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"'I Will Survive'" is a song first performed by Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978. It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris. Arranged by Mac Huff. Published by Hal Leonard. (8200466) ISBN 0634091921.
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 - and, above all, is a firm favourite on the karaoke circuit. It is one of the most famous disco songs of all time, 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). The song was rated number nine on George Carlin's 10 Most Embarrassing Songs of All Time.
It received the Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording in 1980, the only year that the award was given.

Contents

Cover versions

Parodies

Usage in film and television

References

Cover versions

★ Cake covered the song in a rock style, with a male singer, in 1996 on the album Fashion Nugget. This version features the line, "I should have changed my fucking lock."

★ UK band Snuff performed a punk version of the song

★ Billie Jo Spears released a country version of the song in 1979

★ 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 Spanish, in a salsa style. 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 title and chorus was translated as "Yo viviré" (Spanish for "I will live").

★ Dame Shirley Bassey has produced a cover version for her upcoming album in 2007. There is also a live version where she sings the song with more than 20 famous artists (watch video on YouTube):
Albita,
Alicia Villareal,
Ana Gabriel,
Arturo Sandoval,
Gilberto Santa Rosa,
Gloria Estefan,
Gloria Gaynor,
Johnny Pacheco,
José Alberto "El Canario",
José Feliciano,
Los Tri-O,
Luis Enrique,
Marc Anthony,
Milly Quezada,
Mickey Perfecto,
Olga Tañón,
Patti Labelle,
Rosario,
Paulina Rubio,
Tito Nieves,
Victor Manuelle

★ In 2003, the disappeared Pop Music Group Angeles from Guayaquil-Ecuador released a single entitled "No queda más" (Spanish for "There is nothing else") in a pop style that featured a reworked tune and almost entirely new translated lyrics in Spanish, turning it into an apology and homage to a broken heart love and a superation example. The group was formed by five beauty girls: Shirley Pauta "La Pecas", María Isabel González "La Choco", Cinthia Soto "Shami", Guadalupe Argudo “Rayo”, Dyana Obando "Blondie". (watch video on YouTube)

★ Crazy Frog did his version of the single in 2006

★ sang the song in French in 1979 as

★ sang the song in French in 2006 as ''Je Survivrai''

★ Ajda Pekkan sang it in Turkish with the title ''Bambaşka Biri''.

★ 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

★ Marta Sánchez recorded a versión which only played in live, not in an album.

★ Tony Clifton (AKA Andy Kaufman) made a guest appearance in The Muppet Show in 1982, and sang "I Will Survive" in his very particular Vegas style. He also performed it in the film ''Man on the Moon''.

★ Wilson, NC Metal act,Sodlayer, covered it in their very particular Death Metal style

★ Elephant Man made a song with the same rhythm as "I Will Survive" in the song "Willie Bounce"

★ Part of it was sung a cappella in ''Men in Black II'' by Frank the Pug.

★ Several lines of it are sung, although to a quite different tune, in They Might Be Giants's song "The Biggest One" (which can be found on the compilation '')

★ The Puppini Sisters released an interesting 40s harmonizing version of the song in 2007 on their album Betcha Bottom Dollar.

★ The Spanish group Dúo Dinámico released a song called ''Resistiré'' in 1984 which was made famous by the 1990 film ''Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!''. (YouTube clip)

★ Japanese pop artist Rina Aiuchi covered the song on a Giza Studio compilation album.

★ Korean version is sung by Jin-Ju - Link [2] to the video on YouTube

★ There is a Russian version called "Ya budu zhitz" ("I will live") sung by International Stars

★ Czech singer Helena Vondráčková sings a version in Czech called "Ja Půjdu Dál" ("I will go on") Link [3] to the video on YouTube

★ Nils Landgren (trombone/vocals) covered the song on his album Sentimental Journey (2002)

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.
Luke Smith 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.
The song was parodied in the British satirical puppet show Spitting Image. It was sung by a puppet of Queen Elizabeth II as 'One Will Survive'.
Ron Woodruff, a.k.a Fangs of the Natural Selection [FFT] clan and PR manager of nsRadio, parodied the song to reflect the situation of a post-game, gorge class, alien player who has holed up in a vent with defense chambers after the last hive has been destroyed. Typically, destroying the last hive would result in all aliens losing health gradually until death, but the Defense Chambers provide healing to the hiding gorge, in effect, unnecessarily prolonging the game and causing general grief among other players.
In Brazil, the most famous parody is named "Vai Wilson Vai" (which means literally "Go Wilson Go"), performed by the band Velhas Virgens, that tells the story of a man that felt in love with a jokel. It was released in 2005.
In an e-card made by American Greetings, an animated turkey sings a parody version of the song, declaring that she will not be killed and eaten for Thanksgiving dinner. The video, introduced in 2005, quickly became American Greetings' most popular e-card ever, being viewed by approximately 30 million people.^[1]

Usage in film and television

The song was used in the movies ''The Replacements'', ''The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'', ''Men in Black II'' and ''Dr. Dolittle 2''. 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 was featured in a third season episode of ''Ally Mcbeal'' entitled "I Will Survive" in which Ally is haunted by the song, sung by guest star Gloria Gaynor herself, in the wake of Billy's death.
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.
The song is featured in the Karaoke Game Singstar Anthems, on Playstation 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.
In the Prom Night episode of That '70s Show, Gloria Gaynor, playing the role of a music teacher, sings the song.
The UK Hit ITV Prison Drama Bad Girls used this song twice in the history of the show. The first time it was used was in the season finale for series one. The Inmates were singing after hearing of inmate Monica Lindsay release from prison. The second and last time was in the last series.
On the television show Will & Grace, Will and Jack were on holiday with Grace and Karen. They walk into a bar and Will questions whether it's a gay bar. The bar is empty except for a burly bartender wiping down the bar. Will says to Jack, "Are you sure this is a gay bar?" The jukebox kicks on and begins to play "At first I was afraid, I was petrified..." Will and Jack assuredly step up to the counter.
On the television series Special Unit 2, in the episode "The Wall," the normally stern and stoic Captain Page sings along to it during a private moment while playing it on his car stereo.
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.
Tony Clifton performed this song in a 1982 episode of The Muppet Show.
In the 2005 movie Chicken Little, while Chicken Little tries to get to the Meeting House, they drive a fire truck to both drive there and stop some of the aliens. While trying to get there, Runt of the Litter begins to sing this song.
In the Mr. Bean's Holiday trailer, when Mr. Bean tries to eat French food, the song is played.
In the 2007 Turkish movie Polis, the song is played while the family of Musa Rami dances at the picnic.
In the 2007 movie Gray Matters, the song is sung by Gloria Gaynor herself with Heather Graham and Bridget Moynahan on stage in a Las Vegas casino called Gilroy's.

References

1. Gray, Tim "Will The ECard Turkey Survive?" November 23, 2005. Retrieved on April 29, 2007.

Nadine Hubbs, "‘I Will Survive’: musical mappings of queer social space in a disco anthem." ''Popular Music'', (2007),
26: 231-244