I Will Survive – English Lyrics

• By: Gloria Gaynor
• Album: Love Tracks

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the empowering world of English through Gloria Gaynor's legendary hit, "I Will Survive." This disco classic is a masterclass in expressing resilience and self-worth. Its clear, powerful lyrics and anthemic chorus make it perfect for understanding expressions of overcoming adversity, emotional strength, and asserting independence. The song's universal themes of survival and empowerment will not only enrich your vocabulary but also inspire you with its message of unwavering determination.

[English]

(SOFT MUSIC)

♪ 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'D 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 ♪

♪ YOU THINK I'D CRUMBLE ♪

♪ 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'LL STAY ALIVE ♪

♪ I'VE GOT ALL MY LIFE TO LIVE ♪

♪ AND I'VE GOT ALL MY LOVE TO GIVE AND I'LL SURVIVE ♪

♪ I WILL SURVIVE, HEY, HEY ♪

(UPBEAT MUSIC)

♪ 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 ♪

♪ WELL, NOW I'M SAVING ALL MY LOVIN' ♪

♪ 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 ♪

♪ YOU THINK I'D CRUMBLE ♪

♪ 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'LL STAY ALIVE ♪

♪ I'VE GOT ALL MY LIFE TO LIVE ♪

♪ AND I'VE GOT ALL MY LOVE TO GIVE AND I'LL SURVIVE ♪

♪ I WILL SURVIVE ♪

♪ OH ♪

♪ 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 ♪

♪ YOU THINK I'D CRUMBLE ♪

♪ 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'LL STAY ALIVE ♪

♪ I'VE GOT ALL MY LIFE TO LIVE ♪

♪ AND I'VE GOT ALL MY LOVE TO GIVE AND I'LL SURVIVE ♪

♪ I WILL SURVIVE ♪

♪ I WILL SURVIVE ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
afraid /əˈfreɪd/ A2	adjective - feeling fear or anxiety; frightened
petrified /ˈpetrɪfaɪd/ C1	adjective - so frightened that one is unable to move; terrified verb - to make (someone) so frightened that they are unable to move
live /lɪv/ A1	verb - to remain alive
nights /naɪts/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise
wrong /rɔːŋ/ A1	adjective - not correct or true; incorrect
strong /strɒŋ/ A1	adjective - having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks
space /speɪs/ A2	noun - the physical universe beyond the earth's atmosphere
sad /sæd/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy
stupid /ˈstjuːpɪd/ B1	adjective - lacking intelligence or common sense
bother /ˈbɒðə(r)/ B1	verb - take the trouble to do something
hurt /hɜːt/ A2	verb - to cause physical pain or injury
crumble /ˈkrʌmbl/ B2	verb - to break or fall apart into small fragments, especially as part of deterioration
die /daɪ/ A1	verb - to stop living
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - to feel deep affection for
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A2	adjective - living; not dead
strength /streŋθ/ B1	noun - the quality or state of being physically strong
fall /fɔːl/ A1	verb - to lose one's balance and collapse
apart /əˈpɑːt/ A2	adjective - separated by a distance
broken /ˈbrəʊkən/ A2	adjective - having been fractured or damaged
free /friː/ A1	adjective - not under the control or power of someone else; able to do or be what one wants

Key Grammar Structures

• Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side

  ➔ Past continuous with 'kept' + gerund (thinking)

  ➔ Expresses a continuous action in the past. "Kept thinking" implies repeatedly thinking. Also, the use of "could" indicates a past possibility or uncertainty.

• Thinking how you did me wrong

  ➔ Indirect Question/Embedded Question

  ➔ "Thinking how you did me wrong" is an embedded question acting as the object of the verb "thinking". The word order changes from a direct question (How did you do me wrong?) to a statement-like structure.

• I should have changed that stupid lock

  ➔ Modal verb + 'have' + past participle (should have)

  ➔ "Should have" expresses regret or a missed opportunity in the past. It implies that the speaker regrets not changing the lock.

• If I'd known for just one second you'd be back

  ➔ Third Conditional (mixed type)

  ➔ This is a mixed conditional sentence. 'If I'd known' refers to a past unreal condition (knowing beforehand), while 'you'd be back' refers to a past result that affects the present situation. Although grammatically similar to 3rd conditional, the result clause implies a lasting consequence to the present.

• Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye?

  ➔ Tag Question with Rhetorical Effect

  ➔ The tag question "Weren't you?" is used not to seek confirmation but to emphasize a statement and challenge the person being addressed. It's rhetorical, implying that the answer is obvious.

• You think I'd crumble, you think I'd lay down and die

  ➔ Conditional Sentence Type 2 (Implied 'If')

  ➔ The implied condition is "If you thought/hoped that...". 'I'd crumble' and 'I'd lay down and die' express hypothetical results of that (untrue) condition. The structure shows the speaker's conviction that those results are not going to happen.

• As long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive

  ➔ "As long as" conjunction

  ➔ "As long as" introduces a condition that must be met for the main clause to be true. It means 'only if' or 'provided that'. Here, survival is conditional on knowing how to love.

• I'm not that chained-up little person still in love with you

  ➔ Past participle as adjective (chained-up)

  ➔ "Chained-up" is a past participle used as an adjective to describe the person. It shows the state the person was in formerly. The use of the adjective emphasizes the change and liberation the speaker now feels.