"We Will Never Give Up" Kristin Lems

Story

I completed this song on the way to the big Springfield rally for the Equal Rights Amendment, in 1982, I believe. I was frantically dictating the notes and chords to Laurie Haag, who played bass with me, and we debuted it right there on the spot.

It quickly took off and was sung at many rallies, conventions, pickets, benefits - you name it. Women just spontaneously raised their arms overhead and swayed as they sang it, and that is the image that is captured on the cover of my third album, We Will Never Give Up, performed in Lafayette Park, Washington D.C. on June 30, 1982.

I will never forget how it felt to see a huge throng of women, men, and children singing and swaying to this song!


Lyrics

I am asking everything you have to give...

We will never give up

We will never give in

You will lose your youth, your sleep,

your arches, your strength,

your patience, your sense of humor

And occasionally, the love and support

of people you love very much.

But we will never give up,

We will never give in.

In return, I have nothing to offer you but this:

Your pride in being a woman,

all the dreams that you have for your daughters

Your pride in being a woman,

all the dreams that you have for yourself.

We will never give up,

We will never give in

And the knowledge that, at the end of your days,

you will be able to look back and say,

I never gave up,

I never gave in,

We never gave up,

We never gave in,

We will never give up,

We will never give in

Until justice is ours!