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:
  • +3
    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
Zombie
Cranberries, The
"Zombie" is about the ethno-political conflict in Ireland. This is obvious if you know anything of the singer (Dolores O'Riordan)'s Irish heritage and understood the "1916" Easter Rising reference. "Another head hangs lowly Child is slowly taken And the violence caused such silence Who are we mistaken - Another mother's breaking Heart is taking over" Laments the Warrington bomb attacks in which two children were fatally injured on March 23rd, 1993. Twelve year old Tim Parry was taken off life support with permission from his mother after five days in the hospital, virtually braindead. "But you see it's not me It's not my family" References how people who are not directly involved with the violence feel about it. They are "zombies" without sympathy who refuse to take action while others suffer.
Album art
System
Mel And Kim
Just listening for the 784,654th time....and it's just perfect in every way. Just incredible. The only reason it was remade was to scoop up a boatload of money from a more modern and accepting audience. But it is a completely different song than the other one that sounds slapped together in a few takes without a thought for the meaning. This song captivates me still, after 50+ years. Takes me to the deep South and the poverty of some who lived thru truly hard times. And the powerful spirit of a poor young girl being abandoned to her future with only a red dress and her wits to keep her alive. She not only stayed alive, she turned her hard beginnings around, became self sufficient, successful and someone with respect for herself. She didn't let the naysayers and judgers stop her. She's the one sitting in the drivers seat at the end. So, not a song about a poor girl, but a song of hope and how you can rise up no matter how far down you started. There is a huge difference between a singer who simply belts out a song that is on a page in front of them, and someone who can convey an entire experience with their voice. Telling not just a story with words, but taking you inside it and making you feel like you are there, with their interpretation.
Album art
Mad Hatter
Avenged Sevenfold
Matt Shadows their lead singer says the song was written as per request from the developers of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Watching the initial trailers for the game & looking at production sketches reminded him of the 'S-Town' podcast & its main protagonist, John B. McLemore. Matt also comments specifically on the lyrics: "I decided that the lyrics would shadow McLemore's life." In 2012, antiquarian horologist John B. McLemore sent an email to the staff of the show 'This American Life' asking them to investigate an alleged murder in his hometown of Woodstock, Alabama, a place McLemore claimed to despise. After a year of exchanging emails & several months of conversation with McLemore, producer Brian Reed traveled to Woodstock to investigate. Reed investigated the crime & eventually found that no such murder took place, though he struck up a friendship with the depressed but colorful character of McLemore. He recorded conversations with McLemore & other people in Woodstock. McLemore killed himself by drinking potassium cyanide on June 22, 2015 while the podcast was still in production. In the narrative of the podcast, this occurs at the end of the second episode; subsequent episodes deal with the fallout from McLemore's death while exploring more of McLemore's life & character.
Album art
Loved by You
Justin Bieber
The fourteenth track, "Loved By You" of the singer's latest studio album titled "Justice", was produced by Josh Gudwin, Skrillex, Jason Evigan & LeriQ. It was released on March 19, 2021.
Album art
Up 2020
Uncle Murda
This standout song of the rapper's latest studio album titled "Don’t Come Outside, Vol. 3" was produced by Great John. The track was released via major streaming platforms on January 1, 2021.