust.
Throughout the song, each character emphasizes their determination to be heard, to make a change, and to stand up for themselves. The chorus is repeated several times by different combinations of characters, each time growing more powerful and triumphant. By the end of the song, there is a sense of unity and strength among all the characters, as they declare that they will not be held back anymore.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath
I was afraid to speak my mind or make any waves
Scared to rock the boat and make a mess
I was hesitant to take any risks or make any changes
So I sat quietly, agreed politely
I didn't speak up for myself, going along with whatever others said or did
I guess that I forgot I had a choice
I lost sight of the fact that I could make my own decisions and choose my own path
I let you push me past the breaking point
I allowed someone to take advantage of me or mistreat me until I could no longer bear it
I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything
Because I didn't have any values or beliefs of my own, I was vulnerable to being swayed or manipulated by others
You held me down, but I got up
Even though you tried to keep me down or hold me back, I found the strength to rise above it
Already brushing off the dust
I'm moving on from the past and any setbacks or failures that I may have faced
You hear my voice, you hear that sound
You can't ignore me anymore or dismiss what I have to say
Like thunder gonna shake your ground
I'm making an impact and disrupting the status quo
Get ready, 'cause I've had enough
I've reached my limit and I'm about to make a change or take a stand
I see it all, I see it now
I've gained a new perspective or clarity on a situation
I got the eye of the tiger, the fighter
I have the fierce determination and resilience of a champion
Dancing through the fire
I'm unafraid of obstacles or challenges and am moving forward with confidence
'Cause I am a champion
I have overcome adversity and come out on top
And you're gonna hear me roar
I'm making myself heard and making my mark on the world
Louder, louder than a lion
I'm making a powerful statement and commanding attention
Roar, roar, roar, roar, roar
My voice and message cannot be ignored or silenced
Now I'm floating like a butterfly
I'm feeling light and free after shedding my inhibitions and fears
Stinging like a bee, I earned my stripes
I've worked hard and faced tough challenges to get to where I am
I went from zero to my own hero
I transformed myself from someone who was helpless or lacking in confidence to a strong and capable person
You held me down, but I got up
I refused to be held back or kept down by you, and instead rose above it
Get ready 'cause I've had enough
I'm fed up with your mistreatment or dismissiveness and I'm about to fight back
Oh yeah!
I'm feeling confident and empowered
The fighter
I'm a survivor and a warrior who won't be defeated or discouraged
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
I'm making a bold and powerful statement that will be heard by everyone
You'll hear me roar
I'm sending a message that I won't be silenced or ignored
Whoa oh oh
I'm expressing my passion and energy through my voice
Contributed by Noah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.