Don't Give Up
Gabriel Peter Bush Kate Lyrics


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In this proud land we grew up strong
We were wanted all along
I was taught to fight, taught to win
I never thought I could fail

No fight left or so it seems
I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
I've changed my face, I've changed my name
But no one wants you when you lose

Don't give up
'Cause you have friends
Don't give up
You're not beaten yet
Don't give up
I know you can make it good

Though I saw it all around
Never thought I could be affected
Thought that we'd be the last to go
It is so strange the way things turn

Drove the night toward my home
The place that I was born, on the lakeside
As daylight broke, I saw the earth
The trees had burned down to the ground
Don't give up
You still have us
Don't give up
We don't need much of anything
Don't give up
'Cause somewhere there's a place
Where we belong

Rest your head
You worry too much
It's going to be alright
When times get rough
You can fall back on us
Don't give up
Please don't give up

Got to walk out of here
I can't take anymore
Going to stand on that bridge
Keep my eyes down below
Whatever may come
And whatever may go
That river's flowing
That river's flowing

Moved on to another town
Tried hard to settle down
For every job, so many men
So many men no-one needs

Don't give up
'cause you have friends
Don't give up
You're not the only one
Don't give up
No reason to be ashamed
Don't give up
You still have us
Don't give up now
We're proud of who you are
Don't give up
You know it's never been easy
Don't give up




'Cause I believe there's the a place
There's a place where we belong

Overall Meaning

The song "Don't Give Up" by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush is a great encouragement song that resonates with those feeling hopeless, dejected, or defeated. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who has lost all hope and given up on their dreams, but there is still a light at the end of the tunnel. The song talks about the importance of having friends, who will be with you and support you through tough times.


The song opens up by talking about growing up strong and wanted, and how the person speaking was taught to fight and win. However, there seems to be no fight left in them, and the dreams they had all seem to have deserted them. They’ve even changed their face and name, but they are still not wanted. But the singer encourages them not to give up, as they have friends who are willing to give their support and will never let the person down.


The second verse paints a picture of someone who has seen everything around them deteriorate and fall apart. The singer drives home to the place where they were born and finds everything burned to the ground, something that leaves them feeling devastated. The person speaking then encourages the lost and dejected individual to rest their head, not worry too much, and know that everything will be alright.


Line by Line Meaning

In this proud land we grew up strong
We were raised in a place where our community values strength and perseverance.


We were wanted all along
We were accepted and loved by those around us from the start.


I was taught to fight, taught to win
I was brought up with a spirit of determination and a drive to succeed.


I never thought I could fail
I had so much self-confidence that I never considered the possibility of losing.


No fight left or so it seems
I have lost my will to carry on and it appears that I have no strength left to fight.


I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
As I've faced setbacks, all of the hopes and aspirations I've held have vanished.


I've changed my face, I've changed my name
In an effort to leave behind the failures of the past, I have attempted to take on a new identity.


But no one wants you when you lose
Regardless of the efforts made to improve or the changes that have been undertaken, there seems to be no one willing to support us through failure.


Don't give up
Despite the hardship and seemingly insurmountable obstacle, we must continue on.


'Cause you have friends
We have people in our lives who are willing to support us even when things feel overwhelming.


You're not beaten yet
Though we've been knocked down, we aren't completely defeated and still have the ability to keep fighting.


I know you can make it good
I have faith in you and believe that you have the strength and resilience to turn things around.


Though I saw it all around
Despite the fact that the signs of despair seemed to be everywhere I looked,


Never thought I could be affected
I assumed that I'd be immune to the struggles that others were facing.


Thought that we'd be the last to go
I was confident that my community or those around me would not face the same hardships I was seeing.


It is so strange the way things turn
Life has a way of being unpredictable and the things that happen can be unexpected.


Drove the night toward my home
I made my way back to my childhood memories and the place I grew up.


The place that I was born, on the lakeside
I returned to the location of my upbringing and the memories of my earlier life.


As daylight broke, I saw the earth
With a new morning came the realization of harsh new realities and difficulties.


The trees had burned down to the ground
The landscape that had been my home had been ravaged and destroyed near beyond recognition.


You still have us
There are still people in your corner who care for you and will help support you through hard times.


We don't need much of anything
We want very little in return for our support and care.


'Cause somewhere there's a place
There is a place out there that could be a perfect fit for you and where you can belong.


Where we belong
Somewhere out there is a community or place that was meant for us to be a part of.


Rest your head
Take a moment to relax and recuperate.


You worry too much
Don't let anxiety and apprehension overtake everything - take things one day at a time.


It's going to be alright
Things may not be easy, but there is always hope and optimism for the future.


When times get rough
When things are at their hardest.


You can fall back on us
You have friends and allies who will help guide you through hardship.


Got to walk out of here
It's time to step away from the situation and take some space.


I can't take anymore
The situation has become overwhelming and too much to bear.


Going to stand on that bridge
Compelled to take drastic action to distance oneself from the situation or to contemplate next steps.


Keep my eyes down below
Looking down and taking in the gravity of the situation.


Whatever may come
In the future, whatever may happen.


And whatever may go
No mater how uncertain or unclear things may be.


That river's flowing
Life goes on, regardless of what happens in the present.


Moved on to another town
After some difficulty, I left my hometown looking for a fresh start.


Tried hard to settle down
Despite the challenges that have been faced, we are putting forth effort to build a more sustainable and stable life.


For every job, so many men
There is significant competition for opportunities and employment, so getting ahead or finding work proves to be difficult.


So many men no-one needs
Though there are many people available for work, there is no demand or need for an abundance of employees in the area - making the job search more challenging.


No reason to be ashamed
You have tried your best and you understand that failure is just part of the journey.


You're not the only one
Others have also faced hardship and you are not alone in this.


Don't give up now
Even though the going is tough, the finish line is in sight and giving up now is not an option.


We're proud of who you are
You have shown bravery and resilience through these trying times and we respect and admire you for it.


You know it's never been easy
We are aware that this process has been challenging and have great respect for those who have faced those challenges head-on.


'Cause I believe there's the a place
I'm confident that there is a destination or an opportunity in your future that will bring you peace and fulfillment.


There's a place where we belong
In the end, there is a path forward that will lead us to belonging and purpose.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PETER GABRIEL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@patrickscanlon544

I almost gave up. I came back from the Gulf War broken and hopeless. I turned to the drink and isolated myself. When things were at their worst my father came and brought me home and helped me in his gentle way, where army doctors and their pills couldn’t. He made me see that there was peace and goodness in the world. He passed seven years ago and I miss him every day. I’m still strong Da.

@coralbay00

Inspirational brother. Continue doing him proud as I can assure you he still sees you 🤜🤛

@PeterNgola

Thank you for your service Patrick , Take care of yourself mate!

@williammcmillan1108

sorry /i lost my dad as well

@danielblanchet7577

Sorry for your loss, I know what it feels like believe me, my wife passed 8 years ago and I still miss her, been alone ever since 'cos no one can replace her and no one ever will ! God it's hard !!!

@mystavalon200

Awsome story
Stay strong 💪

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@jenniferjanejames2873

One of the most powerful songs for anyone struggling.

@gabecollett

Yes. Masterpiece.

@sylvainnouet6447

❤❤❤

@tetraquark2402

I keep returning to it

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