Raise Me Up

to me the song is a story about rejection from people around someone because of who they might be and how ignorance and intolerance can cloud peoples vision of love. it's a very angry song with a tragic theme set to a very joyful backdrop.

specifically i think it's a gay youth who is experiencing gay love but has to keep this side of himself secret fearing his family's rejection. his lover is not closeted and can be more open with his sexuality than he can yet is still victim to society's violent intolerance. this inspires the gay youth to be honest with his family about his homosexuality seeking protection, support and acceptance for his lover and himself but is unfortunately met with the same skewed views on homosexuality the rest of the world has and runs away, living on the streets sleeping where ever he can but very happy to be finally free and loved. his family begins to blame his lover for the youth's behavior and for leaving. so the angry father decides to avenge the shame brought on his family by killing who he believes to be the cause of his family's misfortune and his son's ruin in the process also ending his son's life though not physically but ending his possibilities to be happy, to love, to dance, to be with his family instead turning his life into bleak loneliness, bitterness and spite because now he can't be with the one he loves and has contempt for his father and his family.

a sad recount of something a lot of runaway gay youths face.