"[1] Thus, the song tells the story of a New York City Fire Department firefighter, climbing one of the World Trade Center towers after the hijacked planes had hit them during the September 11 attacks.

[2] Writer Jeffrey Symynkywicz evaluates the song as "an Easterlike anthem arising out of the darkness and despair of September 11, a national Good Friday experience if ever there was one.

[1] There was a considerable marketing push for the single and the subsequent album, based on the September 11 connection and on being the first studio recordings from Springsteen with the E Street Band in 15 years.

"[8] The New York Times described "The Rising" as a work in which "one man's afterlife is an endless longing for the physical touch of those left behind, and the music climbs toward jubilation as an act of will.

That the difference between the bleak verses and the communal chorus was the key factor in interpreting "The Rising" was highlighted by Springsteen's own performances, when he and the audience raised their arms in unison during the latter.

Placed in the middle of sets during the short 2004 Vote for Change tour, "The Rising" was greeted by a strong audience response, with political echoes for those fans so inclined.

When the 2005 solo Devils & Dust Tour came around, Springsteen continued to feature "The Rising", but now on acoustic guitar; it usually appeared two-thirds of the way through the show, as a return to musical stability after one of his always-an-adventure multiple piano songs slots.

"[30] "The Rising" continued to be featured as the penultimate song of the main set during Springsteen and the band's 2009 Working on a Dream Tour, where it drew a consistently strong audience reaction.

On the 2014 High Hopes Tour, "The Rising" was moved up to be the main set closer for the majority of shows, and it is overall the 8th most popular Springsteen live song.

[35] Springsteen himself would perform "The Rising" during his solo acoustic Change Rocks appearances during early October 2008 at Obama registration and vote rallies.

[36][37] The song was also played immediately following Obama's victorious presidential acceptance speech on the night of November 4, 2008 in Grant Park in Chicago.

Rolling Stone later remarked of its use there, "when its metaphor of struggling through darkness was blasted at Obama's victory celebration, it became a national anthem for the 21st century.

[38] It was performed by Springsteen on acoustic guitar, backed by a 125-member female choir in red gowns;[39] a writer for the American Folklife Center commented that, "Particularly in that arrangement, it draws on the gospel tradition.

"[38] When Springsteen was one of the recipients of Kennedy Center Honors in December 2009, the musical tribute to him concluded with Sting leading a performance of "The Rising" together with a large gospel choir.