This version of Don’T Give Up was released by Gil Scott-Heron in 1994.
Our About Gil Scott-Heron page at Decade Lyrics includes the
Here's more interesting things in songs and lyrics tied to Gil Scott-Heron or about the 1990s in general.
Ahh lovely day……
I never really thought of myself as a complex man,
Or as someone who was really that hard to understand.
But it would hardly take a genius to realize
That I’ve always been a lot too arrogant and a little too f$%kin’ wise
That was a combination that made folks feel duty bound,
To do whatever they could to try and shoot me down.
To head off some of the things I might possibly say,
And see if they couldn’t take some of my pride away.
To bring me disappointment and teach me to fear it
Obviously these are folks that just didn’t have no spirit
Spirits say
Don’t give up (spirits say don’t give up)
Yes it’s time to stop your fallin’
You’ve been down long enough
Can’t you hear the spirits callin’
Yes it’s the spirits
Can’t you hear iiiiiit
Callin’ your name
Yeah talkin’ bout spiriiiiiiiiiiits heh
There are people whose lives are so far of the track
That what they like best about life is stabbing’ brothers in the back
And I was obviously too blind and probably too weak
To see who was responsible for my losing streak
The best way to explain it is to say simply because
I was looking around outside and the truth is I was
the one. So I got locked into all of the analysis
And found myself locked into a kind of paralysis
And something was calling and I almost didn’t hear it
But I spent a lot of time being blessed by the spirits
They keep saying
I didn’t matter if it was a child or and adult
There was absolutely no-one that I could not insult.
So that I could isolate myself somewhere off to the side
And continue to juggle all the possible whys
The warmth I wanted to generate so well
Had turned into a frozen hell
And the discouraging injustices I felt
Had pinned me somewhere inside a drug infested cell
Where those who told didn’t know and those who knew didn’t tell
And “I could continue to feel sorry for my self”
And then I heard
Ain’t no way overnight to turn your life around
And this ain’t the conversation of someone that never falls back down
But no matter how long you’ve been on trial
With the days and weeks of self denial
And no matter how many times you’ve tried to make it
And found out that right then you just couldn’t take it
If you are looking for a looser who found strength and success
Remember the spirit of Brother Malcolm X
And know that you can leave all your mistakes behind
The day that you “really make up your mind”
Come on brother… come on up
Stand on up and say…
Want more lyrics and songs by Gil Scott-Heron?
Gil Scott-Heron has released many songs over the years besides
If you're a fan of 1990s music looking for more songs from 1994 or the 1990s overall, you've come to the right place!
More Songs & Lyrics by Gil Scott-Heron
- Brother (1970)
- Enough (1970)
- Everyday (1970)
- Evolution (And Flashback) (1970)
- Introduction – The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (1970)
- Omen (1970)
- Paint It Black (1970)
- Plastic Pattern People (1970)
- Small Talk At 125th And Lenox (1970)
Show More Lyrics
- The Subject Was Faggots (1970)
- The Vulture (1970)
- Whitey On The Moon (1970)
- Who’ll Pay Reparations On My Soul? (1970)
- A Sign Of The Ages (1971)
- Home Is Where The Hatred Is (1971)
- I Think I’ll Call It Morning (1971)
- Lady Day And John Coltrane (1971)
- Or Down You Fall (1971)
- Pieces Of A Man (1971)
- Save The Children (1971)
- The Needle’s Eye (1971)
- The Prisoner (1971)
- The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (1971)
- When You Are Who You Are (1971)
- Billy Green Is Dead (1972)
- Did You Hear What They Said? (1972)
- Free Will (1972)
- Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues (1972)
- King Alfred Plan (1972)
- No Knock (1972)
- Sex Education: Ghetto Style (1972)
- Speed Kills (1972)
- Back Home (1974)
- Bottle (1974)
- H2O Gate Blues (1974)
- Peace Go With You, Brother (As-Salaam-Alaikum) (1974)
- Peace Go With You, Brother (Wa-Alaikum-Salaam) (1974)
- Rivers Of My Fathers (1974)
- Song For Bobby Smith (1974)
- Your Daddy Loves You (1974)
- Ain’t No Such Thing As Superman (1975)
- Alluswe (1975)
- Liberation Song (Red, Black And Green) (1975)
- Must Be Something (1975)
- Offering (1975)
- We Beg Your Pardon (Pardon Our Analysis) (1975)
- Winter In America (1975)
- 17th Street (1976)
- Beginnings (First Minute Of A New Day) (1976)
- Bicentennial Blues (1976)
Visit our Gil Scott-Heron profile for more Gil Scott-Heron songs, lyrics & info!
- JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE13 Songs & Lyrics
- LIL' COREY13 Songs & Lyrics
- NESIAN MYSTIK13 Songs & Lyrics
- RAPHAEL SAADIQ13 Songs & Lyrics
- TRUTH HURTS13 Songs & Lyrics
- THE BEU SISTERS13 Songs & Lyrics
- DAVE MATTHEWS13 Songs & Lyrics
- DAVID SNEDDON13 Songs & Lyrics
- DEPSWA13 Songs & Lyrics
- FINGERTIGHT13 Songs & Lyrics
- JS13 Songs & Lyrics
- KYM MARSH13 Songs & Lyrics
Show More
- LATIF13 Songs & Lyrics
- RACHEL STEVENS13 Songs & Lyrics
- SHOUT OUT LOUDS13 Songs & Lyrics
- SOLANGE KNOWLES13 Songs & Lyrics
- AVION13 Songs & Lyrics
- DEAD CELEBRITY STATUS13 Songs & Lyrics
- J-KWON13 Songs & Lyrics
- KYPRIOS13 Songs & Lyrics
- NINA SKY13 Songs & Lyrics
- WILEY13 Songs & Lyrics
- THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS13 Songs & Lyrics
- THE WAILIN' JENNYS13 Songs & Lyrics
- THE UNICORNS13 Songs & Lyrics
- FANTASIA BARRINO13 Songs & Lyrics
- RAY CHARLES13 Songs & Lyrics
- THE ZUTONS13 Songs & Lyrics
- ROB MILLS13 Songs & Lyrics
- TAMYRA GRAY13 Songs & Lyrics
- D4L13 Songs & Lyrics
- FLIPSYDE13 Songs & Lyrics
- HOPE PARTLOW13 Songs & Lyrics
- HOT APPLE PIE13 Songs & Lyrics
- LUCIE SILVAS13 Songs & Lyrics
- LUX COURAGEOUS13 Songs & Lyrics
- MANAFEST13 Songs & Lyrics
- MASSARI13 Songs & Lyrics
- N2U13 Songs & Lyrics
- NO ADDRESS13 Songs & Lyrics
- PENDULUM13 Songs & Lyrics
- TEAM SLEEP13 Songs & Lyrics
- WEDNESDAY 1313 Songs & Lyrics
- THE MAGIC NUMBERS13 Songs & Lyrics
- THE HUSH SOUND13 Songs & Lyrics
- THE LIKE13 Songs & Lyrics
- ALI LOHAN13 Songs & Lyrics
- CHERISH13 Songs & Lyrics
- DAUGHTRY13 Songs & Lyrics
- EXAMPLE13 Songs & Lyrics
- SHAYNE WARD13 Songs & Lyrics
- SHE WANTS REVENGE13 Songs & Lyrics
- STATE RADIO13 Songs & Lyrics
- ANIMAL COLLECTIVE13 Songs & Lyrics
- CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG13 Songs & Lyrics
- COLLIE BUDDZ13 Songs & Lyrics
- DEAR AND THE HEADLIGHTS13 Songs & Lyrics
- EMIGRATE13 Songs & Lyrics
- FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH13 Songs & Lyrics
- GORILLA ZOE13 Songs & Lyrics
- GROUP 1 CREW13 Songs & Lyrics
- MANDISA13 Songs & Lyrics
- MARVIN SAPP13 Songs & Lyrics
- METRO STATION13 Songs & Lyrics
- MIKA13 Songs & Lyrics
- PUSCIFER13 Songs & Lyrics
- RICH BOY13 Songs & Lyrics
- SIXX:A.M.13 Songs & Lyrics
- TANK13 Songs & Lyrics
- T-SQUAD13 Songs & Lyrics
- THE PUPPINI SISTERS13 Songs & Lyrics
- MUTYA BUENA13 Songs & Lyrics
- NICKI MINAJ13 Songs & Lyrics
- YAEL NAIM13 Songs & Lyrics
- THE VIEW13 Songs & Lyrics
- CELTIC THUNDER13 Songs & Lyrics
- THIS DAY & AGE13 Songs & Lyrics
- marc13 Songs & Lyrics
- paul13 Songs & Lyrics
- mason13 Songs & Lyrics
- leon13 Songs & Lyrics
- tiziano13 Songs & Lyrics
- luis13 Songs & Lyrics
- tom13 Songs & Lyrics
- KORN12 Songs & Lyrics
- JUNIOR M.A.F.I.A.12 Songs & Lyrics
- AZ YET12 Songs & Lyrics
- CHARLOTTE CHURCH12 Songs & Lyrics
- JORDAN KNIGHT12 Songs & Lyrics
- B4-412 Songs & Lyrics
- CHARLIE WILSON12 Songs & Lyrics
- MIKAILA12 Songs & Lyrics
- STEVE HOLY12 Songs & Lyrics
- BINOCULAR12 Songs & Lyrics
- DUNGEON FAMILY12 Songs & Lyrics
- EDEN'S CRUSH12 Songs & Lyrics
- G-DEP12 Songs & Lyrics
- KRYSTAL HARRIS12 Songs & Lyrics
- APEX THEORY12 Songs & Lyrics