Gladys Knight & The Pips – I’ve Got to Use My Imagination

Gladys Knight & The Pips: “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination” – A Soulful Plea for Perseverance

In the tapestry of American music, Gladys Knight & The Pips hold a distinct and enduring thread. Among their vast collection of hits, “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination” stands out as a timeless anthem, a song that speaks to the universal human experience of overcoming challenges and finding strength within.

Background

Released in 1973, “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination” marked a pivotal moment in Gladys Knight & The Pips’ career.

It was their first single on Buddah Records after a successful tenure with Motown, and it served as the title track for their critically acclaimed album.

The song’s narrative delves into the emotional turmoil that follows a heartbreak.

The lyrics, penned by Eleanor Rigby (a pseudonym for Brenda Holloway and Patrice Holloway), capture the vulnerability and resilience of the human spirit in the face of loss.

Video

Lyrics

🎵 Let’s sing along with the lyrics! 🎤

I’ve really got to use
My imaginationㅤ
To think of good reasons
To keep on keepin’ on (keep on keepin’ on)

Got to make the best of (best of, best of)
Of bad situation (bad situation)
Ever since that day (ever since that day)
I woke up and found
That you were gone (gone, gone)

Darkness all around me
Blockin’ out the sun
Old friends call me
But I just don’t feel like talkin’ to anyone

Emptiness has found me
And it just won’t let me go
I go right on livin’
But why, I just don’t know (you’re too strong, got to keep on keepin’ on)
Yes, I am

Staring down reality
Don’t do me no good
‘Cause our misunderstanding
Is too well understood (too well understood)

Such a sad, sad season (sad, sad season)
When a good love dies (when a good love dies)
Not a day goes by (not a day goes by)
When I don’t realize (realize)

Ooh, ooh, oh, I’ve really got to use (I’ve got to use)
My imagination (I’ve got to use)
To think of good reasons (I’ve got to use)
To keep on keepin’ on (I’ve got to use)