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Help Is on the Way

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"Help Is on the Way"
Song

"Help Is on the Way" is a song by American punk rock band Rise Against. It is the first single from their sixth studio album Endgame. It was released onto digital media outlets on January 25, 2011, though it had its worldwide premiere on KROQ on January 17, 2011. It is notably their first single to make the Billboard Hot 100 and their highest charting single on both the Alternative Rock chart and Mainstream Rock chart.

The song was also the official theme song for the 2011 WWE pay-per-view, Over the Limit and is featured in the video games Watch Dogs and Dirt: Showdown. A remixed version of the song was also included on the soundtrack of Shift 2: Unleashed.

Meaning

According to KROQ, the song was inspired by McIlrath's time in New Orleans while on a tour break and the massive amounts of destruction he witnessed in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast after both Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil disaster.[1][2] McIlrath has also stated in recent interviews that the song - while having the lyrics pertaining to Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil disaster - can be in reference to any world issue. Before performing the song at a show in The Electric Ballroom, McIlrath dedicated the song to those suffering from the Tsunami and Earthquake in Japan.

Music video

The music video for the track premiered on the band's website on March 22, 2011. The video focuses on a family suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina. As flood waters rise throughout their house, the family is forced to move up into their attic and eventually onto the roof of their house. As they witness the destruction around them, a rescue helicopter flies overhead which they unsuccessfully try to signal. As the video progresses, the family rescues two people floating in a small boat in the flood waters. Near the end of the video, one of the children in the family sees a dead body floating in front of their roof and falls into the water. The father rescues him and a helicopter is heard overhead as the video ends. It is the first music video from the band that doesn't feature any of the members, with the band explaining that to include themselves would interfere with the message of the video. The music video can be viewed on YouTube.

Charts

Chart (2011) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[3] 89
US Rock Songs (Billboard)[3] 2
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[3] 2
US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)[3] 6
US Heatseekers Songs (Billboard)[3] 9
UK Rock (The Official Charts Company)[4] 19
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[3] 45

References

  1. ^ "Rise Against: "Help is On The Way"". Punknews.org. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  2. ^ "Rise Against: Help Is On The Way". ThePunkSite.com. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Help Is on the Way - Rise Against" Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Accessed 26 February 2011.
  4. ^ "2011-02-05 Top 40 Rock & Metal Singles Archive". Official Charts. 2011-02-05. Retrieved 2012-02-21.

External links

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