Released: October 10, 2005

Featuring: Chug Xperience

Songwriter: Xperience Macklemore

Producer: Macklemore

[Chorus]
Hold your head up, there's a light in the sky
I know you're fed up, but you must try to survive
Each moment's precious, don't let life pass you by
Keep focused, keep your eyes on the prize
Hold your head up, there's a light in the sky
I know you're fed up, but you must try to survive
Each moment's precious, don't let life pass you by
Keep focused, keep your eyes on the prize

[Verse 1: Macklemore]
A friend of mine once told me, "We have many paths in this journey"
They act in different directions, so when you question don't be worried
It's not a wrong one, beauty can be found in all of them
You'll meet people whose paths intersect, but you don't know how long you'll walk with them
Cause the truth is, and it's so hard, but you'll never know
How long we'll continue with our loved ones down this rugged road
The path veers and it's clear that we must steer alone
I've learned if you can't hold on to that moment that exists- let it go
Cause freedom is God
Freedom is acknowledging the mask you have on and possessing the strength to take it off
Freedom is accepting every step of the path
And when it's hard having faith in the ability to embrace it, that's where you are
And this is it
The same shit that we work towards, but go against in the same sense
My friend hit me to some game and truth unraveled, she said, "The brighter the light, the darker the shadow"
And since I'm on cliche terms, knowing is half the battle
But I don't know, so I just go with what was destined
Life can be a burden or a blessing
The choice is yours to be connected
It's there if you want it, you got it, now let it

[Chorus]
Hold your head up, there's a light in the sky
I know you're fed up, but you must try to survive
Each moment's precious, don't let life pass you by
Keep focused, keep your eyes on the prize
Hold your head up, there's a light in the sky
I know you're fed up, but you must try to survive
Each moment's precious, don't let life pass you by
Keep focused, keep your eyes on the prize

[Verse 2]
I feel like I have nothing to give right now
This is my trial, tribulations, and it must go down
But where's the up? I'm stuck with the broken smile
No joking now, wanting to grab a swish and smoke this out
The moment of a man choosing what path I will go down
Do I give in, give up, or get up and live right now?
With a split gut pick myself up and spit my style
This is the only thing that can hold my ground
You're born into this world alone, and alone you'll go out
All I have is myself and everyone else I doubt
You can only trust yourself and depend on the help of the pound
Inside of the chest that beats with the breath of the now
No sunshine when she's gone, I can only see clouds
No homies can hold me down, the spirit's testing me now
But I can withstand this world, but it seems so foul
Flood of emotions, it's like I'm being held down to drown
Hell's right around the corner, but I can turn it around
You always have a choice, no matter the situation you're not bound
To nothing, no one, you're chosen for this job
This is your life, you can't escape this bitch when it's hard
Just know that it passes, but you'll collect scars
They never go away, but they will make you who you are
This is a beautiful struggle, I share it in song cause
I can't control this, remember: the moment's beyond us

[Chorus]
Hold your head up, there's a light in the sky
I know you're fed up, but you must try to survive
Each moment's precious, don't let life pass you by
Keep focused, keep your eyes on the prize
Hold your head up, there's a light in the sky
I know you're fed up, but you must try to survive
Each moment's precious, don't let life pass you by
Keep focused, keep your eyes on the prize

[Bridge]
And all my people say whoa, whoa, yeah
And all my people say whoa, whoa
And all my people say whoa, whoa, yeah
And all my people say whoa, whoa
C'mon

[Chorus]
Hold your head up, there's a light in the sky
I know you're fed up, but you must try to survive
Each moment's precious, don't let life pass you by
Keep focused, keep your eyes on the prize
Hold your head up, there's a light in the sky
I know you're fed up, but you must try to survive
Each moment's precious, don't let life pass you by
Keep focused, keep your eyes on the prize

Macklemore

Macklemore is probably best known for his creative musical endeavor with producer Ryan Lewis which spawned the number one hits “Can’t Hold Us” (six million copies sold, multi-platinum) and “Thrift Shop” (ten million copies sold, multi-platinum, viewed more than a billion times on Youtube) in 2012. But there is more to him than a radio hit and a meme song.

Born June 19, 1983 as Ben Haggerty, the Seattle native of Irish descent has been releasing music independently since 2000. Formerly known as “Professor Macklemore”, he bonded with Ryan Lewis in 2008. The rapper-producer-duo gained a significant online fanbase before making their mainstream breakthrough and gaining international recognition.

Their debut studio album The Heist, released 2012, was a major commercial success, charting #2 on the US Billboard 200 charts, selling 78,000 copies in the first week. It also won a Grammy for best rap album, one which was heatedly debated.