I Will Survive chords by Gloria Gaynor

Video blocked due to privacy settings

[rcb-consent type=”change” tag=”link” text=”Change privacy settings”]

I Will Survive | Chords + Lyrics

Intro (piano)

||: E (Fdim7 arpeggio) :|| x3

Verse 1 (no drums)

| Am | Dm7 |
At first I was afraid, I was petrified.
| G7 | Cmaj7 |
Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side.
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 |
But then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong.
| Esus4 | E |
And I grew strong, and I learned how to get along.

Verse 2 (with drums)

| Am | Dm7 |
And so you’re back, from outer space.
| G7 | Cmaj7 |
I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face.
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 |
I should have changed that stupid lock, I should have made you leave your key.
| Esus4 | E |
If I’d known for just one second you’d be back to bother me.

Verse 3

| Am | Dm7 |
Go on now, go, walk out the door.
| G7 | Cmaj7 |
Just turn around now, ‘cause you’re not welcome anymore.
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 |
Weren’t you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye?
| Esus4 | E |
You think I’d crumble? You think I’d lay down and die?

Verse 4

| Am | Dm7 |
Oh no, not I, I will survive.
| G7 | Cmaj7 |
Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I’ll stay alive.
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 |
I’ve got all my life to live and I’ve got all my love to give and I’ll survive.
| Esus4 | E |
I will survive, hey, hey.

Solo 1

| Am | Dm7 | G7 | Cmaj7 |
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 | Esus4 | E |

Verse 5

| Am | Dm7 |
It took all the strength I had not to fall apart.
| G7 | Cmaj7 |
Kept trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart.
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 |
And I spent oh-so-many nights just feeling sorry for myself.
| Esus4 | E |
I used to cry, but now I hold my head up high and you see me.

Verse 6

| Am | Dm7 |
Somebody new.
| G7 | Cmaj7 |
I’m not that chained-up little person still in love with you.
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 |
And so you felt like dropping in and just expect me to be free.
| Esus4 | E |
Well, now I’m saving all my lovin’ for someone who’s loving me.

Verse 7

| Am | Dm7 |
Go on now, go, walk out the door.
| G7 | Cmaj7 |
Just turn around now, ‘cause you’re not welcome anymore.
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 |
Weren’t you the one who tried to break me with goodbye?
| Esus4 | E |
You think I’d crumble? You think I’d lay down and die?

Verse 8 (with held last line)

| Am | Dm7 |
Oh no, not I, I will survive.
| G7 | Cmaj7 |
Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I’ll stay alive.
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 |
I’ve got all my life to live, and I’ve got all my love to give and I’ll survive.
| Esus4 | E | E | E | (ritardando)
I will survive.

Verse 9

| Am | Dm7 |
Oh. Go on now, go, walk out the door.
| G7 | Cmaj7 |
Just turn around now, ‘cause you’re not welcome anymore.
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 |
Weren’t you the one who tried to break me with goodbye?
| Esus4 | E |
You think I’d crumble? You think I’d lay down and die?

Verse 10

Solo 2

| Am | Dm7 | G7 | Cmaj7 |
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 | Esus4 | E |

Verse 11 (same as 5)

Verse 12 (same as 6, no strings)

Verse 13 (same as 7, no strings)

| Am | Dm7 |
Go on now, go, walk out the door.
| G7 | Cmaj7 |
Just turn around now, ‘cause you’re not welcome anymore.
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 |
Weren’t you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye?
| Esus4 | E |
You’d think I’d crumble? Did you think I’d break down and die?

Verse 14 (same as 8, no strings, no ritardando)

Outro (to fade, with strings and solo first half)

| Am | Dm7 |
| G7 | Cmaj7 |
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 |
I’ve got all my life to live, and I’ve got so much love to give and I’ll survive.
| Esus4 | E | (fade)
Yes, I’ll survive. Yeah, I’ll survive.

I Will Survive’s chords, progressions, and TAB

Easily up there with Respect and Man! I Feel Like A Woman, I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor is one of the most recognizable female anthems of all time.

Since its 1978 release, it has remained a given on the Disco band’s set list and I suspect it will remain there for the foreseeable future.

VH1 and Time Out even named it the #1 best Dance and Pride tune of all time.

Centered around a cycle of 4th chord progression, I Will Survive’s chords actually give us a great opportunity to practice all our chords in a key.

This is what we do in the members section after we analyzed the chords. The lesson comes with TAB, here’s a direct link: I Will Survive chord analysis and TAB.

The question is, will you survive I Will Survive’s chord exercise challenge?

Become a member today and get unlimited access to all my guitar courses, the SEPR practice route, and the eBook Spytunes Method – You can learn guitar!

I Will Survive chords | Related pages

Five similar tunes

When you can play I Will Survive's chords, try these five tunes from the song book.

Gloria Gaynor

Starting out on the club circuit, Gloria Gaynor got signed in 1971 and started to release disco versions of famous songs in 1975.

Her best tunes include Never Can Say Goodbye, I Will Survive, You’re All I Need To Get By, and Stop in the Name of Love.

Gloria Gaynor on the web

Dance, Disco & Funk

The genre’s Dance, Disco & Funk have a clear goal – To make people dance! Study these songs and you’ll get better at playing rhythm guitar.

Learn tunes by Chich, Sister Sledge, Michael Jackson, Chaka Khan, Justin Timberlake, Prince, James Brown, Dua Lipa, and many more.