I remember, wasn't so long agoWe had a one room shack and the livin' was lowAnd my mama by herself raised me and my broWasn't easy, but we did it with the little that goWorked hard, got us up for school every dayAnd kept her eyes on the stars when the skies were grayGave us pride to survive, really showed us the wayNow I really understood what she was tryin' to sayShe said, "Son there'll be times when the tides are highAnd the boat may be rocky, you can cryJust never give upYou can never give up," uh-uhIn this life you could lead if you only believeAnd in order to achieve what you needYou can never give upYou can never give upAnd this hopeThat keep me holding onOn and onAnd this hopeThat makes me carry onOn and onBoom-boom, couldn't have made it aloneI got a wonderful life, two kids on my ownWith a strong foundation that was carved in stoneAnd my mama for the love that made my house a homeMade me wonder some time if this was meant to beAll this for a humble little guy like meAnd all I ever really wanted was a familyTo teach my kids the same value that she gave to meShe said, 'Son there'll be times when the tides are highAnd the boat may be rocky, you can cryJust never give upYou can never give up,' uh-uhIn this life you could lead if you only believeAnd in order to achieve what you needYou can never give upYou can never give upAnd this hopeThat keep me holding onAnd onAnd this hopeThat makes me carry onOn and onWe nah turn no stepper, things a go betterNever let yourself be overcome by pressureCool yah me bredda, have faith instead aSid-dung and a watch and all a fight one anotherBlaze like fire, we nah go retireGod nah sleep and a within him we inspireWe have to reach higher for what we requireWe have to make our mark before the time expireAnd this hopeThat keep me holding onAnd onAnd this hopeThat makes me carry onOn and onAnd this hopeThat keep me holding onAnd onAnd this hopeThat makes me carry onOn and onThere's hope, yeahHope keeps it alive, yeah, uhHope keeps it alive, yeah, uhAnd it strikes an iron, uhHope keeps it alive, yeah, yeahHope keeps it alive, yeahOnly the strong survive, yeahKeep it carry on, keep it carry on, yeahUh-uhI'll keep it carry on, yeahI gotta carry on, gotta carry on and be strongUh-uh-uhYeah, yeah, yeah, uh-uhAnd this hopeThat keep me holding onAnd onAnd this hopeThat makes me carry onOn and on