We Gotta Pray by Alicia Keys (2014)

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We Gotta Pray Cover

We Gotta Pray is a song by American artist [Alicia Keys] released on December 3, 2014 as the singer’s response to the police brutality that killed black people, namely Eric Garner and Michael Brown, which caused protests nationwide in the United States.

The R&B song represents Key’s reaction over the grand jury decision on Eric Garner’s death. Though the song was released in the same night with the non-indictment decision, Key stated that the song was written long before the incident happened, she wrote after being moved by the incident of Michael Brown in Ferguson which caused death. [1]

Alicia Keys

Key Lyrics

Pray for the world tonight

We gotta save, somebody save somebody tonight

Fire in the air, what the hell going on?

Sirens everywhere, singing that street song

Violence everywhere, barely holding on

What the hell going on?

Do you know who you are?

Do you know who we are?

We, we're extraordinary people

Living an ordinary life

One extraordinary question

Are we gonna run or fight, so we gotta pray [2]

Black Empowerment

The song released follows the grand jury’s decision no to indict the police who chokehold Eric Garner to death. Keys confirmed that the song was inspired by the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson. Both Brown and Garner died at the hands of white policemen.

“We absolutely feel disregarded as human beings,” said the 33-year-old singer.

Famous quotes from civil rights activists namely Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi are poured into the song. [3]

This is as a plea to the world for maintaining faith combat feelings of hopelessness and confusion. At the end of the song’s video clip, shows a child holding a sign, "My Life Matters.” [4]

The singer also took twitter to share her feeling upon the Eric Garner’s incident :

"I wrote #WeGottaPray awhile ago, yet the lyrics have never meant more to me than during this time." [5]

The song conveys a powerful message about the injustice system around the world in the modern era. Showing prayer and peaceful protest on the video, and adding the photograph of the civil rights movement, make the lyrics and video communicate the message to listeners and viewers. A hope of a change that begins with the transformation of someone’s attitudes and behaviors. [6]

References