Chris Greenwood (best known as Manafest) is a rapper from Toronto Ontario C… Read Full Bio ↴Chris Greenwood (best known as Manafest) is a rapper from Toronto Ontario Canada.

He is also a skater, which led to his career in hip hop; after an accident in 1998, he took time to focus on rap and was noticed by Trevor McNevan of Ontario-based band Thousand Foot Krutch. This led to his signing to an internationally distributed label, BEC Recordings, and debut release Epiphany, which was made primarily of West Coast hip hop with several rapcore outings in the vein of Limp Bizkit.

He released two independent albums, Mislead Youth (2001) and My Own Thing (2003), prior to Epiphany in 2005. He has toured in Canada, the United States and Ireland to date.

His second album, Glory, emphasized rap-rock elements with more Linkin Park-esque nu metal, and included more authentic hip hop stylings.

Central themes of Manafest's music include nonconformity, hip hop culture, and walking with God.

Manafest says in regards to Glory that: "I wanted to allow all of my influences show on Glory. Musically, I wanted to blend the appeal of Linkin Park, Sum 41, and The Beastie Boys. Vocally, I wanted to merge that with popular hip hop à la Eminem and Kanye West. But beyond musical influence, I wanted to reflect on the issues around me in the most positive way possible. And whether I am talking about the loss of loved ones and abuse, or breakdancing and skate culture, it's all for the glory of heaven. In the end, my prayer is that people would not simply bob their heads to this, but feel a very real sense of healing from the words. However, this record is not all serious. Some of my favorite tracks are the most lighthearted ones."

Don't Turn Away
Manafest Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I never talk the talk unless I walk the walk in the dark what you want come get it
I see you fake and flaunt, the way you pose and stomp, I got soul and I know where you're headed
So if you want what I got come get it
And if not than go and just forget it
Cause in the light I can see you faking, over rated

Let's face it close the case gangsta's
Bass to your face, with faith based answers

I got anthems, ain't talking hansom
Bloods on your hands you wash and just abandon
I wanna talk to ye, put God in ye
In a non threatened way, it's calling ye
Start walking yo, what's stalling ye
You've fallen "Get UP"

So I'll
Be the first to, introduce you
To the one that's trapped inside you
Don't turn away
Away from yourself
Every time you, buy into
All the lies of the life they're feeding you
Don't play their game, it's not the way, don't turn away from yourself

I'm not the type to write just to go fight yall
I'm holding mic's to light the fire up in us
Taking flight to heights it's so ridiculous
I see lies coming out your mouths & such
Yall selling it yall don't believe in it
Yall keep yelling it, we start repeating it
Brainwashing us you fake and pose cool
I see right through you, right through

So I'll
Be the first to, introduce you
To the one that's trapped inside you
Don't turn away
Away from yourself
Every time you, buy into
All the lies of the life they're feeding you
Don't play their game, it's not the way, don't turn away from yourself

Don't' turn away,
You got to listen
Don't play the game
It's all in act and
It's not the Way
Come on be real
Following ye heart is the only way you'll get it

They try to take me yawning, I hear that alarm and
Got to get ahead of the game they keep calling in
I hear them following, yo they just bothering,
Me from walking in my dreams all hollering
I make a choice and I live it, I give it
All to the cause even if we all fall
I scene what's really real

They lie, cheat, and steal
I speak life watch my city heal

Overall Meaning

The song “Don’t Turn Away” by Manafest is a song with a powerful message about staying true to oneself and finding inner strength. The song’s lyrics talk about how the world can be full of fake people trying to sell us lies and how we should not fall for them. The singer, who seems to have a lot of experience walking in the dark and facing fake people, advises that we should not turn away from ourselves and should not play their game. He tells us to walk in our dreams and not listen to those who try to take us down.

The singer points out that he's not the type to write lyrics just to fight others. Instead, he points out the lies that are being sold and how they mislead people. He encourages listeners to be real, follow their hearts, and not be afraid to be themselves. The song also refers to God and faith, urging the listener to put faith in God, find strength, and start walking towards their dreams.

Overall, the song is a motivational and inspiring piece that encourages listeners to stay true to their values and beliefs and not give up on their dreams just because of what others say.

Line by Line Meaning

I never talk the talk unless I walk the walk in the dark what you want come get it
I only speak what I know is true and live by it even when it's hard. If you want what I have, then come and get it.

I see you fake and flaunt, the way you pose and stomp, I got soul and I know where you're headed
I see through your fake behavior and know that you're headed down the wrong path. I have a strong inner spirit and know the right way to go.

So if you want what I got come get it And if not than go and just forget it Cause in the light I can see you faking, over rated
If you want to live a genuine life like mine, come and follow me. If not, then don't waste my time. In the light of truth, I can see through your false persona and see that it's overrated.

Let's face it close the case gangsta's Bass to your face, with faith based answers I got anthems, ain't talking hansom Bloods on your hands you wash and just abandon I wanna talk to ye, put God in ye In a non threatened way, it's calling ye Start walking yo, what's stalling ye You've fallen "Get UP"
Let's be real and honest. I'll bring the truth to your face with confidence in my faith. I have songs that speak to the soul, not just the surface level. You've made some bad choices and tried to wash your hands of them. I want to have a conversation with you and help you find God in a non-threatening way. It's time for you to start moving forward and stop stalling. When you fall, get back up and keep going.

So I'll Be the first to, introduce you To the one that's trapped inside you Don't turn away Away from yourself Every time you, buy into All the lies of the life they're feeding you Don't play their game, it's not the way, don't turn away from yourself
I'll be the first one to help you discover your true self that's been hidden inside. Don't ignore or deny who you really are. Every time you believe in the lies they tell you about what life should be, you're playing their game. Don't turn away from yourself.

I'm not the type to write just to go fight yall I'm holding mic's to light the fire up in us Taking flight to heights it's so ridiculous I see lies coming out your mouths & such Yall selling it yall don't believe in it Yall keep yelling it, we start repeating it Brainwashing us you fake and pose cool I see right through you, right through
I'm not here to start a fight, but to inspire with my music. I want to ignite a passion within us all. When you speak lies, I can see right through it. You sell those lies, but don't even believe in them yourself. You keep shouting them out and brainwashing us. But I see through your fake cool façade.

Don't' turn away, You got to listen Don't play the game It's all in act and It's not the Way Come on be real Following ye heart is the only way you'll get it
Don't ignore who you really are. Listen to your inner voice. Don't conform to the false reality that others create. It's all a show and not the true way of life. Be genuine and true to yourself. The only way to truly succeed is by following your heart.

They try to take me yawning, I hear that alarm and Got to get ahead of the game they keep calling in I hear them following, yo they just bothering, Me from walking in my dreams all hollering I make a choice and I live it, I give it All to the cause even if we all fall I scene what's really real They lie, cheat, and steal I speak life watch my city heal
Others try to bring me down and distract me from my goals, but I won't let them. I hear them following me and it's annoying, but I won't let them stop me from pursuing my dreams. I make a conscious decision to live my life in a certain way and give my all to what I believe in. Even if we fail, it's worth it. I see the true reality of things and know that others lie, cheat, and steal. I use my platform to inspire and uplift others, and as a result, my community is healed.

Contributed by Audrey E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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TRACKS