Prayer Of The Refugee

Album: The Sufferer & The Witness (2006)
Play Video
  • 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! Writer/s: BRANDON BARNES, CHRISTOPHER CHASSE, JOSEPH PRINCIPE, TIMOTHY MCILRATH
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 16

  • Warpigs from FlThis song is about the discrimination and displacement that immigrants endure arriving to a new country. Or just the displacement and uncertainty that anyone can feel moving into a new, maybe hostile environment.
    The music video however, is about how consumerism negatively impacts people living in the 3rd world countries making the goods for America.

    I don't know why they made the song and music video themes different, perhaps they wanted to bring awareness to the music video's theme that the song lyrics cannot.
  • Brooke from Brisbane, AustraliaGreat song!
  • Blast from ParisDo you know about the dependency theory in international relations? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dependency_theory
    It's about how the US and other developed (mainly) northern countries make a profit from the southern countries throught market. Actually some ideas say, that the poor countries could do a lot better without the so-called help of the northern countries, I can't help but think about it when I hear "I can stand my own ground, I don't need your help now, you will let me down."
    Of course, the problem is a lot more complex in these states, but I'm sure that neither US nor the European countries don't do their best to help in this situation.
  • Narassa from Colorado Springs, CoThis song may not be "About" but definitely does touch on the topic of Human Trafficking. Rise Against is a band whom among very few people stand against Human Trafficking. In the video, there are video clippings of shoes, boxes of chocolate, and coffee beans. That's because coffee and chocolate is one of the top industries for human trafficking. The band wants to raise awareness and stand against it because it is wrong all around. The refugee is the one being held prisoner and was human trafficked and the prayer is to get out and be saved.
  • Erik from Brownwood, Txthe song is about fair trade... it says so at the end of the vid... its not about hurricane katrina... they prob did send proceeds to victems tho. and there is no refrence to immigrants being slaves to america, or anything about the holocaust.
  • Mike from Toronto, OnTim (Rise Against vocalist) never sings "you will let me down" in this song. It is always "you won't let me down". So the lyrics on this site are wrong. Perhaps the booklet that came with the album should have been consulted!
  • Mike from Toronto, OnThis song is about every country that the U.S. has decided to "help" through military occupation. "You won't let me down" is like a controlling father who doesn't know when to allow his child to grow up. I believe the video and real meaning of the lyrics are separate entities altogether. A video that matched the true meaning of the song would be banned in the States.
  • Thomas from Colorado Springs Co., CoI belive this song is about how america is supposed to be "independent" (the store was All american) and yet we have other countries supporting us. And it shows how 3rd world countries use child labor and how we take credit by putting MADE IN THE U.S.A
  • Arthur from Houston, TxThis song was written about the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The also donated the profits from the single to this cause.
  • Dick from San Francisco, Cawhen i first heard it, i thought it was about fleeing from genocide (such as the holocoust), but the video is about child labor in 3rd world countries.
  • Emma from Christchurch, New Zealandthis song is about american consumerism and its impact on the outside world, and the video shows children and slave labour being used to create goods to export and then they slap a "made in america" sticker on it and claim that they are made in american when no american made them
  • Aaron from Charleston, Scyea im thinking Holocaust
    but still its a great song by far their best song
  • Shayne from Lynchburg, Va"Broken windows and ashes Are guiding the way." Holocaust reference perhaps?
  • Trent from Binghamton, Nyi like this song alot, it's a really good song
  • Bob from Hippy, Cothis song is the best rise against song ever written. its flippin awesome!!!
  • David from Huntginton, InIn the music video, they say this song is about how the price of goods does not always equal the price of the lives to make them. (Child labor, cheap foreign labor)
see more comments

Editor's Picks

P.F. Sloan

P.F. SloanSongwriter Interviews

P.F. was a teenager writing hits and playing on tracks for Jan & Dean when he wrote a #1 hit that got him blackballed.

Zac Hanson

Zac HansonSongwriter Interviews

Zac tells the story of Hanson's massive hit "MMMbop," and talks about how brotherly bonds effect their music.

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Van Dyke Parks

Van Dyke ParksSongwriter Interviews

U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.