Andra Day – Rise up

American R&B artist Andra Day career started when Stevie Wonder’s former wife, Kai Millard, heard her sing at a local strip mall.  Stevie called her up, giving her the opening she needed to break through into the music business.  She gained popularity on her YouTube channel as she covered songs such as Jessie J’s Mamma Knows Best and Eminem’s Lose Yourself.

Day earned a development deal in 2011 and became active in 2012, eventually releasing her debut and only album Cheers to the Fall in 2015.  She released her EP, Merry Christmas from Andra Day, a year later.

Day won Billboard in Music’s Powerhouse award and Soul Train Award’s The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award in 2016.  The latter is for her work on Rise Up.

Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Andra-day-rise-up-lyrics.

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1. What message does the song communicate?

We’re tired of our weary lives.  We cannot find someone to fight for us.  Where do we turn to?  Andra Day!  She will stand up for us, unafraid of obstacles that befall her.  The hope that she professes is within each other.

While I appreciate that Day stands up for the downtrodden, she is not our hope.  God is the hope for mankind, not men and women.

This song follows basic format, with an added Pre-and Post-Chorus’ for each Choral iteration.

Score: 2/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

Aside from acknowledging struggle and Day’s desire to help those who can’t help themselves, the rest of it disagrees with the Bible.

[Verse 1]

Lines 1-3: Day gazes upon their audience, seeing weary folk.  Our strength has left us, unable to address our problems.

Lines 4-7: Day sees something in us, that we can move mountains.  While the concept of moving mountains comes from Matthew 17:20, Matthew 21:21, and Mark 11:23, Day’s method of choice is to “walk it out”, without any reference to faith.

[Chorus]

Lines 1-12: How does Day “rise up”?  Verse 1 alludes to human effort, confirmed by Bridge.  Yet, Scripture teaches that the sum of our works is filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).  Contains a smattering of repeats of the phrase “I’ll rise up”.

[Post-Chorus (1)]

Lines 1: Day stands up for us (Psalm 82:3).

Lines 2-4: Repeats line 1.

[Verse 2]

Lines 1-7: Essentially repeats Verse 1.

[Bridge]

Lines 1 and 2: Human friends are not where hope is found.  We are deceitful above all other things and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).  The only hope for mankind is in Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30, Romans 5:1-8, Romans 8:24-39, Romans 15:13, 1 Corinthians 15:54-58, and 1 Peter 1:3-6).

Line 3: Repeats line 2.

Line 4: Day and her friends will rise together.  See commentary on Chorus.

Lines 5-7: Essentially repeats line 1 while Casper the friendly ghost arrives.

[Post-Chorus (2)]

Lines 1-3: Essentially combines Post-Chorus with more Casper sightings.

Score: 2/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Unbelievers will have no problem interpreting this song; However, it draws them to place their faith in man and not God.

Score: 0/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies Day and others like her as the hope of the world, not God.

Score: 0/10

Closing Comments

Andra Day’s Rise up is not Christian.  It presents hope in man as savior to those who cannot defend themselves.  While defending the oppressed is good, our faith in God is where hope is found, not in wicked sinners.

I cannot recommend this for corporate worship.

Final Score: 1/10

Artist Info

Track: Rise up (listen to the song)

Artist: Andra Day

Album: Cheers To the Fall

Genre: R&B

Release Year: 2015

Duration: 4:13

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