Tupac Shakur – Keep Ya Head Up

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Baby don't cry
I hope you got your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up
Baby don't cry
I hope you got your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (Keep ya head up)

Now here's a story 'bout a woman with dreams
So picture perfect at thirteen, an ebony queen
Beneath the surface it was more than just a crooked smile
Nobody knew about her secret so it took a while
I could see a tear fall slow down her black cheek
Sheddin' quiet tears in the back seat
So when she asked me: "What would you do if it was you?"
Couldn't answer such a horrible pain to live through
I tried to trade places in the tragedy
I couldn't picture three crazed niggas grabbin' me
For just a moment I was trapped in the pain
Lord, come and take me
Four niggas violated
They chased, and they raped me
Even though it wasn't me, I could feel the grief
Thinkin' with your brains blown that would make the pain go
No! You got to find a way to survive
'Cause they win when your soul dies

Baby, please don't cry, you got to keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up
Baby, don't cry, you got to keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (never give up)
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up (never give up)
Even when the road is hard, never give up
Baby, don't cry

Forget him, girl, (forget him, girl) he ain't gon' never change
I ain't no hater, but that nigga lost in the game
After the bright lights and big thangs
He probably could love you, but he in love with the struggle
Everyday, his mind on gettin mo' (gettin' mo')
And never your feelings, he's chasin' millions fo' sho'
Uh oh (uh oh), now you 'bout to have his baby? (damn)
Another wild-ass nigga that's gon' drive you crazy
You got too much mo' livin' to do
I'm spittin' this to you
'Cause you deserve more than what he givin' to you (that's right)
Beautiful, black, precious, and complicated
A new millennium dime-piece, so fine she
Got 'em all stuck, standin' still when she come through
Baby, take a little mo' time
Love'll find you and show us the sky's blue
Somebody other than me gon' give you everything you need, feel me? (Don't cry)

Baby, don't cry, you got to keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (you'll be alright)
Baby, don't cry, you got to keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (you'll be alright)
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (keep your head up)
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up (never give up)
Even when the road is hard, never give up (no, no, oh)
Baby, don't cry

I'm tryin' to do all that I can, from jump
Now you losin', you was choosin' the wrong man
Dealt the wrong hand, you was young and beautiful
Lost and turned out, what you let that nigga do to you? (Damn)
I knew her since elementary, she blew a kiss to me
Wrote me a note in crayon, wantin' to get with me
We was kids, now she got three kids
They see their father e'ryday, and they don't know who he is
Seen him last night, homey roll a E-class
Mad cheese in the stash, still a deadbeat dad
I bring her Pampers and food, just to stop through
But those ain't my seeds, nothin' really I could do (nah)
I feel pity for you, you ain't even his wife
Seventeen with three kids
Locked down for life
Shoulda chose me
She 'bout to O.D. from the pressure
Hell nah, I won't let her
Baby don't cry

Baby, don't cry, you got to keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (you'll be alright)
Baby, don't cry, you got to keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (baby, don't cry)
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (baby, baby, baby)
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up (no)
Even when the road is hard, never give up (no-oh)
Baby, don't cry, I gotta keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up
Baby, don't cry, you got to keep your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up (oh, baby)
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up (keep your head up)
(Keep your head up, never give up)
Even when the road is hard, never give up, baby, don't cry

Uh, uh, yeah, don't give up (you'll be alright)
Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry

Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up
Baby, don't cry, I hope you got your head up
Even when the road is hard, never give up, baby, don't cry

For all the ladies (Soulshock, Karlin)
Baby, don't cry
Got to keep your head up {keep your head up}
Makaveli the Don
(Head up)
Aight?

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Lyrics submitted by spliphstar

Track duration: 04:19

"Baby Don't Cry (Keep Ya Head up II)" as written by Carsten Schack, Kenneth Karlin, Rufus Cooper, Malcolm R Greenidge, Tupac Amaru Shakur

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Keep Ya Head Up song meanings
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22 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:"the darker the flesh the deeper the roots" Awesome!

    people of ALL races can worship this stuff! Like the Fab Four "Sergeant Pepper" it will be immortal
    Flag drpoundsignon November 30, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:not to be confused with the song "keep your h e a d u p" by another rapper.
    Flag drpoundsignon November 30, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:my favourite line from that song

    "It's funny when it rains and pours they got money for wars, but can't feed the poor, said theyre aint no hope for the youth and the truth is there aint no hope for the future

    Fuck the whole song is ill. I mean that line fits into it perfectly whats going on today, with the war in Iraq, Afghanistan, USA funding Israel and all that bullshit. And people are starving in Africa, slums in the states.. when all this money thats used for wars can go to a better cause. I bet George Bush would never listen to this because he's.. well fuck that monkey he can kiss my ass from left to right
    Flag Wack_Stringson July 21, 2009   Link
    • 2 Replies
  • 0
    General Comment:About the contradictions in Tupac's songs, you have to understand that Tupac was a person that was made and raised by the ghetto. It shaped him into a person that inhereted the evils of the ghetto. It made him into a angry and sometimes violent person. BUT, Tupac was different from other ''thugs'', if you will, because he understood WHY he was that person. Many people in the ghetto have a very shallow understanding of the world around them, because they're never challenged to think. Tupac did think. He was a ghetto genius, with flaws. But you can't blame him for those flaws. I mean who can grow to be a perfect person from the conditions he came from? He had a beautiful metaphor for this, which was the rose that grew from concrete. The rose has damaged pedals from growing in such a harsh environment, but nobody would think ''what an ugly rose look how fucked up its pedals are'', you would celebrate its will to live. Tupac was truly the rose that grew from concrete. Eventually though his lifetsyle that was taught to him by the ghetto caught up to him and he died at 25, like many people in the ghetto do. We should forgive Tupac for his life of crime, "Don't blame me, I was given this world, I didn't make it".
    Flag uhuhyeahyupon July 06, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:it really is a travesty that this song only has 17 comments

    this man had the heart of a poet. he's spittin' truth, love, passion and equality.

    'Forgive but don't forget, girl keep your head up
    And when he tells you you ain't nuttin don't believe him
    And if he can't learn to love you you should leave him
    Cause sista you don't need him
    And I ain't tryin to gas ya up, I just call em how I see em
    You know it makes me unhappy (what's that)
    When brothas make babies, and leave a young mother to be a pappy
    And since we all came from a woman
    Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman
    I wonder why we take from our women
    Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?
    I think it's time to kill for our women
    Time to heal our women, be real to our women
    And if we don't we'll have a race of babies
    That will hate the ladies, that make the babies
    And since a man can't make one
    He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one
    So will the real men get up
    I know you're fed up ladies, but keep your head up'

    incredible. just incredible

    may you rest in peace, tupac shakur. you are truly an amazing man.
    Flag thedarkisrisingon June 14, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love Tupac, and I love this song, & i don't understand why this song has so few comments on it. :(

    Thank the Lord for my kids, even if nobody else want em
    Cuz I think we can make it, in fact Im sure
    & if ya fall stand tall and come back for more

    how inspirational..... i love this man!!! R.I.P.

    And i dont think Tupac contradicts himself, u just gotta understand him. He a G regardless, but he know the way that he & everyone else alike livin is self-destructive & eventually gotta change, but its on us to make that step.

    He said it himself: Im not gonna change the world, but i garauntee you i will spark the mind that does
    Flag aneblett08on February 08, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Classic. Every line in this song is truth. It's a goddamn shame he lost that rape case because I don't believe the mind of a rapist could write this.
    Flag FaithFromHellon August 26, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:He's telling the struggling women out there to be strong and that he sees their value and beauty even though it seems they get dumped on by guys all the time. Telling them not to give up even though their struggles from being abandoned and left to raise kids alone on welfare money and also that there's real men out there.
    Flagged starfireon July 22, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:tupac actually had a lot of messages in his songs. obviously this is all about like how people should respect woman more than they do. and to the woman that they just need to be strong because what they have to go through is terribly hard and harsh. "tupac cares" is a nice lil thing to add in there.

    and with how he has songs about demeaning woman as well, i think some of his songs, how they kind of contradict each other with the messages, i think he almost pokes fun or makes fun of people that are serious about that. (wow run on sentence).

    anyway i love this song
    Flag toocoolqueeniexxon June 05, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think tupac hit the nail on the head he just continue what john lennon said women is the nigger of the world. just look man even wealthy people man they treat thier wife like a class below them. now it hard to see it in plain view, but it's there man. i kow we have problems with the poor and the those that are discriminated against. but society is base on family and if we solve this problem in a way we are solving both and all problems man. just like martin luther king said injustice somewhere is injustice everywhere or something of the sort. dig?
    Flag hellsyeahon February 21, 2008   Link

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