I Will Survive
"I Will Survive" is a song by Gloria Gaynor, released in 1978. It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris.
The song's lyrics describe a narrator who finds personal strength while recovering from a break-up; it has often been used as an anthem of female empowerment, a gay anthem, and HIV/AIDS awareness. It is a widely played disco classic, and easily Gaynor's biggest hit; it received massive airplay in 1979, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was originally released as the B-side to a Gaynor song called "Substitute", a track thought to have more potential for mainstream success by her record label. Disc jockeys began flipping the single over and eventually copies of the record were pressed with "I Will Survive" as the A-side ("Substitute" managed to peak at number 107 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart).
It received the Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording in 1980, the only year that the award was given.
Cover versions
- Part of it was sung a capella in Men in Black II
- Several lines of it are sung, although to a quite different tune, in They Might Be Giants's song "The Biggest One".
- Cake covered the song in a rock style, with a male singer, in 1996
- UK band Snuff performed a punk version of the song
- R&B divas Chantay Savage
- Diana Ross's 1995 album Take Me Higher features the song
- The song formed the basis for Robbie Williams' song "Supreme" in 2000.
- I Will Survive is the stadium anthem of Feyenoord, Schalke 04 and Galatasaray, which is a part of the covered version by the Hermes House Band.
- In 2003, Celia Cruz covered the hit in salsa form. Cruz described it as an important part of her life's journey. Many of her fans believe it was one of the final pieces she recorded when she knew she was going to soon pass away from cancer. The cover was named "Yo viviré" (Spanish for "I will live").
- Crazy Frog did his version of the single in 2006.
- Larusso sang the song in French in 2006 as Je Survivrai.
- R.E.M. recorded an acoustic version as part of the 1996 Fan Club Singles
- Andrés Calamaro released his version of the song in 2001 and is included as a Bonus Track on the album 'Lo mejor de Andrés Calamaro'.
- Tejano Pop Star Selena Sang a Disco Medley at her Last Concert which opened with I will survive.
- Gladys Knight & The Pips added a life version to their 1980 album "Touch"
- In 1998 Chilean soap opera Marparaíso used this song as its main theme in a translated version named "Yo viviré". Link [1] to the video on YouTube.
Parodies
The song was also part of a very popular internet video in 1999 when Victor Navone's "Alien Song" (http://www.navone.org) was passed around via email, and a similar parody was made by Javier Prato, titled "Jesus Christ - The Musical" available at (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCvOW1rLA2E). The song was also parodied by Jennifer Love Hewitt during her appearance on the Rosie O'Donnell Show, where she complained that O'Donnell did not see her movie I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.
Filipino band Parokya ni Edgar made a spoof of the song called "Picha Pie", which narrates the singer's obsession with pizza. Parts of the mostly Filipino song somewhat resemble the original lyrics.
An unknown singer also created a parody also called "I Will Survive" in relation to the game Counter Strike where he talks about how he will survive the betrayal of his teammates and still end up wiping out the opposing team.
Usage in film and television
The song was used in the movies The Replacements and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. It was also used in a humorous segment in the 1997 movie In & Out, in which the main character, a closeted homosexual, dances to it.
The song features on the advertisement for the reality show I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!, where little animated insects dance to it. It is also featured in the dancing game Dancing Stage Euromix, and a cover by Akira Yamaoka is on Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2.
In the movie Jenseits der Stille (Beyond Silence, Germany 1996, directed by Caroline Link), a film that deals with deafness, Tom signs the song to Lara.
On the television show Will and Grace, Will and another gay man were on a business trip in a city they were unaccustomed to. They asked someone for directions to a gay bar. There were many other bars in the area of the gay one, so when they walked in the bar they were unsure if they were in the right place. The bar was empty except for a burly bartender wiping down the bar. Will stated to his buddy, "I'm not sure if we're in the right bar." The jukebox then kicked on and begin playing... "At first I was afraid, I was petrified.." to wit Will then quipped, "Yep, we're in the right bar."
The song is also sung by the character Valerie Cherish (played by Lisa Kudrow) in the HBO show 'The Comeback
The song was used as a theme song for the World Cup Champion French Soccer Team in 1998.
Alexis Stone Lopez performed the song twice on the Fox Broadcasting Company Television show American Idol season one.
The Song was also used in an Episode of the television show Medium.