Prayer (Disturbed song)
| Industry | Music |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
| Products | Music, albums, singles |
Prayer is a track performed by the American heavy metal group Disturbed, issued on September 16, 2002, as the principal single from their sophomore album, Believe. The song draws inspiration from the passing of vocalist David Draiman's grandfather and the consequences following the September 11 attacks. It portrays an exchange between Draiman and a divine presence. Upon its debut, multiple broadcasters declined to show the accompanying music video due to imagery that was interpreted as reminiscent of the September 11 events.
The single attained the No. 3 position on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks charts, climbed to No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached No. 14 on the Canadian Singles Chart. It stands as Disturbed's second highest-ranking entry on the Hot 100 and their most successful track on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, being one of only two songs by the band to break into the top five there.
Themes
The inspiration behind "Prayer" stems from two main sources: the death of Draiman’s grandfather and religious leaders’ reactions to September 11. Draiman expressed disapproval toward individuals such as Jerry Falwell and Oral Roberts, accusing them of exploiting the tragedy to assign societal blame instead of providing solace. The lyrics depict Draiman confronting God, challenging Him with a defiant "bring it on" attitude if suffering is intended to elicit a response.
Music video
Directed by the Brothers Strause, the "Prayer" music video was unveiled in July 2002. Vocalist David Draiman, who conceived the concept, based it on the biblical narrative found in the Book of Job. Throughout the video, Draiman traverses scenes depicting despair—a prostitute, a homeless individual, and a preacher foretelling apocalypse—while other band members endure calamities: Steve Kmak trapped beneath rubble, Dan Donegan involved in a car crash, and Mike Wengren engulfed in an explosion. At the conclusion, Draiman survives an earthquake, and all members reunite to perform. Draiman described this as Job’s ordeals culminating in redemption.
Following its release, certain media outlets refused to broadcast the video because they perceived its content as analogous to imagery related to September 11. Although Disturbed contemplated modifying it for broader airplay, they ultimately chose not to. Draiman explained that altering the video would imply acceptance that it was offensive or hazardous—an assertion they rejected. He further emphasized that their video did not contain explicit references to figures such as Osama bin Laden associated with 9/11.
Draiman highlighted that while the video embraces apocalyptic themes, it is not derivative of September 11 events. The dramatic catastrophes symbolize otherworldly forces testing human endurance. He characterized the video as ultimately uplifting, illustrating perseverance through adversity and offering a message of hope. Despite receiving limited broadcast exposure, Disturbed supported its promotion by including it on their Believe album and distributing it online.
Personnel
- David Draiman – lead and backing vocals
- Dan Donegan – guitar, electronics
- Steve Kmak – bass guitar
- Mike Wengren – drums
- Johnny K – producer
- Andy Wallace – mixing engineer
- Howie Weinberg – mastering engineer
- Tony Adams – technician
- Chris Glatfelter – technician
- Mick Haggerty – art direction and design
Weekly charts
Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chart| Chart (2002) | Highest rank |
|---|---|
| Canada (Nielsen SoundScan Singles) | 14 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2002) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) | 70 |