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



[Bridge:]



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



[Chorus:]



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



[bridge]

[chorus]



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

My father had to go to work

I used to think he was a jerk



I didn't know his heart was broken

And 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 gotta give it up

[repeat twice]



[chorus]



Find someone that I can care for

Find someone that I can care for



I've got to give it up

[repeat five times]



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 gotta give it up

[repeat six times]