Prayer of the Refugee
"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) |
| |||
Rise Against singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Prayer of the Refugee" on YouTube |
"Prayer of the Refugee" is a song by American
Commercially, "Prayer of the Refugee" reached number seven on the
Recording and composition
The lyrics for "Prayer of the Refugee" were written by lead vocalist
"Prayer of the Refugee" is three minutes and nineteen seconds, and combines elements of
Release and reception
"Prayer of the Refugee" began playing on radio stations in November 2006.
Several critics have highlighted the contrasting verse and chorus format.
Music video
The accompanying music video was directed by Tony Petrossian.[12] In the video, Rise Against performs inside a retail store. The camera intermittently zooms in on products, such as shoes and toy cars, before zooming out to foreign workers and children making the products.[13] Near the end of the video, the workers place Made in USA stickers on packaged boxes, while the band members destroys items in the store. The video ends with a shot of the broken and fallen products, which spell out "fair trade".[14]
Petrossian originally thought to write a video treatment about a refugee trying to enter the United States, but knew that the band was going to receive several treatments with the same idea. Instead, he decided to portray the plight of the refugee from a different angle. The band members unanimously agreed upon Petrossian's treatment. The video deals various themes, including consumerism, fair trade, and sweatshops, and attempts showcase how conventional business models allow for various human rights violations.[15]
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Sufferer & the Witness.[2]
Rise Against
Additional personnel
|
Production
|
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Germany (BVMI)[19] | Gold | 150,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[21] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Apar, Corey (n.d.). "The Sufferer & the Witness". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ a b The Sufferer & the Witness (liner notes). Rise Against. Geffen Records. 2006.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b "Prayer of the Refugee". MusicNotes. 2012-03-12. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ a b c Rausch, Will (July 20, 2006). "The Sufferer and the Witness". PopMatters. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ a b c Boy, Davey (June 19, 2008). "The Sufferer and the Witness". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on November 24, 2013. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ "Alternative Adds This Week". AllAccess. November 7, 2006. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
- ^ "Prayer of the Refugee" (CD single). Rise Against. Geffen. 2006.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - Modern Rock Tracks for Rise Against. Archivedfrom the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ "RIAA – Gold & Platinum: Rise Against Certifications". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on June 25, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ a b Beringer, Drew (n.d.). "Rise Against – The Sufferer & The Witness". AbsolutePunk. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- The Gazette. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. p. 6WE.
- ^ Garner, George (February 15, 2015). "The Ultimate Rise Against Videography". Kerrang!. Archived from the original (select "Prayer of the Refugee" slide) on January 20, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ Kim, Dave (September 23, 2012). "10 Best Rise Against Songs". WGRD-FM. Archived from the original on March 11, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ Petrossian, Tony (director). Rise Against - Prayer Of The Refugee (Music video). Vevo. Archived from the original on 2017-02-14.
- ^ Petrossian, Tony (director). Rise Against - Prayer Of The Refugee (Behind The Scenes) (Behind the scenes video). Vevo. Archived from the original on 2010-07-03.
- ^ "Rise Against Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
- ^ "Rise Against Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
- ^ "Alternative Songs - Year-End". Billboard.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Rise Against; 'Prayer of the Refugee')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ "British single certifications – Rise Against – Prayer of the Refugee". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
- ^ "American single certifications – Rise Against – Prayer of the Refugee". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 15, 2023.