Give It Up
Curtis Mayfield Lyrics


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It is my theory
The two of us are somewhat leery
About the happiness
We both set out to posses

We've got all the comforts of life
A few kids and you are my wife
And I tell it like it is
I must confess

I'm gonna have to give it up
I'm gonna have to give it up

All concern and the trusts that never happened with us
The walk of embraces and the love of our faces
It never happened you see and I'm so sorry

I really truly love you
And the kids you must agree
And I never had too much
Concern or interest in astrology

But as I read it must be so
The invulnerable word incompatible
No matter how much we try
Our indifference but still show

Now we've got give it up
I'm gonna have to give it up

All concern and the trusts that never happened with us
The walk of embraces and the love of our faces
It never happened you see and I'm so sorry

Now we've got give it up, ooh child
I've got to have to give it up
Lord, have mercy
Now I've got give it up, ooh
I've got to give it up

All concern and the trusts that never happened with us
The walk of embraces and the love of our faces
It never happened you see and I'm so sorry

But now we've got to give it up
What am I do?
Child, we've got to give it up
I'll be so lonely without you
But now I've got to give it up

Lord, forgive me, ooh
I've got to give it up, ooh




Now I've got to give it up
Lord, I have to give it up

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Curtis Mayfield's song "Give It Up" explore the idea that two people can be happy together but still ultimately be incompatible. The singer acknowledges that he and his partner have all the comforts of life, including children, but there is a sense of unease, or leeryness, between them. The word "incompatible" is used to describe their relationship, a word that seems to come from astrology, which the singer mentions having recently read about. Although the pair have tried to make things work, there is an air of indifference that cannot be overcome, leading the singer to conclude that they need to "give it up". The final lines of the song express regret and loneliness that will come with this decision.


The lyrics are beautifully written and showcase Mayfield's ability to convey complex emotions with simple words. The use of the word "give" is particularly effective in conveying the sense of sacrifice that is involved in letting go of a relationship that is not working. While the lyrics are somewhat sad, the melody is upbeat and energetic, creating an interesting contrast.


Line by Line Meaning

It is my theory
I have come to the conclusion


The two of us are somewhat leery
We both have doubts and concerns


About the happiness
Regarding our state of contentment


We both set out to possess
We aimed to achieve


We've got all the comforts of life
We have achieved material abundance


A few kids and you are my wife
We have formed a family with children and marriage


And I tell it like it is
I am being truthful


I must confess
I need to admit


I'm gonna have to give it up
I must let go


All concern and the trusts that never happened with us
We never fully trusted each other


The walk of embraces and the love of our faces
We didn't share enough physical intimacy or affection


It never happened you see and I'm so sorry
Those things never occurred between us and I apologize


I really truly love you
My feelings for you are genuine


And the kids you must agree
You can acknowledge that our children are important to us


And I never had too much
I wasn't very interested in


Concern or interest in astrology
Studying horoscopes or star signs


But as I read it must be so
However, what I have read seems to be accurate


The invulnerable word incompatible
We are not well-matched and our differences are insurmountable


No matter how much we try
Despite all our efforts


Our indifference but still show
We are still emotionally distant from each other


Now we've got give it up
It is time for us to move on


Child, we've got to give it up
Dear one, we have to let go


I'll be so lonely without you
I will feel very alone if we separate


But now I've got to give it up
Nevertheless, I have to release my attachment


Lord, forgive me, ooh
God, please pardon me




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CURTIS MAYFIELD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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