THE RASCALS-"A RAY OF HOPE" (W/LYRICS)

"Eddie Brigati (vocals), Felix Cavaliere (keyboard, vocals), Gene Cornish (guitar) and Dino Danelli (drums) started the band in Brigati and Danelli's hometown of Garfield, New Jersey. Brigati, Cavaliere and Cornish had previously been members of Joey Dee and the Starliters. Eddie's brother, David Brigati, an original Starliter, helped arrange the vocal harmonies and sang backgrounds on many of the group's recordings (informally earning the designation as the "fifth Rascal"). When Atlantic Records signed them, they discovered that another group, Borrah Minnevitch's and Johnny Puleo's 'Harmonica Rascals', objected to their release of records under the name 'Rascals'. To avoid conflict, manager Sid Bernstein decided to rename the group 'The Young Rascals'.
The Young Rascals' first television performance was on the program Hullabaloo on February 27, 1965, where they performed their debut single, "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore". The track reached #23 in Canada, and touched the lower reaches of the U.S. charts as well. This modest success was followed by the U.S./Canada #1 single "Good Lovin'" (1966, originally recorded by The Olympics in 1965).
The band's songwriting team of Eddie Brigati and Cavaliere then began providing most of their songs, and the hits kept coming for the next two years. Their immediate followups to "Good Lovin'", including "You Better Run" (1966; covered in 1980 by Pat Benatar) and "Come On Up" were only modest hits. "(I've Been) Lonely Too Long" (1967) did better, and "Groovin'" (#1 US/Canada, 1967) returned them to the top of the charts. They reeled off a succession of top 20 U.S. hits, including "A Girl Like You" (1967), "How Can I Be Sure?" (1967), "It's Wonderful" (1968), and "A Beautiful Morning" (1968). The band was exceptionally popular in Canada, where "A Girl Like You", "How Can I Be Sure?", and "A Beautiful Morning" all reached #1. However they struggled in the UK, where they only twice reached the top 75 — with "Groovin'" (#8) and "A Girl Like You" (#35). The band would bill themselves as the Young Rascals for the last time with the single release of "It's Wonderful"; they would be known thenceforwards as simply The Rascals.
(Wikipedia)

LYRICS: Most people got soul if they wanna try
Let love be your goal and let it fly
'Cause it's easy to hate and to draw a line
But err is human forgiveness is divine
I know a lot of people who think like me
That this world could be a place that's filled with harmony
First there's a lot of things, we've got to rearrange
Put an end to hate and lies
So peace can come and truth shall reign
As long as there is a ray of hope
Lord, I don't mind going out
And doin' my work
Light up the way to brotherhood
Help us to make His dream understood
Sometimes the road gets a little bit rough
Your strength is all gone, you had enough
But there's people who win without making fists
Our world won't survive lest we think like this
I can't imagine any greater need
To treat each other as we'd like to be
It's a gas just knowing what is yet to come
Not unless we get together
Got to get together one by one
As long as there is a ray of hope
Lord, I don't mind goin' out and doin' my work
Light up the way to brotherhood
I got to keep on searchin', keep on searchin'
Till I find out
Keep on searchin', keep on searchin'
Till I find out
Keep on searchin', keep on searchin'
Till I find out
Gonna take a little look way down inside
Gotta find out Lord why I'm alive
We'll pray for a day when all men are free
And people can live like they're meant to be
Meanwhile, it's all up to you and me
Start working together towards this dream
As long as there is a ray of hope
Lord, I don't mind goin' out and doin' my work
Light up the way to brotherhood
Help us to make His dream understood
As long as there is a ray of hope
I got to wait my turn till I can vote
As long as there is a ray of hope