Gloria Gaynor: 'I Will Survive' Is 'The Core Of My Purpose' : NPR

Contents:

• THE TRIUMPHANT QUEER LEGACY OF GLORIA GAYNOR’S ‘I WILL SURVIVE’
• THE STORY OF... 'I WILL SURVIVE' BY GLORIA GAYNOR
• GAY HISTORY – JANUARY 20, 1979: GLORIA GAYNOR’S GAY ANTHEM “I WILL SURVIVE” RELEASED – FIVE FACTS YOU DIDN’T KNOW
• I WILL SURVIVE BY GLORIA GAYNOR- THE HISTORY…
• GLORIA GAYNOR: 'I WILL SURVIVE' IS 'THE CORE OF MY PURPOSE'
• HOW GLORIA GAYNOR SURVIVED: SIX BT MOMENTS OM THE TRIBE FILM FTIVAL DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE
• I WILL SURVIVEGLORIA GAYNORTRACK 5 ON LOVE TRACKS PRODUCED BYDO FEKARISTHIS SONG WAS GIVEN A LUCKY BREAK WHEN A STUD 54 DJ FLIPPED TO THE B-SI OF “SUBSTUTE”, A RIGHTEO BROTHERS VER. DURG A TIME WHEN MOST DIS HS WERE HEAVILY… READ MORE AUG. 19781 VIEWER706.4K VIEWS79 CONTRIBUTORSI WILL SURVIVE LYRICS[INTRO]AT FIRST I WAS AAID, I WAS PETRIFIEDKEPT THK' I ULD NEVER LIVE WHOUT YOU BY MY SIBUT THEN I SPENT SO MANY NIGHTS THK' HOW YOU DID ME WRONGAND I GREW STRONG AND I LEARNED HOW TO GET ALONG[VERSE 1]AND SO YOU'RE BACK, OM OUTER SPACEI JT WALKED TO FD YOU HERE WH THAT SAD LOOK UPON YOUR FACEI SHOULD HAVE CHANGED THAT STUPID LOCKI SHOULD HAVE MA YOU LEAVE YOUR KEYIF I'D HAVE KNOWN FOR JT ONE SEND YOU'D BE BACK TO BOTHER ME[PRE-CHOS]GO ON NOW, GO, WALK OUT THE DOORJT TURN AROUND NOW, 'E YOU'RE NOT WELE ANYMOREWEREN'T YOU THE ONE WHO TRIED TO HURT ME WH GOODBYE?DID YOU THK I'D CMBLE? DID YOU THK I'D LAY DOWN AND DIE?[CHOS]OH NO, NOT I, I WILL SURVIVEOH, AS LONG AS I KNOW HOW TO LOVE, I KNOW I'LL STAY ALIVEI'VE GOT ALL MY LIFE TO LIVE, AND I'VE GOT ALL MY LOVE TO GIVEAND I'LL SURVIVE, I WILL SURVIVE, HEY HEY[STRG SOLO]YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE[VERSE 2]IT TOOK ALL THE STRENGTH I HAD NOT TO FALL APARTJT TRY' HARD TO MEND THE PIEC OF MY BROKEN HEARTAND I SPENT OH SO MANY NIGHTS JT FEELG SORRY FOR MYSELFI ED TO CRY, BUT NOW I HOLD MY HEAD UP HIGHAND YOU SEE ME, SOMEBODY NEWI'M NOT THAT CHAED UP LTLE PERSON STILL LOVE WH YOUAND SO YOU FELT LIKE DROPP' AND JT EXPECT ME TO BE EENOW I'M SAVG ALL MY LOV' FOR SOMEONE WHO'S LOV' ME[PRE-CHOS]GO ON NOW, GO, WALK OUT THE DOORJT TURN AROUND NOW, 'E YOU'RE NOT WELE ANYMOREWEREN'T YOU THE ONE WHO TRIED TO BREAK ME WH GOODBYE?DID YOU THK I'D CMBLE? DID YOU THK I'D LAY DOWN AND DIE?[CHOS]OH NO, NOT I, I WILL SURVIVEOH, AS LONG AS I KNOW HOW TO LOVE, I KNOW I'LL STAY ALIVEI'VE GOT ALL MY LIFE TO LIVE, AND I'VE GOT ALL MY LOVE TO GIVEAND I'LL SURVIVE, I WILL SURVIVE, OH[PRE-CHOS]GO ON NOW GO, WALK OUT THE DOORJT TURN AROUND NOW, 'E YOU'RE NOT WELE ANYMOREWEREN'T YOU THE ONE WHO TRIED TO BREAK ME WH GOODBYE?DID YOU THK I'D CMBLE? DID YOU THK I'D LAY DOWN AND DIE?[CHOS]OH NO, NOT I, I WILL SURVIVEOH, AS LONG AS I KNOW HOW TO LOVE, I KNOW I'LL STAY ALIVEI'VE GOT ALL MY LIFE TO LIVE, AND I'VE GOT ALL MY LOVE TO GIVEAND I'LL SURVIVE, I WILL SURVIVE, I WILL SURVIVE[SAXOPHONE SOLO][VERSE 2]IT TOOK ALL THE STRENGTH I HAD NOT TO FALL APARTJT TRY' HARD TO MEND THE PIEC OF MY BROKEN HEARTAND I SPENT OH SO MANY NIGHTS JT FEELG SORRY FOR MYSELFI ED TO CRY, BUT NOW I HOLD MY HEAD UP HIGHAND YOU SEE ME, SOMEBODY NEWI'M NOT THAT CHAED UP LTLE PERSON STILL LOVE WH YOUAND SO YOU FELT LIKE DROPP' AND JT EXPECT ME TO BE EEWELL, NOW I'M SAVG ALL MY LOV' FOR SOMEONE WHO'S LOV' ME[PRE-CHOS]GO ON NOW GO, WALK OUT THE DOORJT TURN AROUND NOW, 'E YOU'RE NOT WELE ANYMOREWEREN'T YOU THE ONE WHO TRIED TO HURT ME WH GOODBYE?DID YOU THK I'D CMBLE? DID YOU THK I'D BREAK DOWN AND DIE?[CHOS]OH NO, NOT I, I WILL SURVIVEOH, AS LONG AS I KNOW HOW TO LOVE, I KNOW I'LL STAY ALIVEI'VE GOT ALL MY LIFE TO LIVE, AND I'VE GOT ALL MY LOVE TO GIVEAND I'LL SURVIVE, I WILL SURVIVE, I WILL SURVIVE[OUTRO]I'VE GOT ALL MY LIFE TO LIVE, AND I'VE GOT SO MUCH LOVE TO GIVEAND I'LL SURVIVE, Y, I'LL SURVIVE, YEAH, I'LL SURVIVE37EMBEDCANCELHOW TO FORMAT LYRICS:TYPE OUT ALL LYRICS, EVEN REPEATG SONG PARTS LIKE THE CHOSLYRICS SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN TO DIVIDUAL LUSE SECTN HEARS ABOVE DIFFERENT SONG PARTS LIKE [VERSE], [CHOS], ETC.USE ALICS (<I>LYRIC</I>) AND BOLD (<B>LYRIC</B>) TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT VOLISTS THE SAME SONG PARTIF YOU DON’T UNRSTAND A LYRIC, E [?]TO LEARN MORE, CHECK OUT OUR TRANSCRIPTN GUI OR VIS OUR TRANSCRIBERS FOMABOUT
• GLORIA GAYNOR FACTS: 'I WILL SURVIVE' SGER'S AGE, HBAND, CHILDREN AND SONGS EXPLAED
• JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU
• GLORIA GAYNOR: 'I WILL SURVIVE' IS 'THE CORE OF MY PURPOSE'
• GLORIA GAYNOR FACTS: 'I WILL SURVIVE' SGER'S AGE, HBAND, CHILDREN AND SONGS EXPLAED
• MIC. GLORIA GAYNOR: I WILL SURVIVE
• REARCH: “I WILL SURVIVE” BY GLORIA GAYNOR IS CLEARLY THE ALL TIM GAY ANTHEM

THE TRIUMPHANT QUEER LEGACY OF GLORIA GAYNOR’S ‘I WILL SURVIVE’

FlashbackWhile she didn’t tend for the song to be an LGBTQ anthem, s lyrics were an spiratn amid the AIDS crisis and homophobiaGloria Gaynor, London, 1975. Gloria Gaynor’s voice starts timidly: “First I was aaid/I was petrified.

The guar riff starts as Gaynor is forced to nont her terrible ex — “And so you’re back/From outer space” — as if ’s givg her momentum to send him away and live a better life whout late 1978, Gloria Gaynor released “I Will Survive” as a B-si dis track, not knowg the song would soon bee the five sgle of her reer. She was still wearg a back brace when she rerd “I Will Survive” after beg picked up aga by moment Gaynor was livg when she rerd “I Will Survive” no doubt ntributed to the song’s energetic msage of survival.

THE STORY OF... 'I WILL SURVIVE' BY GLORIA GAYNOR

“[Fekaris and Perren] said, ‘We thk you’re the one that we’ve been wag for to rerd this song that we wrote a uple of years ago, ’” Gaynor explaed a 2013 terview wh Audible. Black Mic Month and Pri Month celebratns lli Nile Forr’s say about Gloria Gaynor’s dis h, “I Will Survive. ” Though the spirg dance song was released the 70’s, the sgle rurfaced the 90’s as LGBTQ alt wh the AIDS crisis and moment Gaynor was livg when she rerd “I Will Survive” — rejectn om the mic dtry as a talented Black woman, the abily to rely on her body for the first time — no doubt ntributed to the song’s energetic msage of survival.

GAY HISTORY – JANUARY 20, 1979: GLORIA GAYNOR’S GAY ANTHEM “I WILL SURVIVE” RELEASED – FIVE FACTS YOU DIDN’T KNOW

As Gaynor has spent most of her reer affirmg, survival is the first step to eedom, pennce, and happs — and who don’t want to believe the are possible? Read more about Gaynor’s mil journey and how her mic spired Black and queer muni through tryg tim the article below.

But who wrote Gloria Gaynor's inic fiant h, and how did she e to sg ? Fekaris also wrote other songs for Gloria Gaynor, but this was his only huge succs as a also wrote dis favour 'Boogie Fever' by The Sylvers and 'Shake Your Groove Thg' by Peach & Herb. '" Gaynor herself once said: "I love the empowerg effect, I love the enuragg effect.

I WILL SURVIVE BY GLORIA GAYNOR- THE HISTORY…

How did Gloria Gaynor land the song? They agreed that the next diva that found them would get the end up beg Gloria Gaynor, whose rerd pany lled Perren lookg for productn on a song lled 'Substute', a song origally by the Righteo Brothers.

Gaynor then agreed to rerd 'I Will Survive' as the B-si. Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive [Official Vio] 1978 [Aud iTun Pl AAC M4A].

Although everyone who worked on the song knew was superr to the A-si, the print of Gaynor's rerd pany specifilly wanted 'Substute', and released as the A-si as planned. The song is often referred to as a 'gay anthem' bee of this. Gloria Gaynor was not a one-h-wonr.

GLORIA GAYNOR: 'I WILL SURVIVE' IS 'THE CORE OF MY PURPOSE'

Gloria Gaynor - Never n say goodbye.

HOW GLORIA GAYNOR SURVIVED: SIX BT MOMENTS OM THE TRIBE FILM FTIVAL DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE

While Gloria Gaynor will forever be known for this one song, she had already sred some hs before was released.

I WILL SURVIVEGLORIA GAYNORTRACK 5 ON LOVE TRACKS PRODUCED BYDO FEKARISTHIS SONG WAS GIVEN A LUCKY BREAK WHEN A STUD 54 DJ FLIPPED TO THE B-SI OF “SUBSTUTE”, A RIGHTEO BROTHERS VER. DURG A TIME WHEN MOST DIS HS WERE HEAVILY… READ MORE AUG. 19781 VIEWER706.4K VIEWS79 CONTRIBUTORSI WILL SURVIVE LYRICS[INTRO]AT FIRST I WAS AAID, I WAS PETRIFIEDKEPT THK' I ULD NEVER LIVE WHOUT YOU BY MY SIBUT THEN I SPENT SO MANY NIGHTS THK' HOW YOU DID ME WRONGAND I GREW STRONG AND I LEARNED HOW TO GET ALONG[VERSE 1]AND SO YOU'RE BACK, OM OUTER SPACEI JT WALKED TO FD YOU HERE WH THAT SAD LOOK UPON YOUR FACEI SHOULD HAVE CHANGED THAT STUPID LOCKI SHOULD HAVE MA YOU LEAVE YOUR KEYIF I'D HAVE KNOWN FOR JT ONE SEND YOU'D BE BACK TO BOTHER ME[PRE-CHOS]GO ON NOW, GO, WALK OUT THE DOORJT TURN AROUND NOW, 'E YOU'RE NOT WELE ANYMOREWEREN'T YOU THE ONE WHO TRIED TO HURT ME WH GOODBYE?DID YOU THK I'D CMBLE? DID YOU THK I'D LAY DOWN AND DIE?[CHOS]OH NO, NOT I, I WILL SURVIVEOH, AS LONG AS I KNOW HOW TO LOVE, I KNOW I'LL STAY ALIVEI'VE GOT ALL MY LIFE TO LIVE, AND I'VE GOT ALL MY LOVE TO GIVEAND I'LL SURVIVE, I WILL SURVIVE, HEY HEY[STRG SOLO]YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE[VERSE 2]IT TOOK ALL THE STRENGTH I HAD NOT TO FALL APARTJT TRY' HARD TO MEND THE PIEC OF MY BROKEN HEARTAND I SPENT OH SO MANY NIGHTS JT FEELG SORRY FOR MYSELFI ED TO CRY, BUT NOW I HOLD MY HEAD UP HIGHAND YOU SEE ME, SOMEBODY NEWI'M NOT THAT CHAED UP LTLE PERSON STILL LOVE WH YOUAND SO YOU FELT LIKE DROPP' AND JT EXPECT ME TO BE EENOW I'M SAVG ALL MY LOV' FOR SOMEONE WHO'S LOV' ME[PRE-CHOS]GO ON NOW, GO, WALK OUT THE DOORJT TURN AROUND NOW, 'E YOU'RE NOT WELE ANYMOREWEREN'T YOU THE ONE WHO TRIED TO BREAK ME WH GOODBYE?DID YOU THK I'D CMBLE? DID YOU THK I'D LAY DOWN AND DIE?[CHOS]OH NO, NOT I, I WILL SURVIVEOH, AS LONG AS I KNOW HOW TO LOVE, I KNOW I'LL STAY ALIVEI'VE GOT ALL MY LIFE TO LIVE, AND I'VE GOT ALL MY LOVE TO GIVEAND I'LL SURVIVE, I WILL SURVIVE, OH[PRE-CHOS]GO ON NOW GO, WALK OUT THE DOORJT TURN AROUND NOW, 'E YOU'RE NOT WELE ANYMOREWEREN'T YOU THE ONE WHO TRIED TO BREAK ME WH GOODBYE?DID YOU THK I'D CMBLE? DID YOU THK I'D LAY DOWN AND DIE?[CHOS]OH NO, NOT I, I WILL SURVIVEOH, AS LONG AS I KNOW HOW TO LOVE, I KNOW I'LL STAY ALIVEI'VE GOT ALL MY LIFE TO LIVE, AND I'VE GOT ALL MY LOVE TO GIVEAND I'LL SURVIVE, I WILL SURVIVE, I WILL SURVIVE[SAXOPHONE SOLO][VERSE 2]IT TOOK ALL THE STRENGTH I HAD NOT TO FALL APARTJT TRY' HARD TO MEND THE PIEC OF MY BROKEN HEARTAND I SPENT OH SO MANY NIGHTS JT FEELG SORRY FOR MYSELFI ED TO CRY, BUT NOW I HOLD MY HEAD UP HIGHAND YOU SEE ME, SOMEBODY NEWI'M NOT THAT CHAED UP LTLE PERSON STILL LOVE WH YOUAND SO YOU FELT LIKE DROPP' AND JT EXPECT ME TO BE EEWELL, NOW I'M SAVG ALL MY LOV' FOR SOMEONE WHO'S LOV' ME[PRE-CHOS]GO ON NOW GO, WALK OUT THE DOORJT TURN AROUND NOW, 'E YOU'RE NOT WELE ANYMOREWEREN'T YOU THE ONE WHO TRIED TO HURT ME WH GOODBYE?DID YOU THK I'D CMBLE? DID YOU THK I'D BREAK DOWN AND DIE?[CHOS]OH NO, NOT I, I WILL SURVIVEOH, AS LONG AS I KNOW HOW TO LOVE, I KNOW I'LL STAY ALIVEI'VE GOT ALL MY LIFE TO LIVE, AND I'VE GOT ALL MY LOVE TO GIVEAND I'LL SURVIVE, I WILL SURVIVE, I WILL SURVIVE[OUTRO]I'VE GOT ALL MY LIFE TO LIVE, AND I'VE GOT SO MUCH LOVE TO GIVEAND I'LL SURVIVE, Y, I'LL SURVIVE, YEAH, I'LL SURVIVE37EMBEDCANCELHOW TO FORMAT LYRICS:TYPE OUT ALL LYRICS, EVEN REPEATG SONG PARTS LIKE THE CHOSLYRICS SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN TO DIVIDUAL LUSE SECTN HEARS ABOVE DIFFERENT SONG PARTS LIKE [VERSE], [CHOS], ETC.USE ALICS (<I>LYRIC</I>) AND BOLD (<B>LYRIC</B>) TO DISTGUISH BETWEEN DIFFERENT VOLISTS THE SAME SONG PARTIF YOU DON’T UNRSTAND A LYRIC, E [?]TO LEARN MORE, CHECK OUT OUR TRANSCRIPTN GUI OR VIS OUR TRANSCRIBERS FOMABOUT

Gloria Gaynor origally rerd "I Will Survive" as a B-si, but swiftly after s release October 1978 beme a worldwi h.

GLORIA GAYNOR FACTS: 'I WILL SURVIVE' SGER'S AGE, HBAND, CHILDREN AND SONGS EXPLAED

Fd more at Gloria Gaynor has said she's pretty sure her signature song, the 1978 dis smash "I Will Survive, " was created jt for her. Her mother had died a uple years earlier, and Gaynor was still pg wh that loss. Gaynor soldiered on, but was sloggg through a fog of grief and anxiety.

JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU

Shortly after Polydor told her she was beg dropped, Gaynor slipped onstage durg a performance at New York's Bean Theatre.

GLORIA GAYNOR: 'I WILL SURVIVE' IS 'THE CORE OF MY PURPOSE'

Attentn secured, Gaynor foced on her revery.

GLORIA GAYNOR FACTS: 'I WILL SURVIVE' SGER'S AGE, HBAND, CHILDREN AND SONGS EXPLAED

In fact, he was pretty sure he had a eback h for Gaynor: a song that a South Ain girl group had recently done well wh, lled "Substute. They ved Gaynor for a meetg to hear what kds of lyrics felt most fortable wh performg. "They said, 'We thk you're the one that we've been wag for to rerd this song that we wrote a uple of years ago, ' " Gaynor explaed.

MIC. GLORIA GAYNOR: I WILL SURVIVE

Dmmer Jam Gadson, who his reer has backed up Marv Gaye and Bill Whers and been featured on hundreds of h rerds, was part of the stud band put together for the ssn. " Gaynor took advance pi of the sgle to Stud 54, the mec of US disthequ — she'd often sung there, and knew the DJ.

Wh weeks was playg everywhere, cludg Europe, where Gaynor was a longtime favore. Karen Tongson, a profsor at the Universy of Southern California who often lectur on pop culture, says she remembers first hearg the song the 1990s through s ver versns, then learng the history behd Gaynor's origal. Beyond gay muni, "I Will Survive" has bee a global anthem for those who have felt polilly opprsed, physilly challenged or otherwise phed to society's margs.

REARCH: “I WILL SURVIVE” BY GLORIA GAYNOR IS CLEARLY THE ALL TIM GAY ANTHEM

That clus survivors of domtic abe, for whom Gloria Gaynor herself has bee a spokperson. Cdy Southworth heads the Natnal Network to End Domtic Vlence, where Gaynor is an advote; she remembers when the sger appeared at the anizatn's global nference 2012. Gloria Gaynor terview d provid urty of Audible and WXPN's World Café.

On January 20, 1979 Gloria Gaynor’s rerdg of I Will Survive was released and started s way up the mic charts. “I Will Survive” beme one of the qutsential anthems for the Gay Pri that year and has held strong as a favore of gay men everywhere. Gaynor origally released “I Will Survive” as the B-si to her ver of the Righteo Brothers’ “Substute” 1978.