Rise
Verse 1
I won't just surviveOh, you will see me thriveCan't write my storyI'm beyond the archetypeI won't just conformNo matter how you shake my core'Cause my roots, they run deep, ohPre-Chorus
(Oh, ye of so little faith)Don't doubt it, don't doubt it(Victory is in my veins)I know it, I know it(And I will not negotiate)I'll fight it, I'll fight itI will transformChorus
When, when the fire's at my feet againAnd the vultures all start circling, they're whispering"You're out of time", but still, I riseThis is no mistake, no accidentWhen you think the final nail is inThink againDon't be surprised, I will still riseVerse 2
I must stay consciousThrough the madness and chaosSo I call on my angelsThey say—Pre-Chorus
("Oh, ye of so little faith")Don't doubt it, don't doubt it(Victory is in your veins)You know it, you know itAnd you will not negotiateJust fight it, just fight itAnd be transformedChorus
'Cause when, when the fire's at my feet againAnd the vultures all start circling, they're whispering"You're out of time", but still, I riseThis is no mistake, no accidentWhen you think the final nail is inThink againDon't be surprised, I will still risePost-Chorus
(Don't doubt it, don't doubt it)Oh, oh-oh(You know it, you know it)Still rise(Just fight it, just fight it)Don't be surprised, I will still riseWhat the song means
"Rise" is an empowerment anthem about refusing to be defeated, even when others expect you to fall. The singer insists that she will not just survive but thrive, that no one can write her story for her, and that she will not conform to the image others try to force on her. Her strength comes from deep roots, a sense of inner identity that cannot be shaken.
The song builds through a clear sequence. The verses establish her defiance and her refusal to be shaped by others. The pre-chorus turns that defiance into an inner pep talk, where she tells herself not to doubt her victory and not to negotiate with her opponents. The chorus then pictures a crisis at its worst: the fire is at her feet, vultures circle, and voices say her time is up. Each time, she answers that she still rises, and the repeated refrain makes that answer feel like a growing certainty.
The key images carry the message. Fire stands for hardship and danger, while vultures stand for those who wait to pick over someone's failure. The "final nail" represents the moment when everyone believes a fate is sealed, and the song rejects that belief. Victory "in my veins" suggests that triumph is part of who she is, not something she has to earn from outside.
Key phrases explained
- the final nail is in
- the last blow that seals someone's fate — An idiom for the moment when everyone thinks the struggle is over, which the song rejects.
- vultures
- scavengers; people waiting to pounce on someone's failure — Used figuratively for critics or enemies who circle, waiting for the singer to fall.
- Victory is in my veins
- success is part of my very nature — A metaphor suggesting that winning is built into her identity, not just a goal.
- beyond the archetype
- outside the usual stereotype or mold — Refers to her refusal to fit the typical image or role others expect.
- out of time
- too late, with no chances left — The doubters' claim that her chance has passed, which she answers with "but still, I rise".
Song info
- Release date
- 2016-07-15
- Album
- NOW That’s What I Call Music! 60 [US]
- Written by
- Katy Perry, Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Ali Payami
- Produced by
- Ali Payami, Max Martin
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