Gil Scott-Heron - Don’t Give Up lyrics

Ahh lovely day, special 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 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 spirit's say



Don't give up (Spirit's 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 spirit's calling?
(Hear the spirit's calling)
Yes it's the spirit's can't you hear it?
Calling your name calling your name
Yeah talking bout spirit's

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 spirit's make you say

Don't give up (Spirit's 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 spirit's calling?
(Can't you hear the spirit's calling?)
Yes it's the spirit's can't you hear it
Calling your name calling your name
Yeah talking bout spirit's

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

Don't give up (Spirit's 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 spirit's calling?
(Can't you hear the spirit's calling?)
Yes it's the spirit's can't you hear it?
Calling your name calling your name
Yeah talking bout spirit's

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

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 spirit's calling?
(Hear the spirit's calling)
Hear the spirit's 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 spirit's calling?
(Hear the spirit's calling)
Hear the spirit's calling
(Hear the spirit's calling)