Don't Give Up (Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush song)


"Don't Give Up" is a song written by English musician Peter Gabriel and recorded as a duet with Kate Bush for Gabriel's fifth solo studio album So. The single version was released as the second single from the album in the UK in 1986 and as the fifth single in the United States in 1987. It spent eleven weeks in the UK Top 75 chart in 1986, peaking at #9.

Background

The song was inspired by the Depression-era photographs of Dorothea Lange, showing poverty-stricken Americans in Dust Bowl 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 Margaret Thatcher. He composed lyrics within a situation 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 singer Dolly Parton to sing it with him. However, Parton turned it down, so his friend Kate Bush took her place.

Track listing

All songs written by Peter Gabriel.

Personnel

Two videos were created for the song. The first, by Godley & Creme, consisted of a single take of the singers, as they sing, in an embrace, while the sun behind them enters total eclipse and re-emerges. The second video, by Jim Blashfield, featured Gabriel and Bush's faces superimposed over film of a town and its people in disrepair.

Chart positions

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Other versions

Peter Gabriel and Paula Cole version

The song was included in Peter Gabriel's Secret World Live tour featuring singer Paula Cole. The DVD release of a performance in Italy in 1993 included the duet.

Peter Gabriel and Ane Brun version

An all-orchestral recording featuring Ane Brun was released on Gabriel's New Blood album on 11 October 2011.

Willie Nelson and Sinéad O'Connor version

The song was covered as a duet between American musician Willie Nelson & Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor in 1993. The single is included on Nelson's Across the Borderline album, produced by Don Was, Paul Simon, and Roy Halee. O'Connor sings Kate Bush's parts in the song. In an interview with Los Angeles Times, Nelson talked about the duet and how it was made. He said:
A music video 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

Bill DeYoung from Gainesville Sun wrote in his review of Across the Borderline, that the duet is "heartfelt". Paul Freeman from Los Angeles Times called it "a striking duet". Music & Media commented that Nelson's version "makes a rodeo queen out of his duet partner Sinead O'Connor." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said that Nelson and O'Connor "make an odd but effective couple on Peter Gabriel's emotional "Don't Give Up"."

Track listing

  1. "Don't Give Up"
  2. "Don't Give Up"

    Alicia Keys and Bono version

"Don't Give Up" was recorded by American recording artist Alicia Keys and Irish musician Bono. Retitled "Don't Give Up ", the song was produced by Keys and Steve Lillywhite. On 6 December 2005, the song was released as a single exclusively on iTunes and a ringtone version was released by Cingular Wireless. The proceeds of the release went to the charity Keep a Child Alive, 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 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 in October 2006.
The recording of the song took place at the Oven Studios on Long Island. Keys spoke of the recording session at the studio with Bono and Steve Lillywhite:

Track listing

Charts

Jann Klose and Annie Haslam version

and Renaissance vocalist and painter Annie Haslam 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's TutuDesk foundation.

Shannon Noll and Natalie Bassingthwaighte version

A cover version was recorded by Australian artist Shannon Noll and former Rogue Traders frontwoman Natalie Bassingthwaighte. It was produced by Michael "fingaz" Mugisha who also produced hits for Jessica Mauboy, Big Brovaz and recorded for the compilation . 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. The music video features Noll and Bassingthwaighte in the studio recording the single.
Chart Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart2
ARIA Australasian Singles Chart1
Australian Airplay Chart1