Prayer of the Refugee
"Prayer of the Refugee" is a song by American punk rock band Rise Against, featured on their fourth studio album The Sufferer & the Witness (2006). The lyrics were written by lead vocalist Tim McIlrath, and deal with the themes of forced displacement and the societal issues surrounding refugees. The song uses a contrasting verse-chorus form, with slow and melancholic verses against fast-paced and chaotic choruses. It was released as The Sufferer & the Witness's second single on December 6, 2006.
| "Prayer of the Refugee" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Rise Against | ||||
| from the album The Sufferer & the Witness | ||||
| Released | December 6, 2006 | |||
| Recorded | January–April 2006; The Blasting Room, Fort Collins, Colorado | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:19 | |||
| Label | Geffen | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Rise Against | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Rise Against singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Prayer of the Refugee" on YouTube | ||||
Commercially, "Prayer of the Refugee" reached number seven on the Alternative Songs chart, and was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Critics praised the contrasting verse-chorus format, as well as the simple yet effective lyrics. In the accompanying music video, the band performs in a retail store, with intermittent shots of foreign workers making the store products. The band wanted the video to showcase how conventional business models allow for various human rights violations.