There was a time I was happy in my life
There was a time I believed I'd live forever
There was a time that I prayed to Jesus Christ
There was a time I had a mother, it was nice

Nobody else would ever take the place of you
Nobody else could do the things that you could do
No one else I guess could hurt me like you did
I didn't understand, I was just a kid

Oh, mother, why aren't you here with me?
No one else saw the things that you could see
I'm trying hard to dry my tears
Yes, father, you know I'm not so free

I've got to give it up
Find someone to love me
I've got to let it go
Find someone that I can care for

I've got to give it up
Find someone to love me
I've got to let it go
Find someone that I can care for

There was a time I was happy in my life
There was a time I believed I'd live forever
There was a time that I prayed to Jesus Christ
There was a time I had a mother, it was nice

Oh mother, why aren't you here with me?
No one else saw the things that you could see
I'm trying hard to dry my tears
Yes father, you know I'm not so free

I've got to give it up
Find someone to love me
I've got to let it go
Find someone that I can care for

I've got to give it up
Find someone to love me
I've got to let it go
Find someone that I can care for

My mother died when I was five
And all I did was sit and cry
I cried and cried and cried all day
Until the neighbors went away

They couldn't take my loneliness
I couldn't take their phoniness (I've got to give it up, I've got to give it up)
My father had to go to work
I used to think he was a jerk (I've got to give it up, I've got to give it up)

I didn't know his heart was broken
Not another word was spoken
He became a shadow of
The father I was dreaming of

I made a vow that I would never need another person ever
Turned my heart into a cage, a victim of a kind of rage
(I've got to give it up)
(I've got to give it up)
(I've got to give it up)
I've got to give it up

I've got to give it up
Find someone to love me
I've got to let it go
Find someone that I can care for

I've got to give it up
Find someone to love me
I've got to let it go
Find someone that I can care for
Find someone that I can care for
Find someone that I can care for

I've got to give it up
I've got to give it up
I've got to give it up
I've got to give it up

I've got to give it up
I've got to give it up
I've got to let it go
I've got to give it up

Oh mother, oh father
I've got to give it up
(I've got to give it up)
(I've got to give it up)
(I've got to give it up)

(I've got to give it up)
(I've got to give it up)
(I've got to give it up)
(I've got to give it up)
(I've got to give it up)