Originally, Gregorian was conceived as a more pop-oriented group in the vein of Enigma. Under this concept, they recorded the 1991 album Sadisfaction, with lead vocals provided by The Sisters of Oz: Susana Espelleta (Peterson's wife at the time) and Birgit Freud. However, this was the only album in that style.
In 1998, Peterson and his team Jan-Eric Kohrs, Michael Soltau and Carsten Heusmann re-invented the project to perform popular songs in the Gregorian style. The criteria for song selection were strict; in order to be considered, a song needed to be translatable into the 7-tone scale. For each album, songs were carefully chosen in addition to original songs written by Jan-Eric Kohrs, Amelia Brightman and Carsten Heussman. Twelve vocalists - previously acclaimed session and choir singers - were then hired to record the tracks.
Each Gregorian album is initially digitally tracked at Nemo Studios, Peterson's Hamburg studio. The vocalists then record their parts in a church atmosphere with dimmed lights and candles, in order to escape what Peterson referred to in a 2001 interview as the "cold and technical" studio atmosphere.
The concept proved to be successful, and the group proceeded to record several more Masters of Chant albums in the same style. Their 2004 album, The Dark Side, was a slight departure from the others, featuring a darker repertoire consistent with the title.
In 2005, The Masterpieces, a compilation album with a live DVD, was released. A fifth Masters of Chant album was released on 31 March 2006. In 2006, a festive album was also released, titled Christmas Chants. A sixth Masters of Chant album was released on 28 September 2007. In 2009 a seventh Masters of Chant album followed.
Gregorian in 2009
On 8 September 2010 the next album, titled The Dark Side of Chant, was announced to be published on 15 October 2010.
The members of the Gregorian choir group are Richard Naxton (Naxos), Johnny Clucas (Johnny), Chris Tickner (Chris T.), Richard Collier (Rich), Gerry O'Beirne (Gerry), Lawrence White (Lorro) and Rob Fardell (Rob F.).
Others who contribute to the vocals or sound of Gregorian are Sarah Brightman (under the pseudonyms Hepsibah or Sarah Hellmann), Amelia Brightman (Sarah Brightman's younger sister), Frank Peterson, and staff of Nemo Studio among others.
Don't Give Up
Gregorian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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 gonna 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 it anymore
Gonna stand on that bridge
Keep my eyes down below
Whatever may come
And whatever may go
That river's flow
That river's flow...
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 - but believe there's a place
A place where we belong...
The lyrics to Gregorian's "Don't Give Up" tell the story of a person who is facing despair and feels like they have lost everything. The song begins with the singer reflecting on their upbringing and the values they were taught, which included being strong and fighting to win. However, the singer has now found themselves at a low point and feels like they have lost everything they once had. Despite this, they are urged not to give up and reminded that they have friends who believe in them and want to see them succeed.
The second verse of the song explores the idea that sometimes even those who seem the strongest can be affected by despair. The singer expresses surprise that they have found themselves in this position, as they have always believed that they would be the last to go. However, despite this, they are still encouraged to keep going and reminded that there is a place where they belong.
The final verse of the song sees the singer deciding to move on to a new town and start again. They acknowledge that finding work may be difficult, but they are still encouraged not to give up and reminded that they have people who are proud of them and believe in them. Overall, the lyrics to "Don't Give Up" are a powerful message of hope and encouragement.
Line by Line Meaning
In this proud land we grew up strong
We grew up and live in a society that has taught us to be strong and proud
we were wanted all along
We were welcomed and needed by the society we grew up in
I was taught to fight, taught to win
I was raised to be a fighter and a winner
I never thought I could fail
I believed that I was invincible and could never fail
No fight left or so it seems
I feel like I have no energy or motivation left to keep fighting
I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
As a man, I feel like all my dreams have vanished or given up on me
I've changed my face
I've altered my appearance to hide or escape from my problems
I've changed my name
I've changed my identity or perception of myself to cope with my hardships
But no one wants you when you lose...
People tend to overlook or ignore you when you're struggling or failing
Don't give up - 'cause you have friends
Hang in there because you have people who care about you and are there to support you
Don't give up - you're not beaten yet
Don't quit because you still have a chance to succeed and overcome your challenges
Don't give up - I know you can make it good
I believe that you can turn your situation around and make it better
Though I saw it all around
I observed people struggling and facing difficulties around me
Never thought I could be affected
I never expected those struggles to impact me personally
Thought that we'd be the last to go
I believed that we were strong enough to withstand any obstacles
It is so strange the way things turn
It's surprising how unpredictable and uncertain life can be
Drove the night toward my home
I drove through the night back to my hometown
The place that I was born, on the lakeside
I returned to the town where I was born, near a lake
As daylight broke, I saw the earth
As the sun rose, I saw the world around me
The trees had burned down to the ground
The trees in the area had been completely destroyed by a fire
Don't give up - you still have us
Keep pushing on because we are here for you and want to help
Don't give up - we don't need much of anything
You don't need to do or have anything special to be accepted or cared for by us
Don't give up -'cause somewhere
Keep going, because there's a place where you belong
There's a place
There's a community, group, or space where you fit in and can feel at home
Rest your head
Take a break and relax
You worry too much
You stress out and obsess over things too much
It's gonna be alright
Everything will eventually be okay
When times get rough
When you face challenging situations or obstacles
You can fall back on us
You can rely on us for support or help
Got to walk out of here
I need to leave this place or situation
I can't take it anymore
I have reached my limit and can no longer handle the situation
Gonna stand on that bridge
I am going to stand on a bridge, possibly contemplating suicide
Keep my eyes down below
I am avoiding looking up or around
Whatever may come
No matter what happens
And whatever may go
No matter what is lost or taken away
That river's flow
The flow of the river below me
Moved on to another town
I left my hometown and relocated to a new place
Tried hard to settle down
I put in a lot of effort to make a new home and a stable life for myself
For every job, so many men
There are so many candidates for each job opening
So many men no-one needs
There are too many people without enough jobs or not the right qualifications
Don't give up - you're not the only one
You're not alone in your struggles and others go through similar experiences
Don't give up - no reason to be ashamed
There's no reason to feel embarrassed or ashamed for struggling or failing
Don't give up now
Don't give up hope, even though you may feel like it
We're proud of who you are...
We are proud of you for who you are, regardless of your mistakes or failures
Don't give up - you know it's never been easy
Keep fighting despite the fact that life has never been simple or fair
Don't give up - but believe there's a place
Keep trying, have faith, because there is a space for you to fit in and succeed
A place where we belong...
A community, group or space where we can all feel accepted and belong
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Peter Gabriel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joaoalvessantos5764
Lindíssima essa música do Gregorian, com participação especial da rainha Sarah Brightman.
A Sarah Brightman tem uma voz serena, suave e doce. Eu amo essa mulher.
@Vziera
The intro and 5:20 are my favorite parts. The latter sends shiver up my spine. Mystical and divine vibe
@JackoboSeamus
Es el mejor y más hermoso vídeo que he visto para esta hermosa canción. Gracias infinitas🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
@TheLara51
Brilliant video creation...... One of the most beautiful and profound pieces of music ever written.
Congratulations dear Mauro!!!.Thank you so much for sharing this great job.It's a great experience
watching your wonderful video. Have a happy weekend. All my best wishes.
@joseroberto7605
Amo de paixão essas músicas gregorianas
@silvanacabrera574
Sarah Brightman es una Excelente Expresión del canto... Bellísima Voz👏👏👏👍😇☺️💝💗💝🌟⭐🌟💨💨💨💯💯🤗
@vitormonteiro3033
Simplesmente lindo!!!
@mailmaill5810
😍❤ wonderful video & song!
@paulanegrete7394
Simplemente ESPECTACULAR!!!
@claudiaalvesluz7030
Lindo!!! Amei💖💖💖Gratidão Sempre!!!⛦💖🙏