“Don’t Give Up on Me” was the first song that we wrote after we
recorded Youth Is In Our Blood up in Woodstock in December 2009. That
was almost 3 years ago. Wow. Jenkins wrote all of the music to that
song and it hung around for a long time as “Song 1” without any lyrics
or melody… meaning that it was the first song we wrote after the Youth
recording sessions. (For anyone wondering, “Fairlane” was “Song 2”)

The lyrics finally came together after a series of conversations with
two different friends of mine who had been struggling deeply with
being accepted for who they are by a loved one. My two friends told me
eerily similar stories about how they had personal histories that they
felt they just “can’t share with anyone .” They each told me tough
stories about starting to date someone seriously, only for the dating
relationship to end abruptly once they revealed that they were
damaged, broken, and imperfect. This song is a cry for acceptance,
and a cry for a graceful lover.

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“All I really want is someone to tell me I’m wanted
Can you hear me?
I’m longing to know tonight

Gimme an answer
I need a fighter
I’m a long way off
Hanging on a little string
Hoping you notice
I’m loaded with questions
Old enough to know
But young enough to still believe
Don’t give up on me.”

- james