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Songfacts:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

This is a female-empowerment anthem. It is about moving on after a bad relationship. Over the years, it has taken on meaning for people who have overcome just about any difficult situation.

This won the 1979 Grammy for Best Disco Recording. It was the first and last time that the Grammys offered this category.

This has been reproduced in 20 languages, including Arabic.

Gaynor sees this song as just a simple song about survival, regardless of what you have to overcome: "I love the empowering effect, I love the encouraging effect. It's a timeless lyric that addresses a timeless concern."

In June 1998, the French football team (or as Americans call it, soccer) made this their World Cup anthem.

This became an anthem in the gay community. It is also one of the most popular songs to be sung on Karaoke. (thanks, Adam - Dewsbury, England, for above 3)

Gaynor used this same title for her 1997 autobiography.

Gaynor's producers Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris wrote this for her after she suffered a back injury and spent 6 months in the hospital. She has surgery and was still in a back brace when she recorded this. (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England)

Perren and Fekaris wrote several other hits, including "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" by Tavares and "Reunited" by Peaches And Herb.

Since this was written, Gaynor has become a devout Christian and added a verse reflecting her faith: "I will survive; He gave me life; I stand beside the Crucified One; I can go on; I will be strong; For my strength to live is not my own; I will survive!"

This was released as the B-side of another song called "Substitute." Gloria knew this would be the hit, but the president of her record company specifically ordered "Substitute" as the single. Gloria put her efforts into promoting "I Will Survive," and when club DJs started playing it, radio stations caught on and it became a huge hit.

This is not about a specific man in Gaynor's life. She was happily married when she recorded it.

Some of the movies this has been used in include In And Out, Four Weddings And A Funeral, The Replacements, Men In Black II, Man On The Moon, The Adventures Of Priscilla: Queen Of The Desert, The First Wives Club and Coyote Ugly.

Among the many artists who have covered this: Diana Ross, Selena, Gladys Knight, and Cake. Cake's version provides a gender reversal as it was now a man singing about a woman who he must free himself from emotionally. Their version is slower, implying that he is still trying to get over her. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)

"Tony Clifton" (Jim Carrey) performed this song near the end of the film Man on the Moon. It is included in the film's soundtrack. (thanks, Brett - Edmonton, Canada)

VH1 named this #1 on their list of the 100 Greatest Dance Songs. (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England)

In 1999, Gaynor performed this on an episode of That '70s Show. She played the music teacher Mrs. Clark, and sang this at the prom.

Frank the pug sings this song in a scene from Men in Black 2. (thanks, Shane - Columbus, OH)

Gaynor told Billboard magazine that it doesn't bother her in the least that she will forever be tied to her signature ode. "From the beginning I recognized it was a timeless lyric that everyone could relate to," said Gaynor, "so I don't get tired of singing it. I'm always freshening it up; changing the beat, the lyrics, modernizing the arrangement - I've even stuck a hip-hop section in the middle of it. I become 295% grade A ham when I do this song because people still love it."

Comments:

Hello All... I have been arguing with people for years, & years... Will someone whom has an original release of the album, containing I Will Survive from back in the '70's Look-Up (whom) actually is the responsible party whom wrote the song... Because I know it wasn't Gloria Gaynor !!! Originally written, & recorded by a man - ? Gloria Gaynor goes around taking credit for his song writing, everytime she appears on a show!!! That is getting on my last nerve, I saw a talk show years ago, with him on there, & he was addressed the issue with him losing-out on the song being recorded by her, & she publically states that she wrote the song for (reasons) etc.etc. Someone, Please, Please help set the record straight, because the original name will be in the credits of the song listing on an original album...
- David Mosley, Lincoln Park, MI

haha i love this song and no its just an ispirational song to empower any type of people who have to survive a battle with something. i use this song as my antham since my battle with alcoholism and P.S im only 14.. Alcohol and drugs are in schools stupid adults in denial!!!! anyway thats besides the point this song will be as timeless as the battle for survival
- paul, san benito, TX

Hi there!, Firstly i work in the music biz, and was lucky enough to meet Gloria in NYC , she is a pain to work with!..lol..We discussed the track and here is the story...Years before she wrote the song she was battling through breast cancer, after her fight , she wanted to write about experience but in a way that only she new, believe it or not?????
- Robert, Melbourne, Australia

Dave from Cardiff: Hmm...Playing this song at a bar mitzvah--or a wedding...What kind of message does that send? LOL Anyway, I actually appreciate this song more now than I did when it first came out. Maybe it's because I'm older and more experienced, having survived a few things--including having to live as a male for more than forty years, and, as a result, doing all sorts of things to which I was completely unsuited. Here I've come! Thanks, Gloria!
- MusicMama, new york, NY

Gloria guest-appeared recently on "Don't Forget The Lyrics"(US game show) & sang it to/with a young contestant who came back from a car accident to dance once again. . . The audience gave her a standing ovation as she sang. Yes, she's much bigger now!
- Cyberpope, Richmond, Canada

Matt from Marietta, if you paid attention to the actual song facts above you would know 1.) Gloria did not write this song 2.)The people who did write it did in fact write it as an inspirational song for her to sing due to her back injury, which was caused by a fall, not anything to do with her weight as you imply and 3.) Gloria has also said her take on the song was not based on any relationship in her life at that time, past or present.
- renee, bloomington, MN

Aiedail - it doesn't prove that girls rule, but that they can be just as bad and as egotistical in their own way as guys. In 1997, Gaynor admitted that the song was not conceived as an anthem for women being abused by men, but inspired by her recovery from a back injury
- Dave, Cardiff, Wales

UH-MAZING SONG!It's inspirational for anyone who listens. The only problem is when people try to sing it karioke!
- Caitlin, Upper Township, NJ

its an ispiration song to all girls everywhere. never has a girl i know not been inspired by this awesome song. its a powerful song and no other song can bring down its meaning.
- Egypt_Queen, Roseville, MN

hands down this has got to be the greatest survival insporation song that i have ever heard
- michael gray, manning, SC

I like this song cos it inspires me to move on and not care about any hurdles that come my way..i will survive yes I will
- Priya, Mumbai

A song that lifts me up always....to stand up, to fight and never give up....a song about life itself! Metti -Pune (INDIA)
- Priya, Mumbai

The other night our very known dj vaibhab played this song in our gay night club. every one swayed. i dragged in feather boa and a short dress... i danced till my heels broke....ha ha ha!
- sum sum, New Delhi, India

Health problems? Sorry, I really do believe that this is about a failed relationship. Anyone as big as Gloria Gaynor would have had back problems.I doubt that's why she wrote the song (unless her back pain made her cranky and that's why she broke up with the dude)
- Matt, Marietta, NY

this song is actually about her health problems. most people assume that it is about a failed releationahip. inact she had back problems for years and she wrote this song after she recovered, so congrats to Igor frm Miami
- helen, durham, England

The group Cake has the definitive version of this song. Sung by John McCrea, it makes a dismal song finally listenable. I find humorous the slight lyric change: Instead of "I should have changed that stupid lock," McCrea sings (unexpectedly): "I should have changed that f***ing lock." A bit jarring when first heard, but then it's wonderful. Terrific remake. As an aside, I thought a man sang this song first. I know a man (Otis Redding) wrote and sang the song Respect way before Aretha Franklin made it a hit. It kind of gives that song a whole new meaning when sung by a man, huh?
- Bill, southeastern part of, FL

it proves girls rule
- Aiedail, Carnation, WA

Just a detail about the "woman empowering" stuff : What I like about this song is that it is indeed genderless, no he or she mentionned..... So drunken male secretaries can also sing it for late nights out!
- JL, Bretagne, France

The thing that puts me off this song is that it makes me think of middle-aged women standing on table-tops and shouting the lyrics at a drunken 'girls night out'.
- Daniel, Leeds, England

This is a song which has been mistakenly embraced as an anthem by drunken secretaries and divorcees the world over. I say mistakenly as many have seen it as a celebration of the female will to overcome. A fanfare for woman against adversity. Bollocks. In reality it is an illustration of how chicks go for blokes who are arseholes and then wonder why they can't change them. I hate this song.
- Royston, Essex, England

I can't believe that NOBODY has mentioned "Alien Song," the video clip in which this song. . .uh . . ."ends abruptly." If you do a search, you will find this MPEG on Gloria's own website!
- Keith, SLC, UT

Chantay Savage had a huge hit with an abysmal cover of this song in 1996. Quite why anyone would want this song played at a bar mitzvah is a mystery...
- Dave, Cardiff, Wales

This is probably a classic song, basically everyone i know knows at LEAST of this song, the huge majority know the words or at least the chorus!!amazing song..can be overplayed at weddings, bar mitzvah's etc.
- Chloe, somewhere, Canada

It was also sampled by Robbie Williams for his hit "Supreme"...
- Jo, Newcastle, Australia

I think she recorded this after recovering from a serious back injury. She fell off a stage, hurting herself.
- Igor, Miami, FL

I don't care what you say about this song if it is not I LOVE IT! This is one of the gr8est song i've ever heard!
- Sigga, Gardabaer, Iceland