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

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


Lyrics submitted by Boonechic_21

I Will Survive Lyrics as written by Frederick J. Perren Dino Fekaris

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

I Will Survive song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

37 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +4
    General Comment

    This is the all-time best "I-just-got-dumped-but-I'm-moving-on-with-my-life-cos-you're-a-sorry-ass-loser" song in the world!

    nietzsche_66on May 25, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    love this track.

    just been through a break up in which i was the one broken up with, and this song perfectly sums up that moment when you switch from being hopeless, sad, heart broken, etc into optimism and personal strength.

    did i mention i love this track? gold.

    vivy_ison August 29, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    a great song for anyone who has been through a terrible breakup. the meaning is pretty self-explanatory. it's about a couple breaking up and the other person comes back and expects the person to be still upset about the breakup when they aren't. i love this song a lot and it helps me feel better when i feel like i have nothing else left to live for.

    _bananapancakeson August 31, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Another great 'Fcuk You song'*.

    *(A term I first saw on this website for Buddy Holly's classic 'It Doesnt Matter Anymore')

    Comrade_Liaron March 28, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Wow..., this is incredible! Listen with a smile! =D

    _TwistedRainbow_on December 22, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Song meanings. What a song means, to you? And of course what the artist means.

    So before you start calling eveyrone a loser, stop f**king trolling out because you had a bad day. And picked a stupid name.

    Trolling is FAR WORSE then general support.

    And you're a fucking idiot for trying to analyze a song which is as straightforward as this.

    Mazrimon March 09, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I agree with YOURDUMB. Please don't say I like I hate this song and things like that,as nobody cares,Rather say something about the lyric, if you have something to say. And if you think the lyric is straightforward don't forget that it may be like that for you but not for someone else. I just wanted to suggest you the other point of view which this lyric reminds me of: here we have a woman who's kicking out of her house an unfaithful and selfish man, and that's all from her point of view (and that's great). Please now listen to a song by Jim Croce called Walkin' back to Georgia - it seems the other side of the story (the man's) and both are great if you put one next to the other

    thestampon March 13, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I first heard this in "Medium". Then I couldn't stop singing it for about two weeks. I love it.

    Foxwingon June 09, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i dont see why we shouldnt say so if we like or dislike the song. whether we like it or hate it influences how we interpret it. i think the site could probably do without the swearing and abusing of people's names, because i hate to sound cliched but in the end its about the music isnt it? sorry if i offended.

    i love this song!! and what i actually wanted to know is is this the origninal of this song?

    arya_elf_girlon June 27, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    girl power hell yes!

    tottaly fuck you to an ex boyfriend song!

    inspiration!

    also reminds me of the video the replacements... hahaha kickin ass movie!

    I WILL SURVIVE!

    Cindy-looon August 10, 2006   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Album art
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Album art
When We Were Young
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Album art
Blue
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Page
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.