🎶 I Will Survive 🎶

At first I was afraid
I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never live
without you by my side
But then I spent so many nights
thinking how you did me wrong
And I grew strong
And I learned how to get along

And so you’re back
from outer space
I just walked in to find you here
with that sad look upon your face
I should have changed that stupid lock
I should have made you leave your key
If I had known for just one second
you’d be back to bother me

Go on now go walk out the door
just turn around now
’cause you’re not welcome anymore
weren’t you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye
Did you think I’d crumble
Did you think I’d lay down and die
Oh no, not I
I will survive
Oh as long as I know how to love
I know I will stay alive
I’ve got all my life to live
I’ve got all my love to give
and I’ll survive

It took all the strength I had
not to fall apart
kept trying hard to mend
the pieces of my broken heart
and I spent oh so many nights
just feeling sorry for myself
I used to cry
But now I hold my head up high
and you see me
somebody new
I’m not that chained up little person
still in love with you
and so you felt like dropping in
and just expect me to be free
and now I’m saving all my loving
for someone who’s loving me

Go on now go walk out the door
just turn around now
’cause you’re not welcome anymore
weren’t you the one who tried to break me with goodbye
Did you think I’d crumble
Did you think I’d lay down and die
Oh no, not I
I will survive
Oh as long as I know how to love
I know I will stay alive
I’ve got all my life to live
I’ve got all my love to give
and I’ll survive
I will survive.

“I Will Survive” (1978) is Gloria Graynor’s signature song: it has been reproduced in 20 languages, covered by numerous artists and featured in several films.
In 2016, Gaynor’s original recording was added to the National Recording Registry, selected for preservation because it was considered “culturally, historically, or artistically significant”

Its lyrics describe the story of a woman unwilling to put up with a cheating partner, but over the years this female-empowerment anthem about the ability to move on after a bad relationship has become meaningful for people who have overcome any difficult situation.
Its universal themes of strength, pride, independence, and overcoming self-doubt have made it a timeless song about survival, regardless of what people have to overcome.

Originally it was released as the B-side to another song, but it became a worldwide hit when disc jockeys started playing that side of the record
It was written by Freddie Perren together with Dino Fekaris, who at the time had just been fired by Motown Records, where he had been a staff writer for seven years. He said: “I was an unemployed songwriter contemplating my fate” when he saw one of his songs on TV, and felt reinvigorated. “I took that as an omen that things were going to work out for me. I remember jumping up and down on the bed saying, ‘I’m going to make it. I’m going to be a songwriter. I will survive!”

All’inizio ero impaurita
ero pietrificata
Continuavo a pensare che non sarei mai riuscita a vivere
senza te al mio fianco
Ma poi ho passato tante notti
pensando a come mi avevi ferita
e mi sono rafforzata
e ho imparato ad andare avanti

E ora sei tornato
dallo spazio esterno.
Io sono entrata e ti ho trovato qui
con quello sguardo triste sul viso.
Avrei dovuto cambiare quella stupida serratura
avrei dovuto farti lasciare la chiave,
se avessi saputo per un solo secondo
che tu saresti tornato a importunarmi.

Ora vattene via, esci dalla porta
ora voltati
perché non sei più il benvenuto
Non eri tu quello che ha cercato di ferirmi con un addio?
Pensavi che sarei crollata?
Pensavi che mi sarei accasciata a morire?
Oh no, non io,
io sopravviverò
Finché saprò amare
so che
sarò viva.
Ho tutta la mia vita da vivere
Ho tutto il mio amore da dare
e sopravviverò

Mi ci è voluta tutta la forza che avevo
per non cadere a pezzi
ho cercato con tutte le mie forze di mettere assieme
i pezzi del mio cuore infranto
e ho passato così tante notti
a compiangere me stessa.
Piangevo
ma ora tengo la testa alta
e tu mi vedi
come una persona nuova
Non sono più quella piccola persona incatenata
ancora innamorata di te.
E così ti è venuta voglia di fare un salto
e semplicemente ti aspetti che io sia libera
ma ora sto serbando tutto il mio amore
per qualcuno che mi ama
(L.Z.)