Rise
Melissa Etheridge · Rise
Trying hard to fly against the wind
And there's a voice deep down inside me
Sayin' let it go and let it in
You're gonna fall to the earth sometimes
You're gonna taste the dirt sometimes
Then you're gonna rise
There's a shelf inside my house
Where the ashes of the anger hide
And there's a voice deep down inside me
Says it's time to change the story of my pride
You're gonna fall to the earth sometimes
You're gonna taste the dirt sometimes
Then you're gonna rise, gonna rise
Why is it so damn easy
To make it so damn hard?
There's a hope I dare not speak
Frustrating, most people find
You don't need to change to set me free
No, 'cause I am always free to change my mind
Gonna fall to the earth sometimes
You're gonna taste the dirt sometimes
You're gonna really hurt sometimes
You're gonna feel just like you're dying
Then you're gonna rise
You're gonna rise
You're gonna rise
Rise up
You're gonna rise
Rise up
Rise up
Rise up
Come on and rise up
Rise up
About Rise
"Rise" finds Melissa Etheridge in a rock frame, where momentum, contrast, and tension lead the way. The song works best when its main melodic and rhythmic ideas are allowed to speak plainly, without being crowded by unnecessary decoration. There is a welcome sense of proportion in the way the music presents itself: the hook has room to land, while the surrounding moments support it instead of competing for attention. That restraint gives the performance room to breathe and makes the emotional color feel earned rather than imposed. For listeners returning to Melissa Etheridge, the song offers a compact example of how mood, pacing, and a recognizable point of view can meet in one place. It is a track for focused listening, especially when the details around the main idea begin to reveal their own quiet pull. The clarity of that approach is its own strength, because it lets the feeling come through without turning every moment into a dramatic demand. Even when it aims for immediacy, the track avoids feeling disposable because its atmosphere remains distinct after the final note. Its emotional center stays firmly in view throughout.