Gil Scott-Heron — Don’t Give Up

[Intro] Ahh lovely day, special day [Verse 1] 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 fucking wise That was a combination that made a lot of 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 [Chorus] Don't give up (Spirits say don't give up) Yes it's time to stop your falling You've been down long enough (Down long enough) Can't you hear the spirits calling? (Hear the spirits calling) Yes it's the spirits Can't you hear it? Calling your name Calling your name Yeah talking bout spirits [Verse 2] There are people whose lives are so far off 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 that 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 Make you say [Chorus] Don't give up (Spirits say don't give up) Yeah it's time to stop your falling Yeah you've been down long enough (Down long enough) And can't you hear the spirits calling? (Can't you hear the spirits calling?) Yes it's the spirits Can't you hear it Calling your name Calling your name Yeah talking bout spirits [Verse 3] 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 once could 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 myself (Feel sorry for myself) I could continue to feel sorry for myself (Feel sorry for myself) I could continue to feel sorry for myself (Feel sorry for myself) And then I heard [Chorus] Don't give up (Spirits say don't give up) Yeah it's time to stop your falling Yeah you've been down long enough (You've been down long enough) Yeah can't you hear the spirits calling? (Can't you hear the spirits calling?) Yes it's the spirits Can't you hear it? Calling your name Calling your name Yeah talking bout spirits [Verse 4] Ain't no way overnight to turn your life around And this ain't the conversation of someone Who never falls back down But no matter how long you've been on trial With the days and the 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 loser 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 Really make up your mind Really make up your mind Really make up your mind (Really make up your mind) Come on brothers, pull on up Stand on up and say [Chorus] Don't give up (Don't give up) Yes it's time to stop your falling Calling on you, you've been falling down long enough Yes, can't you hear the spirits calling? (Hear the spirits calling) Hear the spirits calling Saying don't give up (Saying don't give up) Yes, time to stop your falling Yes and you've been down long enough Yeah, can't you hear the spirits calling? (Hear the spirits calling) Hear the spirits calling (Hear the spirits calling)