Prayer of the Refugee
Rise Against Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Warm yourself by the fire, son
And the morning will come soon
I'll tell you stories of a better time
In a place that we once knew

Before we packed our bags
And left all this behind us in the dust
We had a place that we could call home
And a life no one could touch

Don't hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don't need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!
Don't hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don't need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!

We are the angry and the desperate
The hungry, and the cold
We're the ones who kept quiet
And always did what we were told

But we've been sweating while you slept so calm
In the safety of your home
We've been pulling out the nails that hold up
Everything you've known

Don't hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don't need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!
Don't hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don't need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!

So open your eyes, child
Let's be on our way
Broken windows and ashes
Are guiding the way

Keep quiet no longer
We'll sing through the day
Of the lives that we've lost
And the lives we've reclaimed

Don't hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don't need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!
Don't hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don't need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!

Don't hold me up
(I don't need your help, I'll stand my ground)
Don't hold me up
(I don't need your help)
No! No! No!
Don't hold me up!
(I don't need your help, I'll stand my ground)
Don't hold me up!




(I don't need your help, I'll stand my ground)
Don't let me down, down, down, down, down!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Prayer of the Refugee by Rise Against seem to speak of a person who has been displaced from their home and forced to leave everything behind. The opening lines talk about a father trying to comfort his son while they warm themselves by a fire in the cold morning. He tells stories of a better time when they had a place to call home and a life of their own that nobody could disturb. The second stanza speaks of the desperation and anger of those who have been left behind. They are hungry, cold, and have to face hardships that are different from those in the safety of their homes.


The chorus line of "Don't hold me up now, I can stand my own ground, I don't need your help now, you will let me down, down, down!" seems to be a statement of defiance against the people who left them behind or those who would try to help. The singer believes that the time has come for people to open their eyes and acknowledge the realities of those less fortunate. Broken windows and ashes are guiding the way for a new dawn, one where people who were forced to be quiet finally get their voices heard. The message seems to be one of hope, a hope that things can change and people can reclaim their lives.


Some possible interpretations of the song could be that it is meant to raise awareness about the plight of refugees or those who have been left behind by society. It could also be seen as a political protest song, one that encourages people to stand up for their rights and to resist injustices. The use of oversimplified language helps to make the song more relatable and accessible to a wider audience while conveying a powerful message.


Line by Line Meaning

Warm yourself by the fire, son
Get comfortable and ready for a story


And the morning will come soon
I promise it won't take too long


I'll tell you stories of a better time
I'll reminisce about a happier past


In a place that we once knew
Where we used to live and love


Before we packed our bags
Before we left everything behind


And left all this behind us in the dust
We abandoned it all in pursuit of a better life


We had a place that we could call home
Where we felt safe and secure


And a life no one could touch
Our life was protected from external harm


Don't hold me up now
Don't try to rescue me


I can stand my own ground
I'm strong enough to handle this alone


I don't need your help now
I appreciate the thought but I'll manage


You will let me down, down, down!
I'll end up disappointed if I rely on you


We are the angry and the desperate
Our current situation has left us frustrated and hopeless


The hungry, and the cold
We're starving and freezing


We're the ones who kept quiet
We've silently suffered for too long


And always did what we were told
We were obedient but now we're speaking out


But we've been sweating while you slept so calm
We worked tirelessly while you were oblivious


In the safety of your home
Your comfortable setup allowed you to ignore our struggles


We've been pulling out the nails that hold up
We're the ones taking care of fixing the problems ourselves


Everything you've known
The system you've been comfortable with is breaking down


So open your eyes, child
It's time for you to wake up and pay attention


Let's be on our way
We need to move forward toward a better future


Broken windows and ashes
The destruction we've experienced along the way


Are guiding the way
Leading us to where we need to go


Keep quiet no longer
We won't remain silent anymore


We'll sing through the day
Our voices will be heard and amplified


Of the lives that we've lost
Remembering the people and experiences we've left behind


And the lives we've reclaimed
Celebrating the resilience and determination to create a better life


Don't hold me up
I'm no longer a victim and won't be rescued


(I don't need your help, I'll stand my ground)
I'm capable and strong enough to handle this on my own


No! No! No!
I won't accept help from those who ignored me


Don't let me down, down, down, down, down!
I don't deserve to be abandoned again




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRANDON BARNES, CHRISTOPHER CHASSE, JOSEPH PRINCIPE, TIMOTHY MCILRATH

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

@Manguy777

Warm yourself by the fire, son
And the morning will come soon
I’ll tell you stories of a better time
In a place that we once knew
Before we packed our bags
And left all this behind us in the dust
We had a place that we could call home
And a life no one could touch

[Chorus]
Don’t hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don’t need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!
Don’t hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don’t need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!
Down!

[Verse 2]
We are the angry and the desperate
The hungry and the cold
We are the ones who kept quiet
And always did what we were told
But we’ve been sweating
While you slept so calm in the safety of your home
We’ve been pulling out the nails
That hold up everything you’ve known

[Chorus]
Don’t hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don’t need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!
Don’t hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don’t need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!

[Bridge]
So open your eyes, child
Let’s be on our way
Broken windows and ashes
Are guiding the way
Keep quiet no longer
We’ll sing through the day
Of the lives that we’ve lost
And the lives we’ve reclaimed
Go!

[Chorus]
Don’t hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don’t need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!
Don’t hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don’t need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!
Down!

[Outro]
Don’t hold me up!
(I don’t need your help, I’ll stand my ground)
Don’t hold me up!
(I don’t need your help)
No! No! No!
Don’t hold me up!
(I don’t need your help, I’ll stand my ground)
Don’t hold me up!
(I don’t need your help, I’ll stand my ground)
Don’t let me down, down, down, down, down!



@mrcattycattington8236

+Mat Digs this is the definition of underrate. Read this long and hard.



underrate

ʌndəˈreɪt/

verb
past tense: underrated; past participle: underrated



underestimate the extent, value, or importance of (someone or something).
"a very underrated film"
synonyms:undervalue, underestimate, set little store by, rate too low, not do justice to, do an injustice to, be wrong about, sell short, play down, understate,minimize, de-emphasize, underemphasize, diminish, downgrade, reduce,lessen, brush aside, gloss over, trivialize; More



@RoolaRoo

Lyrics:

Warm yourself by the fire, son
And the morning will come soon
I'll tell you stories of a better time
In a place that we once knew

Before we packed our bags
And left all this behind us in the dust
We had a place that we could call home
And a life no one could touch

So don't hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don't need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!
Don't hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don't need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!

We are the angry and the desperate
The hungry, and the cold
We're the ones who kept quiet
And always did what we were told

But we've been sweating while you slept so calm
In the safety of your home
We've been pulling out the nails that hold up
Everything you've known

Don't hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don't need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!
Don't hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don't need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!

So open your eyes, child
Let's be on our way
Broken windows and ashes
Are guiding the way

Keep quiet no longer
We'll sing through the day
Of the lives that we've lost
And the lives we've reclaimed

Don't

Don't hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don't need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!
Don't hold me up now
I can stand my own ground
I don't need your help now
You will let me down, down, down!

Don't hold me up
(I don't need your help, I'll stand my ground)
Don't hold me up
(I don't need your help)
No! No! No!
Don't hold me up!
(I don't need your help, I'll stand my ground)
Don't hold me up!
(I don't need your help, I'll stand my ground)
Don't let me down, down, down, down, down!



All comments from YouTube:

@echo5394

The meaning of this song only gets stronger over time.

@ryanskinner1161

21th like! 🎊🎉🎸🎤🎶🎵

@brunoplays5804

I agree, Homer.

@charleyeyey3124

Homer Simpson spitting facts

@sitsgep3476

Thank you homer simpin

@christyjeremiah2867

Couldnt agree more.

61 More Replies...

@Smartass_Jedi

2006: absolute masterpiece
2024: absolute masterpiece

@JoyBoyRevolution

more than ever

@chaddeez8446

18 year cycles...

@chaddeez8446

​@@JoyBoyRevolutionwe know that's right 😉

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