Top Songs By Billy Paul
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Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Billy Paul
Vocals
Leon Huff
Keyboards
Dexter Wansel
Keyboards
Steve Gold
Keyboards
Herb Smith
Guitar
Roland Chambers
Guitar
Dennis Harris
Guitar
Derrick Graves
Bass
Michael "Sugar Bear" Foreman
Bass
David Cruse
Congas
Larry Washington
Congas
Billy Johnson
Drums
Charles Collins
Drums
Barbara Ingram
Background Vocals
Carla Benson
Background Vocals
Evette Benton
Background Vocals
Don Renaldo
Horn
MFSB
Horn
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Kenneth Gamble
Songwriter
Jerry Butler
Songwriter
Leon Huff
Songwriter
Jack Faith
Arranger
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Kenneth Gamble
Producer
Leon Huff
Producer
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I see you sittin' there all alone
Crying your eyes out
While everything is going wrong
You know there's gonna be
A whole lot of trouble in your life
Listen to me, get up off your knees
'Cause only the strong survive
[Verse 2]
Only the strong survive
Only the strong survive
Hey, you gotta be strong
You gotta hold on
I said don't give up, no don't
[Verse 3]
I said don't go around
With you head looking down
Don't you let them make you feel like a clown
There's a lot of opportunity
Out there just waiting for you
But you'll never succeed if you've given up
And say your life is through
Listen this minute what I'm tellin' you
[Verse 4]
Only the strong survive
Only the strong survive
Hey, you gotta be strong
Gotta hold on
You gotta be a man, take a stand
[Verse 5]
Only the strong survive
Only the strong survive
The weak fall by the wayside
You gotta hold on
You gotta keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on gettin' on
[Verse 6]
'Cause only the strong survive
Only the strong survive
The weak fall by the wayside
You gotta be strong
You gotta hold on
Gotta keep goin' on
[Verse 7]
Only the strong survive
Only the strong survive
The weak fall by the wayside
You gotta be a man, you gotta take a stand
[Verse 8]
Get up
Set your body in motion
Only the strong survives
Wake up
And get your education so you can keep your family alive
Get away from that nothing situation
It's the only gonna bring you frustration
'Cause only the strong survive
[Verse 9]
The strong survive
Only the strong survive
The weak fall by the wayside
You gotta hold on
Gotta keep growin' stone, gotta be a man, gotta take a stand
[Verse 10]
Only the strong survive
Only the strong survive
The weak fall by the wayside
You gotta keep holdin' on, gettin' on, hookin' on, steppin' on, holdin' on
Tonight
Take you to the bus stop
From there we got to take it to the bridge
And tonight
Bein' sick has me worried, just to find medical bills are super big
'Cause I, the non believer
Who says the message in our music, it won't stay around
I will say we can and share our music with many a land
Said I, the music's getting stronger
Cooking to a recipe known as the bitter sound
[Verse 11]
Get down
Keep on goin' on
And get down
Keep on holdin' on
Get down
Keep on steppin' on
Get down
Keep on steppin' on
On tonight
Say goodbye tonight
Oh, we just gon' sit back
Gotta keep
Only if stones could fly
We could go by the wayside
Written by: Jerry Butler, Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff