There's a time for your surrender
A time to lay it down
There's a time to come out swinging
To get up on your feet and stand your ground
You gotta know when to wait in silence
On your knees with open hands
You gotta know when to take up arms
Cross the river and take the Promised Land

I'm not going down
I'm Rising up
I'm gonna stand my ground
And I won't give up

Like a man who knows he's drowning
Pulled down by the undertow
You try to swim against the tide
Weighed down by a heart of stone
You gotta kick to keep on breathing
You gotta push to stay alive
Take the holy light we're given
And hold it like a fire against the night

I'm not going down
I'm Rising up
I'm gonna stand my ground
And I won't give up

It's not by might, and it's not by power,
But by my spirit, says the Lord

I'm not going down
I'm Rising up
I'm gonna stand my ground
And I won't give up

Like a flower beneath the concrete
Pushing up under the weight
To put a crack in the back of the pavement
And break through into the light of day