'Rise' was written by John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten) and Bill Laswell about apartheid in South Africa, specifically about Nelson Mandela as Lydon stated in a 2013 Glastonbury interview. Lydon also referred to alleged Royal Ulster Constabulary interrogation techniques, such as electric torture, in an MTV interview in 1987. The song contains the phrase 'may the road rise with you', which is a
direct translation of the old Irish blessing "go n-éirí an bóthar leat"
(usually translated as "may the road rise up to meet you"). The phrase
"anger is an energy" became the title of Lydon's 2014 autobiography.
It was one of the group's biggest commercial hits, peaking at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart. I remember being impressed with the song when it came out, but somehow I never bought the single. So finally, here it is, almost four decades later.
My collection: 7" single no. 7810
Found: Lenny's Music Store, Vienna, 17 October 2025
Tracks: 'Rise' / 'Rise (instrumental)'
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