Never Give Up – English Lyrics

• By: Whitney Houston

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic and emotional journey with Whitney Houston's "Never Give Up." This powerful R&B ballad offers a masterclass in inspirational English vocabulary and expressions of resilience. Through its relatable narratives of struggle and triumph, you'll learn phrases of encouragement and determination, all delivered with Houston's incomparable, soulful voice. The song's clear, heartfelt lyrics make it an excellent resource for understanding common English phrases used to motivate and uplift, while its mid-tempo rhythm allows for easy comprehension, making it special for language learners.

[English]

'Til you get it right

Tell 'em you will never quit

Tell 'em you will never quit

Until the day you get it right

'Til you get it right

Hold your head to the sky

Look them right in the eye

Tell 'em you will never quit

Until the day you get it right

'Til you get it right

Tell 'em you will never quit

Tell 'em you will never quit

Until the day you get it right

'Till you get it right

Hold your head to the sky

Look them right in the eye

Tell 'em you will never quit

Until the day you get it right

Single mother, two jobs

Workin' her fingers to the bone

Putting her daughter's mouth before her own

She's gotta do it

But she's still feeling

Like there's something deep inside

That she can't leave behind

She won't let go of it

No matter how many times

She hears it's over with

It's all fixed in her mind

That it's gonna get better

And she won't ever hang her head again

Break a sweat again, never again

Never, never give up

Never, never give up

No matter how many times

Somebody tells you it ain't working

Never, never give up (don't ever give up)

Never, never give up

Hold your head to the sky

Look 'em right in the eyes

Tell 'em you will never quit

Until the day you get it right

Never, never give up

Never, never give up

Even though some days you will have to cry

Shake it off, and know that everything will be alright

As long as you

Never, never give up

Never, never give up

College student paying her own way

Working the club at night

Look what she go through

To stay in law school

So maybe one day

She can make her way in a man's world

And never be called just another girl

It ain't nothing like a dream you can't see

Even when the people round you don't believe

But in the twelfth round

When you're against the ropes

Here comes your last minute miracle

You've got to know to

Never, never give up

Never, never give up

No matter how many times

Somebody tells you it ain't working (don't believe it)

Never, never give up

Never, never give up

Hold your head to the sky

Look 'em right in the eyes

Tell 'em you will never quit

Until the day you get it right

Never, never give up

Never, never give up

Even though some days you'll have to cry

Shake it off, and know that everything will be alright

As long as you

Never, never give up

Never, never give up

The sky is the limit (oh, yes, it is)

For whatever you want to do

Don't let anyone tell you it ain't possible

No matter how low you feel

Keep going higher, higher, higher

See I've been holding on

To my dreams too long

To watch it get away from me

This hand is mine to win

And I promise you that

I'll never, never give up

Never, never give up

Never, never give up

No matter how many times

Somebody tells you it ain't working

Never, never give up

Never, never give up

Hold your head to the sky

Look 'em right in the eyes

Tell 'em you will never quit

Until the day you get it right

Never, never give up (never)

Never, never give up (never give up)

Even though some days you'll have to cry (might have to cry)

Shake it off, and know that everything will be alright (it's gonna be alright)

As long as you

Never, never give up (never)

Never, never give up (oh, never)

Never, never give up

Never, never give up

No matter how many times

Somebody tell you it ain't working

Never, never give up

Never, never give up

Hold your head to the sky

Look 'em right in the eyes

Tell 'em you will never quit

Until the day you get it right

Never, never give up (don't ever, ever give up)

Never, never give up

Even though sometimes you'll have to cry

Shake it off

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
quit /kwɪt/ A2	verb - to stop doing something
head /hɛd/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck
eye /aɪ/ A1	noun - the organ of sight
work /wɜːrk/ A2	verb - to exert effort to achieve something noun - activity involving mental or physical effort
feel /fiːl/ A2	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
dream /driːm/ B1	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep noun - a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal
believe /bɪˈliːv/ B1	verb - to accept something as true
shake /ʃeɪk/ A2	verb - to move back and forth or up and down
round /raʊnd/ A2	adjective - having a circular shape
limit /ˈlɪmɪt/ B2	noun - the point beyond which something cannot or may not extend
higher /ˈhaɪər/ B1	adjective - at a greater height
holding /ˈhoʊldɪŋ/ A2	verb - to grasp and keep possession of
promise /ˈprɒmɪs/ B1	verb - to assure someone that one will definitely do something
away /əˈweɪ/ A2	adverb - to or at a distance
win /wɪn/ A2	verb - to achieve victory
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears

Key Grammar Structures

• 'Til you get it right

  ➔ Conditional Clause (Shortened)

  ➔ This is a shortened version of a conditional clause, implying 'Until *the moment when* you get it right'.

• Tell 'em you will never quit

  ➔ Future tense (will) + emphatic use of 'never'

  ➔ Using 'will' indicates a firm promise or intention. 'Never' is used emphatically to stress the commitment to persistence.

• Workin' her fingers to the bone

  ➔ Gerund (Workin') and Idiomatic Expression

  ➔ 'Workin'' is a gerund form of the verb 'work'. 'Work... to the bone' is an idiom meaning to work extremely hard.

• She's gotta do it

  ➔ Contracted verb form ('She's') and Semi-modal verb

  ➔ 'She's' is a contraction of 'She is.' 'Gotta' is a colloquial form of 'has got to', functioning as a semi-modal, indicating obligation or necessity.

• She won't let go of it

  ➔ Modal verb ('won't' = will not) and Phrasal Verb

  ➔ 'Won't' is the contracted form of 'will not,' indicating future refusal or determination. 'Let go of' is a phrasal verb meaning to release or not hold on to something.

• It's gonna get better

  ➔ Contraction ('It's') and Future tense (going to)

  ➔ 'It's' is a contraction of 'It is.' 'Gonna' is a colloquial form of 'going to', which is used to express future plans or predictions.

• No matter how many times

  ➔ Adverbial Clause of Concession (implied)

  ➔ This introduces a concessive idea, 'Regardless of how many times...', even though the number is not relevant to the main clause.

• Even though some days you will have to cry

  ➔ Adverbial Clause of Concession

  ➔ This clause expresses a contrast or concession: 'Although some days you'll have to cry...'.

• The sky is the limit

  ➔ Idiomatic expression and metaphor

  ➔ This is an idiomatic expression, meaning there are no limits to what you can achieve. The sky represents the maximum potential, a metaphor for unlimited possibilities.