I'm Not Going Down

There's a time for your surrender

A time to lay it down

There's a time to come out swinging

To get up on your feet and stand your ground

You gotta know when to wait in silence

On your knees with open hands

You gotta know when to take up arms

Cross the river and take the Promised Land

I'm not going down

I'm Rising up

I'm gonna stand my ground

And I won't give up

Like a man who knows he's drowning

Pulled down by the undertow

You try to swim against the tide

Weighed down by a heart of stone

You gotta kick to keep on breathing

You gotta push to stay alive

Take the holy light we're given

And hold it like a fire against the night

I'm not going down

I'm Rising up

I'm gonna stand my ground

And I won't give up

It's not by might, and it's not by power,

But by my spirit, says the Lord

I'm not going down

I'm Rising up

I'm gonna stand my ground

And I won't give up

Like a flower beneath the concrete

Pushing up under the weight

To put a crack in the back of the pavement

And break through into the light of day