"Don't Give Up" is a song written by English musician

Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...

and recorded as a duet with

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single " Wuthering Heights", becoming the first female ...

for Gabriel's fifth solo studio album '' So'' (1986). The single version was released as the second single from the album in the UK in 1986 and as the fifth single in the US in 1987. It spent eleven weeks in the UK Top 75 chart in 1986, peaking at number nine. The song was included in Gabriel's

Secret World Live ''Secret World Live'' is the second live album and tenth album overall by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel, released on 30 August 1994 in the UK. The album documents the concert experience of the Secret World Tour. A concert film of th ...

tour featuring singer Paula Cole. The DVD release of a performance in Italy in 1993 (released in 1994) included the duet. An all-orchestral recording featuring

Ane Brun Ane Brun (; born Ane Brunvoll on 10 March 1976) is a Norwegian songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist of Sami origin. Since 2003, she has recorded ten albums, eight of which are studio albums of original material (including a collection of duets), ...

was released on Gabriel's '' New Blood'' album in 2011. In 1987, the song won Ivor Novello Award for ''Best Song Musically and Lyrically''.

Background

The song was inspired by the Depression-era photographs of

Dorothea Lange Dorothea Lange (born Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn; May 26, 1895 – October 11, 1965) was an American documentary photographer and photojournalist, best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA). Lange' ...

, showing poverty-stricken Americans in

Dust Bowl The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s. The phenomenon was caused by a combination of both natural factors (severe drought) a ...

conditions. Gabriel saw Lange's images in a 1973 book titled ''In This Proud Land''. He felt that a song based on this was wholly appropriate to difficult economic conditions in England under the premiership of Margaret Thatcher. He composed lyrics about a man whose unemployment causes stress in his domestic relationship. The verses, sung by Gabriel, describe the man's feelings of isolation, loneliness and despair; the choruses, sung by Bush, offer words of hope and encouragement. Gabriel originally wrote the song from a reference point of American roots music and he approached

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...

singer

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album ...

to sing it with him. However, Parton turned it down, so his friend Kate Bush took her place. In a 2014 interview, Elton John attributed his

sobriety Sobriety is the condition of not having any measurable levels or effects from alcohol or drugs. Sobriety is also considered to be the natural state of a human being at birth. A person in a state of sobriety is considered sober. Organization ...

to the song, in particular the lyric from Bush, "Rest your head. You worry too much. It’s going to be all right. When times get rough you can fall back on us. Don’t give up." He states, "she ushplayed a big part in my rebirth. That record helped me so much."

Track listing

All songs written by

Personnel

* Manu Katché – drums, percussion *

Tony Levin Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer, specializing in electric bass, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (since 1 ...

– bass guitar * David Rhodes – guitars *

Richard Tee Richard Edward Tee (born Richard Edward Ten Ryk; November 24, 1943 – July 21, 1993) was an American pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger, who had several hundred studio credits and played on such notable hits as "In Your Eyes", " Sl ...

– piano *

– vocals, CMI,

Prophet In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the ...

, Linn, piano * Simon Clark –

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

CS-80 *

– guest vocals

Videos

Two videos were created for the song. The first, by Godley & Creme, is a single take of Gabriel and Bush, as they sing, in an embrace, while the sun behind them enters a total eclipse and re-emerges. (Of the shoot, Gabriel remarked, "There are worse ways of earning a living.") The video was featured the final broadcast of the channel Europa TV in November 1986. A second video, directed by

Grammy award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

-winning

Jim Blashfield Jim Blashfield (born September 4, 1944, Seattle, Washington) is an American filmmaker and media artist, best known for his short films such as ''Suspicious Circumstances'' and ''The Mid-Torso of Inez'', and his music videos for musicians Talking He ...

and produced by Melissa Marsland in 1988, features the singers’ faces superimposed over film of a town and its people in disrepair.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Other versions

Willie Nelson and Sinéad O'Connor version

The song was covered as a duet between American musician

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and ''Stardust'' (1978 ...

& Irish singer

Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on 8 December 1966; ) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, '' The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second album, ''I Do Not Want Wha ...

in 1993. The single is included on Nelson's '' Across the Borderline'' album, produced by

Don Was Don Edward Fagenson (born September 13, 1952), known professionally as Don Was, is an American musician, record producer and record executive. Primarily a bass player, Was co-founded the funk-rock band Was (Not Was). In later years he produced so ...

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

, and

Roy Halee Roy Decker Halee (born 1934) is an American record producer and engineer, best known for working with Simon & Garfunkel, both as a group and for their solo projects. Early life He grew up on Long Island, New York. His father, also named Roy Ha ...

. O'Connor sings Kate Bush's parts in the song. In an interview with ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'', Nelson talked about the duet and how it was made. He said: A

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

was made to accompany the song, featuring both singers. It has a sepia tone. It was reported that funds raised by sales of the single were in excess of $300,000.

Critical reception

Martin Monkman from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

stated that it is "the most stunning song on the album", and "a brilliant piece of casting." He added, "Nelson and O'Connor's rendition is quietly triumphant and every bit as powerful as Gabriel and Bush's original." Bill DeYoung from ''

Gainesville Sun ''The Gainesville Sun'' () is a newspaper published daily in Gainesville, Florida, United States, covering the North-Central portion of the state. The paper is published by Lynni Henderson, the paper's Executive Editor is Douglas Ray and the ed ...

'' described the duet as "heartfelt". Paul Freeman from ''

'' called it "a striking duet".

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...

commented that Nelson's version "makes a rodeo queen out of his duet partner Sinead O'Connor." ''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the Alle ...

'' noted that Nelson and O'Connor "make an odd but effective couple on Peter Gabriel's emotional "Don't Give Up"."

Track listing

# "Don't Give Up" # "Don't Give Up" (Instrumental)

Alicia Keys and Bono version

"Don't Give Up" was recorded by American recording artist

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

and Irish musician

Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Born and raised in Dublin, he attended ...

. Retitled "Don't Give Up (Africa)", the song was produced by Keys and

Steve Lillywhite Stephen Alan Lillywhite, (born 15 March 1955) is a British record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited on over 500 records, and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including new wave acts XTC, Bi ...

. On 6 December 2005, the song was released as a single exclusively on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...

and a ringtone version was released by

Cingular Wireless AT&T Mobility LLC, also known as AT&T Wireless and marketed as simply AT&T, is an American telecommunications company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T Inc. and provides wireless services in the United States. AT&T Mobility is the t ...

.
The proceeds of the release went to the charity

Keep a Child Alive Keep a Child Alive (KCA) is a nonprofit organization that provides healthcare, housing, and other support services to HIV/AIDS-affected communities in Africa and India. Co-founded by Leigh Blake and Alicia Keys, the organization aims to "realize ...

, for which Keys is a spokesperson. Keys commented that "I love this song. And I love Bono. I really respect what he has done for

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and how he has used his fame to do good in the world. I hope I can do half as much in my life". Keys and Bono performed the song live at Keys' charity event the Black Ball, which raises money for the organization Keep A Child Alive. They performed the song also on ''

The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...

'' in October 2006. The recording of the song took place at the

Oven Studios Oven Studios is the personal recording studio of American singer-songwriter and record producer Alicia Keys, located in the Chelsea neighborhood in Manhattan, New York. Background Designed by the Walters-Storyk Design Group, the studio was ori ...

on Long Island. Keys spoke of the recording session at the studio with Bono and

Track listing

Charts

Jann Klose and Annie Haslam version

Jann Klose Jann Klose is a pop singer-songwriter, who has released seven albums and two EPs. Based in New York City, Klose was raised in Kenya, South Africa, Germany, and northeast Ohio. He is the singing voice of Tim Buckley in the movie Greetings from Tim ...

and

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

vocalist and painter

Annie Haslam Annie Haslam (born 8 June 1947) is an English vocalist, songwriter and painter. She is best known as the lead singer of progressive rock band Renaissance since 1971, and for her long and diverse solo singing career. She has a five-octave vocal r ...

released their version, produced by Rave Tesar in June 2017. The recording features Jann Klose on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, Annie Haslam on lead vocals, John Arbo on upright bass, Rob Mitzner on cajon and Rave Tesar on keys. Proceeds from the sale of the recording benefit

Desmond Tutu Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 193126 December 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbish ...

's TutuDesk foundation.

Shannon Noll and Natalie Bassingthwaighte version

A cover version was recorded by Australian artist

Shannon Noll Shannon Noll (born 16 September 1975) is an Australian singer-songwriter who first came to prominence as runner-up of the first season of ''Australian Idol'' in 2003, which led to him being signed to Sony BMG. He has released five top ten albu ...

and former Rogue Traders frontwoman

Natalie Bassingthwaighte Natalie Bassingthwaighte (; born 1 September 1975) is an Australian recording artist, actress, and television personality. Born and raised in Wollongong, New South Wales, she began her career in musical theatre. She later pursued an acting car ...

. It was produced by Michael "fingaz" Mugisha who also produced hits for Jessica Mauboy, Big Brovaz and recorded for the compilation '' Home: Songs of Hope & Journey''. It was released as a charity single for the depression organisation beyondblue. It was the most added song to Australian radio in its first week.
It made its debut at number seven on the Australian Singles Chart, and, in its second week, climbed to number two with a Platinum certification. The song was also performed live on the fifth season of '' Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series), Dancing with the Stars''. The music video features Noll and Bassingthwaighte in the studio recording the single.

Charts

Weekly charts Year-end charts

Certifications

Others

Maire Brennan and Michael McDonald recorded a gender-reversed version of the song on the 1999 Contemporary Christian album

Streams A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams a ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Don't Give Up (Peter Gabriel And Kate Bush Song) 1980s ballads 1986 singles 1993 singles 2005 singles 2006 singles Alicia Keys songs Geffen Records singles Kate Bush songs Lady Gaga songs Male–female vocal duets Music videos directed by Godley and Creme Music videos directed by Jim Blashfield Natalie Bassingthwaighte songs Peter Gabriel songs Pop ballads Rock ballads Shannon Noll songs Sinéad O'Connor songs Song recordings produced by Daniel Lanois Songs about loneliness Songs about suicide Songs written by Peter Gabriel Sony BMG singles Willie Nelson songs Song recordings produced by Alicia Keys