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Released in October 2017 as a promotional single from 'The Thrill of It All', 'Pray' finds Sam Smith reaching for faith in the face of global unrest. The track was prompted by time spent in Iraq with the charity War Child, and its gospel-tinged arrangement, produced in collaboration with Timbaland, frames the uncertainty of a self-described non-believer turning to prayer when the world feels overwhelming.
Smith adopts the voice of someone who has never found refuge in organised religion but now finds themselves on their knees, searching for hope. The lyrics acknowledge a history of blocking out the news and turning away from faith, yet the chorus pivots to a tentative openness, the repetition of 'maybe I'll pray' carrying both doubt and desperation. The bridge imagines a direct conversation with God, asking for dialogue about freedom and acknowledging that everyone, eventually, seeks something beyond themselves.
The song sits alongside other deeply personal tracks on the album, with Smith later noting that four songs, 'Pray' among them, were written about a specific relationship. Here, though, the subject is broader: the struggle to reconcile disbelief with the human need for solace when fear and isolation take hold.
"Pray" is a single by Sam Smith, from the album The Thrill of It All, released 3rd November 2017. The track is 3:42 long. It's filed under Pop. Full lyrics are available below. Dork has published 20 articles about Sam Smith.
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