This song is an early cry for help from lead singer Phil Lynott. Scott Gorh… Read Full Bio ↴This song is an early cry for help from lead singer Phil Lynott. Scott Gorham mentions in his biography Lynott (The Rocker) that while recording this album, Phil started to take heavier drugs and drink a lot more. He was clearly going through tough times, and died as a result of his drinking in 1986.
There is a song on Thin Lizzy's last album, Thunder And Lightning, that also cries out for help. It is called "Heart Attack."

Got to Give It Up
Thin Lizzy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Chorus]
I've got to give it up I've got to give it up
That stuff
I've got to give it up I've got to give it up
That stuff

Tell my mama and tell my pa
That their fine young son didn't get far

He made it to the end of a bottle
Sitting in a sleazy bar

He tried hard but his spirit broke
He tried until he nearly choked
In the end he lost his
Bottle drinking alcohol

[Chorus]

Tell my brother I tried to write and
Put pen to paper but I was frightened
I couldn't seem to get the words out right
Right quite right

Tell my sister I'm sinking slow
Now and again I powder my nose
In the end I lost my bottle
It smashed in a casaba

[Chorus: x2]

I've been messing with the heavy stuff
For a time I couldn't get enough
But I'm waking up and its wearing off
Junk don't take you far

Tell my mama I'm coming home
In my youth I'm getting older
And I think its lost control
Mama I'm coming home

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Thin Lizzy's "Got To Give It Up" revolves around the struggle with addiction, defined in this song as "that stuff" or "the heavy stuff". The verses describe the singer's attempts to break free from the grip of addiction, but repeatedly failing in doing so. The first verse tells us that he's been drinking alcohol for so long that he's lost his bottle. He's hit rock bottom and can't go any further. In the next verse, he's tried to write letters to his family but has failed to articulate what he's feeling. The final verse finds the singer realizing that he needs to kick his habit and go back home to his family. The chorus, repeated twice after each verse, announces that the singer must give up his addiction.

Overall, the lyrics of this song are a sobering reminder of the grip addiction can have on people, and the difficulty in breaking free from it. Lead singer Phil Lynott's lyrics express a deep sense of sadness, hopelessness, and despair, which is mirrored in the song's slow tempo and mournful melody.

Line by Line Meaning

I've got to give it up I've got to give it up
I need to quit my addiction

That stuff
Referring to alcohol

Tell my mama and tell my pa
Inform my parents

That their fine young son didn't get far
I didn't achieve much in my life

He made it to the end of a bottle
He drank himself to the point of finishing a bottle of alcohol

Sitting in a sleazy bar
He was drinking in a seedy establishment

He tried hard but his spirit broke
He attempted to quit but failed

He tried until he nearly choked
He tried so hard that it was difficult

In the end he lost his
He succumbed to his addiction

Bottle drinking alcohol
He lost control of his drinking

Tell my brother I tried to write and
Inform my brother