I'm a Survivor

Album: Greatest Hits Volume III: I'm a Survivor (2001)
Charted: 49
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Songfacts®:

  • Shelby Kennedy and Philip White wrote this country-pop song. It recounts the trials and tribulations of a premature baby who grows up to be a single mom juggling two jobs and raising her kids. As a strong woman who experienced a divorce and the tragic loss of her entire band in a 1991 plane crash, Reba McEntire fit this song of resilience perfectly. She could relate to the story of a woman who survives difficult circumstances with the help of "God's amazing grace."
  • McEntire recorded this as one of three new songs for her third compilation album, Greatest Hits Volume III: I'm a Survivor. Released as its lead single on September 6, 2001, it peaked at #49 on the Hot 100 and #3 on the Country chart.
  • McEntire co-produced the song with Tony Brown. It features the following musicians:

    Guitars: Steve Gibson
    Bass: Michael Rhodes
    Drums: Paul Leim
    Keyboards: Steve Nathan and Matt Rollings
    Backing Vocals: Russell Terrell and Kim Parent.
  • McEntire recorded an altered version as the theme song for her WB sitcom Reba, which aired from October 5, 2001 to February 18, 2007. The show's lyrics are as follows:

    My roots are planted in the past,
    Though my life is changing fast,
    Who I am is who I want to be.
    A single mom, who works too hard,
    Who loves her kids and never stops.
    With gentle hands and the heart of a fighter.
    I'm a survivor.
  • In 2021, the song received a new life from TikTok when the social platform users started showing the amusing things that make them a "survivor." McEntire got in on the trend filming herself trying to feed her donkeys.

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