"The Prayer" is a duet between Céline Dion and Andrea Bocelli. It is the second single from Dion's These Are Special Times album and first from Bocelli's Sogno. It was a promotional only release from March 1 1999.
"The Prayer" won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song from the Quest for Camelot movie in 1999. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1999 and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2000. Dion performed it with Bocelli at both ceremonies. First, "The Prayer" was recorded as two separate solo versions, Céline Dion's in English and Bocelli's in Italian. They appeard on the Quest for Camelot soundtrack in May 1998. The duet was included on both artists albums, released few months later. Dion's 2000 compilation The Collector's Series, Volume One also included it. A re-recorded solo version by Céline Dion (re-named "A Mother's Prayer") appeared on her 2004 Miracle album. Also, Andrea Bocelli performed the song alongside Heather Headley on the Under the Desert Sky CD/DVD. In a unique performance Bocelli and Groban (who have both recorded this song with Celine Dion) performed this song together. dedicating it to all those who were honoured in the "In Memorium" but specifically to Luciano Pavarotti an idol to both Bocelli and Groban. There were rumours that Groban and Bocelli performed it because the Grammy Awards couldn't get Celine Dion to perform it with either of them.
The song was popular on the Adult Contemporary charts in Canada and the United States, peaking at #8 and #22 respectively.
It was included as the B-side on Dion's next commercial single "Treat Her Like a Lady."
"Prayer" is the first single from American band Disturbed's second studio album Believe, released in 2002. "Prayer" is the band's most successful single on the Modern Rock Tracks. The song is about a conversation between lead singer David Draiman and God after the death of Draiman's grandfather.
In the music video, the members of Disturbed have traumatic experiences; Draiman walks through an earthquake, Dan Donegan (guitarist) crashes his car, Mike Wengren (drummer) gets knocked down by an explosion, and Steve Kmak (bassist) is almost crushed by scaffolding.
The music video was banned in the U.S by MTV and other music television channels for having imagery too similar to that of 9-11 when in reality, the footage is of an earthquake causing buildings to crumble in a city other than New York. The only U.S. channel to air the video for a long period of time was Fuse TV.
It is also the theme song for professional wrestler Messiah in the CZW promotion.
"The Prayer" is the first single from Bloc Party's second album A Weekend in the City, except for in the US where it will be the second single from the album ("I Still Remember" was the first US single from the album). It was released by Wichita Records on 29 January 2007. It can also be heard on the band's MySpace page.
Lead singer Kele Okereke says he was inspired to write the song after hearing Busta Rhymes' song "Touch It". Okereke also described the song as having a "crunk-like" effect, which he revealed in a number of interviews in October 2006 concerning information on the new album.
