Never Give Up Hope is the opening number from the Animaniacs film Wakko's Wish. The music was written by Julie Bernstein and the lyrics by Tom Ruegger, Kevin Hopps, and Nick DuBois.
Lyrics
- Yakko:
- Some folks say that life is cruel.
- Wakko:
- At the orphanage they fed us inedible gruel.
- Dot:
- We slept on beds with springs that hurt.
- Yakko:
- The faucets have hot and cold running dirt.
- Wakko:
- The windows were broken, the roof was leaky.
- Dot:
- The walls were cracked, the floors were creaky.
- Yakko:
- They shut down the orphanage and now we know...
- The Warners:
- (sigh)
- Those were the days. We miss it so.
- Dot:
- And ever since then...
- (basso profundo) I've been feeling low (Cough).
- Yakko:
- Another sub-zero morning.
- Dot:
- And still, there's nothing to eat.
- Yakko:
- My feet couldn't get much colder.
- Dot:
- Our breath is our main source of heat.
- Yakko:
- We're so far below the poverty line.
- We're off the graph.
- Wakko:
- But don't fret, sibs, because things'll get better
- In time, then you're gonna laugh.
- Yakko and Dot:
- Ha!
- Rita:
- Poverty and hunger abound here.
- Runt:
- Yeah, looks like a city dump.
- Dot:
- There's only one job to be found here.
- Yakko:
- The town needs a new speed bump.
- Dr. Scratchansniff:
- Acme Falls was a paradise.
- Hello Nurse:
- Happiest place on earth.
- All:
- But the tax collector's avarice
- Took us for all we're worth.
- Thaddeus Plotz:
- My coffers are overflowing!
- Frau Hassenfeffer, Otto von Schnitzelpusskrankengescheitmeyer, Prunella Flundergust:
- All of our shelves are bare.
- Plotz:
- My profit margin is growing!
- Frau Hassenfeffer, Otto von Schnitzelpusskrankengescheitmeyer, Prunella Flundergust:
- We're broke, it seems so unfair.
- All:
- Life's so lousy, we can no longer cope!
- Wakko:
- Ya gotta cheer up, and never ever give up hope!
- Yakko:
- All of the shops are closin'.
- Dot:
- Things couldn't get much worse.
- Slappy:
- Be careful with that last verse!
- Dr. Scratchansniff:
- Hey, step up und try our elixir!
- It's good for what hurts!
- Hello Nurse:
- Whatever ails you, it can fix her!
- Dr. Scratchansniff:
- And it's great on desserts!
- The Brain:
- Drat, the temperature's falling!
- Pinky:
- I love when the weather is cool!
- The Brain:
- A new ice age is calling.
- Pinky:
- Look, I can freeze my drool!
- The Brain:
- I have hopes and dreams of ruling the Earth,
- But here I sit.
- Watching Pinky make ice sculptures...
- Pinky:
- Out of spit.
- Narf!
- Slappy:
- This old tree is finished!
- Skippy:
- Our acorn supply's gone, too.
- Slappy:
- So for dinner, we're havin' creamed spinach!
- Skippy:
- All I can say is, "Spew!"
- Yakko and Dot:
- As a town, we're so down, so we mope.
- Wakko:
- Ya gotta cheer up, and never give up hope!
- All:
- We can't cope!
- Wakko:
- Ya gotta cheer up, and never give up hope!
- All:
- Are you a dope?!
- Wakko:
- Nope!
- All:
- Just cheer up and never ever give up hope hope hope hope hope! YEAH!
Reprise 1
- Pip:
- Bon voyage, have a safe journey, and remember...
- Ya gotta cheer up and never give up hope!
- Wakko:
- I won't mope!
- Pip:
- Just cheer up...
- Pip and Wakko:
- And never ever give up hope hope hope hope hope! YEAH!!
Reprise 2
- All:
- The good old days were a bummer.
- Our town was a total dive.
- But now, every day's like summer.
- It feels great to be alive!
- To state our message with greater clarity,
- We now spin the Wheel of Morality!
- Wheel of Morality, turn turn turn,
- Tell us the lesson that we should learn!
- (Moral number five)
- Yakko:
- And the moral of our story is...
- All:
- When you're blue, buy a clue, try not to mope.
- Ya gotta cheer up and never give up hope!
- Don't be a dope!
- Ya gotta cheer up and never give up hope!
- Try to cope!
- Just cheer up and never ever give up hope hope hope hope hope!!!
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